Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
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J Am Assoc Nurse Pract · May 2014
Medication adherence Part three: Strategies for improving adherence.
This is the third of a three part series on Medication Adherence in which the authors describe the continuum of adherence to nonadherence of medication usage. ⋯ The implications for nurse practitioners include using time with patients to assist them in adherence, building a trusting relationship with patients, and developing protocols for assessing and preventing nonadherence.
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Vitamin D deficiency and asthma share risk factors. Epidemiologists suggest that the U.S. prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency has increased as a result of the Westernization of culture and less time spent outdoors. Numerous studies support a patient's Vitamin D deficiency as a contributing cause to increased asthma symptoms, lower lung function levels, increased airway reactivity, and worsening asthma control. The purpose of the review article is to discuss the emerging role of Vitamin D in asthma management. ⋯ While there is no consensus on the use of Vitamin D as a mainstay in asthma treatment, research supports its consideration for use in asthma patients with low Vitamin D levels. Current evidence reinforces the need to measure Vitamin D levels for all asthma patients.
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To provide an overview of the diagnosis and pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA), and to describe appropriate treatments for knee OA, with a focus on the efficacy and safety of viscosupplementation. Because nurse practitioners (NPs) can inject viscosupplements, a section on injection technique is included. ⋯ As the number of patients with OA is increasing, NPs need to be prepared to prescribe various treatment options to alleviate osteoarthritic knee pain, including viscosupplementation.
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J Am Assoc Nurse Pract · Feb 2014
The meaning in life for patients recently hospitalized with congestive heart failure.
Quality of life (QOL) is based on individual values and is identified by what each person believes it to be. To provide patient centered care, practitioners must have an understanding of what each individual identifies as important in their lives. The purpose of this study was to identify what provides meaning to the lives of patients recently hospitalized with congestive heart failure (CHF). ⋯ Identifying patients' relationship with their families, through the use of the SMiLE, has the ability to guide advanced planning decision making. Knowing, and preparing for, various family dynamics before the final stages of CHF may decrease episodes of care provided in opposition to patients' wishes, whether or not their wishes were previously stated or documented.
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The purpose of this article is to describe how two mid-range theories, Kolkaba's Comfort Theory and Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence can be used to illuminate the holistic nature of nurse practitioner (NP) practice. ⋯ Comfort Theory and Sense of Coherence can be used to demonstrate how the holistic nature of NP care results in patient-centered outcomes.