Ineffective Coping and Lack of Support
In the case of Ms. Fischer, an 82-year old female with a history of congestive heart failure, two prominent issues come to play. The first problem of ineffective coping and lack of support is associated with Ms. Fischer’s inability to make adequate choices and use available resources to follow recommendations for treatment. Also, the fact that her husband passed away and her daughter does not have enough time to dedicate to Ms. Fischer contributes to the problem, making the inadequate support system even worse. The absence of support from her daughter and the loss of her husband act as substantiating evidence to the exasperation of ineffective coping, contributing to the deterioration of Ms. Fischer’s health. The problem of inadequate coping and lack of support is essential because it is likely to prevent the patent from getting the appropriate level of care for her health condition. Ms. Fischer should recognize that her family-related problems and the inability to follow the medication and lifestyle regimen are harmful to her well-being (Wayne, 2016).
The critical nursing intervention for improving Ms. Fischer’s coping and enhancing her support revolves around the involvement of her family and friends. A nurse who is working with the patient should contact Ms. Fischer’s daughter and explain the situation, suggesting that even phone calls can help in supporting her mother. Also, the nurse can encourage Ms. Fischer to participate in social gatherings for elderly citizens to make new contacts and thus increase the circle of friends that can provide support. The rationale for selecting the mentioned interventions is reinforced by the idea that the involvement of friends and relatives can improve Ms. Fischer’s coping and enhance her support systems.
Non-Compliance
The second problem, which refers to non-compliance to prescribed medication and regimen, is more complicated because reasons for not following treatment plans differ from one patient to another. Upon analyzing the steps involved in enhancing patients’ compliance, Chesanow (2014) found that adherence to treatment is a cluster of behaviors that require addressing. Therefore, specific evidence that explains Ms. Fischer’s lack of compliance can be attributed to her age, emotional distress due to the loss of her husband, and deteriorated health. This problem is of importance because it cannot be eliminated easily but it has a significant effect on the patient’s overall well-being. Patients diagnosed with chronic conditions tend to spend more time outside healthcare facilities where they are monitored; therefore, they are more likely to slip off their regimes and medications.
Patient education is the key intervention in Ms. Fischer’s case because she might not understand that non-compliance can lead to adverse health outcomes due to the history of congestive heart failure, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation. Health providers involved in the patient’s treatment should dedicate time to educating Ms. Fischer on the implications of her lack of compliance with medications and welcome any questions that the patient may have. It is also recommended to schedule frequent visits of the patient to her healthcare facility for check-ups and reviews of Ms. Fischer’s compliance. The rationale for choosing the mentioned nursing interventions is supported by the idea that the patient may not understand the negative results of her non-compliance and thus needs to be provided with educational resources to boost her morale and encourage following the established routine of taking medications and keeping up with a health-oriented regime.
References
Chesanow, N. (2014). Why are so many patients non-compliant? Web.
Wayne, G. (2016). Ineffective coping. Web.