Chronic Disease Nursing

Individuals with chronic diseases have to cope with various challenges to their physical and psychological well being as part of their daily lives. In the field of chronic disease management nurses have an integral role in supporting the needs of the patient and identifying the optimum in high quality care. Dealing with the increasing needs of the growing chronic disease and elderly populations presents difficult challenges. Resources need to be used effectively.

Chronic Disease Nursing offers support to all nurses but particularly primary and secondary care advanced practitioners wishing to develop an effective system of care for those with a long term medical condition. There is guidance on the practical aspects of setting up a telephone helpline service, identifying the ethical and professional aspects of developing a nurse led clinic, selecting appropriate outcome measures for clinic setting, and suitable biologic therapies used in chronic disease areas and working across professional organisations. This book provides a framework for the development of a chronic disease nursing service, using rheumatology as an example.

An Overview of Developing a Chronic Disease Nursing Service.

Documentation.

Developing a Freamwork for Practice.

Telephone Helplines.

Nurse clinics.

Not Just Assessing Patient's Joints.

Using The Right tools for The Job.

Drug Monitoring, Primary or Secondary Care?

The Immune system and new Treatments.

Biologic Therapies.

Practical Aspects of Care.

Joint injections.

Leadership and Clinical Governance.

The Patient's Perspective.

Working With Organizations.

"... a valuable contribution...." (Muscoloskeletal Care, October 2006)

Susan Oliver is the author of Chronic Disease Nursing: A Rheumatology Example, published by Wiley. Chronic disease management is a key component of all nursing care whether directly working within a ' chronic disease speciality' or providing emergency or acute care. This book is practical, clinically orientated and provides a step-wise approach to developing a service based upon the needs of the patient. It uses the example of rheumatology to highlight common clinical issues for nurses who wish to develop a chronic disease nursing service. The first chapter of the book provides a brief overview of how nursing has developed, the changing workforce and how government bodies and policies should be considered when planning the development of a service. The second section provides a framework for the development of extended roles within nursing and guides the nurse through the process of preparing a business proposal, setting up a telephone helpline service, nurse led clinics and how to select appropriate assessment tools. The final section discusses more advanced and innovative developments for nurses.

These include the role of leadership and clinical governance in service provision and team working, nurse led joint injection clinics, the value of blood monitoring clinics, the nurses' role in understanding immunology in relation to chronic disease and the use of new cytokine therapies.