Strategies for Managing Chronic Diseases in Nursing Practice

This article discusses chronic conditions, risk factors, rehabilitation strategies, and clinical manifestations of chronic diseases. It also explores the nine identified national health priority areas and strategies for managing chronic diseases in nursing practice, including prevention, early detection and treatment, integrated and continuous care, and self-management. Additionally, it provides details of two core standards recommended as resources for nurses who support people with disability.

Assignment 1
Question 1: Copy the Answers to the Provided Template
Definition of chronic conditions from the Department of Health
Chronic conditions are diversified health issues whose pathogenesis is multifactorial and are
persistent, long-term, and progressive leading to reduced quality of life in the affected individual.
What are the five risk factors for chronic conditions?
 Behavior such as smoking and dieting.
 Biomedical such as hypertension and diabetes
 Non-modifiable factors inclusive of age, sex, and genetics.
 Physical environment including exposure to UV and pollution.
 Social and economic determinants such as education and employment status.
What is the definition of chronic health problem?
A chronic health problem refers to disease or condition whose effect or impact is persistent or
one which occurs with time such as cancer, diabetes, and arthritis (Department of Health, 2017).
What is the chronic condition you identified for a person in your area of nursing practice
Hypertension.
What effect does this chronic condition have on the person’s ability to perform day-to=day
activities?
My patient reported persistent fatigue, breathlessness, and swelling of ankles and legs which
interfered with her work and eventually got her fired.
Provide at least examples of factors that influence well-being.
Physical exercise, healthy nutrition, and dieting, less consumption of alcohol, avoidance of
smoking, limited exposure to environmental factors such as UV radiation and polluted water and
air.

Assignment 2
Use the Link provided to go to the Australian Institute of health and welfare and list the
nine identified national health priority areas.
 Cancer
 Cardiovascular
 Mental health
 Injury prevention and control
 Diabetes
 Obesity
 Dementia
 Asthma
 Musculoskeletal
 Arthritis conditions.
Provide 6 examples of rehabilitation strategies, techniques and equipment which may be
sued for chronic health conditions?
The Agency for Clinical Innovation (2017) posit that the following strategies, techniques, and
equipment can be used when rehabilitating persons with chronic conditions:
• Therapy such as audiology, conversation skills, and activities that enhance language for
people with communication difficulties.
• Assistive technology such as providing equipment that maintains posture, help in sitting
and standing for people with fractures.
• Rehabilitation medicine. Surgical treatment of fractures and toxin injections.
• Provision of specialist medical rehabilitation care for people with particular conditions
such as stroke and orthopedic.

Assignment 3
• Individualized, patient/person-centered care for patients.
• Innovative staffing models such as using telehealth to create virtual teams for people in
inaccessible areas.
Provide 10 examples of clinical manifestations of chronic disease or health:
Clinical manifestation of chronic fatigue syndrome (Emerge Australia, 2016):
• Overwhelming malaise due to minimal cognitive, physical, and emotional effort.
• Sleep problems/disturbance
• Neurocognitive dysfunction such as short-term memory and emotional overload
• Dizziness and loss of balance
• Issues with body temperature as intolerance to extreme temperatures.
• Weigh problems.
• Widespread pain and headaches
• Gastrointestinal problems including nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, and irritable bowel
syndrome
• Sensitivity to food, odors, and medications,
• Recurrent flu-like symptoms
Provide details of the strategies that may be used to address and manage chronic disease in
a relevant work context.
The Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council (2017) provides national strategies being
implemented to counter chronic conditions as:
• Prevention across the continuum by focusing on active health promotion activities and
risk reduction strategies to reduce the occurrence of a chronic condition.

Assignment 4
• Early detection and treatment improve health outcomes of the condition by delaying
progression, a complication of the disease, reducing premature mortality, and improving
quality of life.
• Providing integrated and continuous care to all people regardless of the chronic condition
and time.
• Self-management by encouraging people with chronic conditions to participate in
healthcare decision making.
Provide details of the two core standards that are recommended as resources for nurses
who support people with disability as recommended by NSW family and community
services
1. Person-Centred Health Care Assessments and the Development of Health Care
Plans Practice Package
Like the general population, people with disability or disabilities experience the same health
issues such as cancer, cardiovascular complications, fall, and dementia. Unlike the general
population, persons with disability have an increased risk of developing health problems due to
inherent and widespread barriers to healthcare. These people are less likely to be involved in
preventive health care, increasing their likelihood of developing lifestyle diseases. The purpose
of this package resource is to ensure that nurses comprehend the essence of person-centered
healthcare delivery, assessment, and development of care plans for people with disability.
2. Communication and Behavior Support
This core standard is essential due to the relationship between communication and people’s
behavior. For people with disability, communication and behavioral issues may arise. Therefore,
nurses have to be educated and informed on how to make expressive and receptive

Assignment 5
communication regardless of the disability presented by the patient or age. The end goal is to
ensure that the patient comprehends and gets involved in the process of healthcare delivery.

Assignment 6
References
The Department of Health (2017). Chronic conditions. [Online]. Available at:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/chronic-disease.
[Accessed 23 September 2018].
Agency for Clinical Innovation (2017). Rehabilitation for chronic conditions. [Online].
Available at: https://www.aci.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/385998/
ACI_Rehabilitation_for_-chronic_conditions_framework_FINAL.PDF. [Accessed 23
September 2018].
Emerge Australia (2016). What is ME/CFS? Symptoms. [Online]. Available at:
http://emerge.org.au/mecfs/symptoms/#.W55aLGUa_IV. [Accessed 23 September 2018].