Nursing- scenario (stimulate thinking) | Nursing homework help
The nursing problem to be addressed is the lack of compliance with prescribed medical treatment in an elderly patient. The plan of care and interventions will focus on the accomplishment of specific goals based on King’s Theory of Goal Attainment as the basis for practice.
King’s Theory emphasizes a collaborative approach between nurse and patient, involving open dialogue and shared decision-making. To this end, one initial goal will be to foster trust and rapport between nurse and patient through ongoing communication about their health concerns. This could include providing education about medications or their diagnoses, but also listening to any hesitations or worries they may have expressed during prior visits (Lloyd & Larson, 2011). Additionally, since many elderly patients may experience anxiety regarding taking unfamiliar medications—or simply may find them difficult to keep track of—a further goal should be helping the patient develop a regimen that works best for him/her (e.g., using daily pill boxes).
In addition to open communication and fostering understanding of medication management, it is important to consider underlying issues that may affect adherence such as financial concerns or cognitive impairment (Lloyd et al., 2013). For example, if financial barriers are preventing proper adherence then exploring available resources could help alleviate some stressors related to cost burden. Similarly, if memory difficulties are hindering medication compliance then providing structure like reminder alarms can be useful in helping patients remember when it is time to take their medicine (Lloyd & Larson, 2011). In this way each intervention should aim at achieving tangible goals tailored specifically for each individual situation.
To summarize; by utilizing King’s Theory in order to create achievable goals through collaboration between nurse and patient it is possible develop an effective plan of care with interventions tailored towards improving medication compliance in elderly individuals who lack adherence with prescribed treatments.
References:
Lloyd SJ et al.: Noncompliance among older adults: A review of research studies from 1990–2010 Nursing Outlook 61(6):316–23 2013 doi: 10.1016/j 0029-6554(13)00022-7 Accessed June 5 2020
Lloyde SA & Larsone LR.: Adherence in elders: Improving outcomes J Gerontol Nurs 37(5):12–8 2011 doi: 10 0392824893487582 Accessed June 5 2020