Diabetes: Health Condition, Nursing Care, and RLT Model Report

This report presents a case study on a 57-year-old man diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, based on an interview conducted within the community. It outlines the patient's background, including pre-existing conditions like obesity and hypothyroidism, and his experience with the onset of diabetes symptoms such as weakness, thirst, and frequent urination. The report connects the patient's condition to the pathophysiology of diabetes, explaining insulin resistance and beta cell failure. It discusses the impact of diabetes on the patient's physical and mental health, including mood changes, complications like nerve damage, and skin issues. Furthermore, the report details nursing care priorities and goals developed with the patient, focusing on lifestyle changes, monitoring glucose levels, and adherence to treatment, referencing the NSQHS Partnering with consumer Standard and the Roper-Logan-Tierney Model of nursing to guide care. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of managing diabetes to improve the patient's quality of life.

Running head: DIABETES 1
Diabetes
Name of Author
Institution of Affiliation
Date of Submission

DIABETES 2
Diabetes
Introduction
This paper is based on the interview that I contacted within my community. It provides
the background of the interviewee, provides the health status and personal background of the
interviewee. Also, based on the information that I got from the client, the paper links it to
pathophysiology by using literature in support of the information. Furthermore, the essay paper
discusses the health condition of my client and the impact that has had on his life and family. It
discusses this health condition in support of the available literature material and relates this
information to RLT models of nursing. Additionally, the essay identifies various nursing care
priorities and goals that I developed with my client. It discusses these nursing care goals by using
the NSQHS Partnering with consumer Standard (Lee et al., 2017).
Background
In my community, I decided to interview this 57-year-old man whose name is Mr.
Kelvin. He is an Asian- Africa who leaves in neighboring city Melbourne. While looking at his
appearance, he looked thirsty, weak and fatigued. He told me that he had been diagnosed with
Diabetes two years ago when he was 55 years old. I asked him to explain to me how he started to
feel when he decided to visit the hospital for a checkup.
He revealed to me before he was diagnosed with diabetes, he had medical issues of
obesity and hypothyroidism. He had repeatedly complained of severe weakness, sleepiness and
dizziness for which are all signs of diabetes (McElfish et al., 2019). He had visited nearby
pharmacists for over the counter drugs but the condition worsened. It was until when he reported
to the pharmacists about having an unquenchable thirst and repeated need to urinate that made

DIABETES 3
the pharmacist to recommend him for a specialized checkup. It was at this moment that he
decided to go to Baker Specialist clinics in Melbourne where he was diagnosed with diabetes
type 2.
In relation to the pathophysiology of diabetes, the patient’s condition was characterized
by peripheral insulin resistance which led to deterioration of the regulation of hepatic glucose
production which led to a decline in beta cell function eventually resulting to beta cell failure in
the pancreatic (Chatterjee et al., 2018). As a result his body cannot regulate the required amount
of blood sugar level. Too much glucose in my client’s blood led him to experience signs of the
signs of thirst, severe weakness, drowsiness and repeated need to urinate which are all clinical
manifestation of diabetes (Garber et al., 2018).
Discussion
Diabetes is a chronic demanding disorder that negatively affects one’s quality of life.
Managing the condition can be very stressful thereby affecting one’s life. Besides, one may
develop complications that can impact his or her life and the family (Chatterjee, Khunti &
Davies, 2017).
One of the ways that diabetes had affected my interviewee is his changes in moods and
his mental status. Fluctuation in blood glucose makes him change his moods thereby causing
rapid and severe changes to his body (Papatheodorou et al., 2018). Besides, it makes him too
confused, lacks concentration; feeling tired with low energy and experiences a slightly euphoric
feeling which makes him unable to do his daily activities. According to (Chavez et al., 2017),
changes in blood glucose can impact the quality of life. A low blood sugar level contributes to
mood swings such as irritability, hunger confusion a signs that my client has been experiencing.

DIABETES 4
Also, as per (Contreras & Vehi, 2018), high blood sugar levels can result in feeling nervous and
have difficult in thinking. All these changes in mood as a result of fluctuations in blood sugar
have made him experience stress, lack of sleep which ends up affecting his quality of life.
Living with diabetes conditions has negatively impacted my client’s life together with his
family whereby he has been diagnosed with various illnesses that are a result of diabetes
complications (Lotfy et al., 2017). Some of the diabetic complications that he has been
diagnosed with include nerve damage, skin health issues and slow healing of wounds. Nerve
damage also referred to as neuropathy results from numbness and burning that start from the tips
of fingers and toes. Burning of pain to toes which are a result of excess sugar level in the blood
eventually affects limbs thereby resulting in nerve damage (Perez et al., 2018). Also, diabetes has
made my client to experience skin issues whereby he is more susceptible to bacterial and fungal
infections. Furthermore, Diabetes has made my client experience a slow wound healing process
when he has cut (Powers et al., 2017).
All these complications have impacted the patient’s activities of living which are
described by Roper-Logan Tierney Model of nursing (Holland & Jenkins, 2019). According to
the model, communication, maintaining a safe surrounding, breathing, eating and drinking,
washing and dressing, working and playing, sleeping and mobilization are activities of living that
one cannot move away with (Williams, 2017).
Care priorities and goal setting
There are several care priorities and goal settings that we discussed with my client. These
care priorities were aimed at lowering the complications of diabetes thus improving his quality of
life. One of these care priorities is the change in his lifestyle (Hessler et al., 2017). In reference to
NSQHS Partnering with consumer Standard, which recognizes the significant of involving

DIABETES 5
patients in their own care and proving clear communication (Jensen, 2020), I encouraged my
interviewee to be able to achieve a healthy body weight by being physically active for at least 1
hour by doing moderate-intensity activity, eat a healthy diet and avoid any sugar and saturated
fats intake. All these activities will play a key role in controlling blood glucose level thus
reducing the occurrence of complications he is experiencing (Jensen, 2020).
Another nursing care priority that we developed with my client is to be monitoring his
glucose level as advised by his doctor (Offringa et al., 2018). In reference to NSQHS Partnering
with consumer Standard which aims to create health care service that will mutually benefits each
of us (Jensen, 2020), I advised him to follow all the necessary steps of administering his insulin
and adhering to the therapeutic regime which will promote tissue perfusion thus reducing the
complications of nerve damage (Davies et al., 2018).
Conclusion
In conclusion, diabetes is a chronic disorder that negatively affects one’s quality of life. It
makes life stressful thus leading to confusion and lack of concentration as seen in my client’s
case. Besides, diabetes can affect one’s quality of life by exposing one to complications such as
nerve damage, skin problems among other complications (Foster et al., 2019). Nursing care
priorities such as doing physical activities, eating a healthy diet that has low sugar can help in
managing diabetes condition thus improving quality of life.

DIABETES 6
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