Introduction to Nursing Care Plan for Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
A nursing care plan is a type of written plan that nurses use as an aid during patient care. In diabetes mellitus type 2, nurses develop the care plan to provide proper nursing assessment, management and care of patients with diabetes. This care plan includes assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcomes, interventions, rationales, and evaluation. These components may vary but contain the same main principles.
Assessment
The nurse begins by assessing the patient’s health status. This includes taking a detailed medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and other necessary diagnostic tools. Patient education, lifestyle modifications, and medications will also be assessed. Assessment helps the nurse understand the patient’s needs and facilitate the development of a care plan that meets these needs.
Nursing Diagnosis
Nursing diagnosis will be mainly focused on glycemic control in diabetes mellitus type 2. Common nursing diagnosis associated with diabetes are impaired glucose tolerance, hyperglycemia, fluid volume deficit, activity intolerance, risk for skin breakdown, and risk for infection. The aim of the nursing interventions is to improve the quality of life and promote optimal level of health.
Outcomes
The desired outcome for a patient with diabetes mellitus type 2 is improved glycemic control- maintain blood sugar level as close to target range and maintain A1C level below 7%. In addition, the patient should be taught how to safely administer their medications, adopt lifestyle modifications which includeregular exercise, dietary restriction and stress management.
Interventions
For optimal glycemic control, nurses need to assess the patient regularly to evaluate if the patient is achieving their targets. Educate the patient regarding self-management activities such as understanding signs and symptoms of hyper and hypoglycaemia, monitoring blood sugar levels and administering insulin. Nurses also need to evaluate and manage lifestyle modifications and medications used.
Rationales
It is important for the nurse to provide patient education about the disease and the medications used for managing the disease. Establishing and reinforcing positive lifestyle habits such as regular exercise and diets plans will assist the patient to achieve their glycemic control. Careful monitoring and assessment of the patient’s response to the interventions and therapies will assist the nurse to detect any untoward conditions or complications. Regular foot checks, skin checks and urine testing can help prevent serious disease related complications.
Evaluation
Evaluating the effectiveness of nursing care is just as important as providing the care itself. During evaluation, nurses review the patient’s progress and modify the care plan accordingly if needed. Evaluation will include monitoring the patient’s response to the treatments and interventions, assessing their lifestyle, adherence to the prescribed drugs and their effectiveness.
Conclusion
Patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 require intensive and regular care from a nursing team. A comprehensive care plan that includes assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcomes, interventions, rationales and evaluations will help the nurse provide high quality patient care.
FAQs
- What is a nursing care plan?
A nursing care plan is a written plan that nurses use as an aid during patient care. - What are the common nursing diagnosis associated with diabetes mellitus type 2?
The common nursing diagnosis associated with diabetes mellitus type 2 are impaired glucose tolerance, hyperglycemia, fluid volume deficit, activity intolerance, risk for skin breakdown, and risk for infection. - What is the desired outcome for a patient with diabetes mellitus type 2?
The desired outcome for a patient with diabetes mellitus type 2 is improved glycemic control - maintain blood sugar level as close to target range and maintain A1C level below 7%. - What type of assessment does the nurse do to begin the care plan?
The nurse begins by assessing the patient’s health status. This includes taking a detailed medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and other necessary diagnostic tools. - What are the important parts of the planning and delivery of nursing care?
The important parts of the planning and delivery of nursing care are assessment, nursing diagnosis, outcomes, interventions, rationales and evaluation.
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