Holistic nursing practice
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Holistic nursing practice · May 2003
ReviewFamily caregivers need support with heart failure patients.
Millions of family members are serving as caregivers for patients with heart failure and the numbers will continue to rise. It appears that caregivers desire to be involved in the patient's care even when the caregiving tasks average 8 hours per day. Burden, stress, and depression have been found to be significantly associated with the caregiving role in this population. ⋯ Nurses are in a pivotal position to improve patient and caregiver outcomes by including the family caregivers of heart failure patients in all aspects of care and in promoting the well being of the caregiver. This article will highlight the importance of social support on patient and caregiver outcomes, and second, review studies on family caregiving among heart failure patients. Recommendations for nursing practice and further research will be discussed.
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Studies indicate that pain interferes with sleep and, in turn, sleep disturbances increase pain. Statistics show that up to 60% of those with arthritis experience pain during the night. But despite these findings, sleep is not generally addressed as a major treatment concern among this population. This article reviews the relationship between pain and sleep; sleep issues as they relate to 3 common types of arthritis--osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia; and holistic approaches that may be used by the patient in the self-management of pain and sleep.
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This nation's view of older-adult families and their care needs reform. Changing trends in the longevity of our population will mean changes in family structures and relationships. This article examines lessons from studies of successful aging to illuminate strategies that may promote successful later-life families. The focus is on changes that nurses can make with older-adult families in dispelling aging stereotypes, increasing the numbers of nurses educated and specializing in the care of older adults, changing the educational approach for new nurses, and calling for social policy changes.