The word count for the assignment is 2500 words, below is a very rough idea of how to allocate these words and is intended to be a guide only.

An essay to explore a long term condition that will need to consider the physical and psychosocial impacts on the individual and then by focusing on one impact, discuss how shared decision making contributes to their quality of life (2500 words)

Introduce your work: sign-posting content and demonstrating appropriate structure and flow of discussion.(150-200 words)

Criteria 1: Select a long-term condition and consider the impact that this has on the individual’s physical body. (350 words)

  • You may select a long term condition that has been covered within the module or one that you have experienced within your clinical practice
  • Ensure that you have researched the physiology and aetiology of the condition
  • Ensure you discuss the physical impact the LTC has on the body
  • Include some relevant statistics and you could include some global epidemiology . (350 words)

INTRODUCTION

This essay will illustrate a long-term condition and the impact has on the individual’s physical body, hypertension. Moreover, the essay will focus on the physiology and aetiology of the condition. In particular, it will discuss the physical impact the LTC has on the body together with some relevant statistics some global epidemiology. Hypertension is the leading risk factor for stroke and cardiovascular disease. Bakris and Ragavendra ( 2012) state that over 90% of persons with normotensive blood pressure are at risk of stroke, heart disease or any other cardiovascular disease.

The physiology and aetiology of the condition

The physiology and aetiology of the condition are reflected on the health belief of the client group is based upon the social class as not every individual could afford the same medical treatment. For instance, a person from a high social class is more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and be more prone to diabetes than an individual from a lower class, as life becomes more comfortable, more sedentary, and less physical activity (Roth and Stamatakis, 2010).

Relevant statistics

Evidence shows that for a person from the lower class although the life itis hard to manage because of the lower-income, can not afford to be sedentary as in his day to day activity of living has been incorporating walking return to work, shopping, pick up the children from school, family maintenance (Roper et.al , 2003)

Gault (2016) explains and firmly demonstrates that self-critical thinking is displayed when people struggle to care for themselves or engage in unhelpful or self-defeating health behaviours, such as smoking, drinking habitually or stress-related eating.

Criteria 2: Consider at least two psychosocial issues that can affect the individual living with the chosen long-term condition. Discuss each one using contemporary literature and research. (600 words)

  • These may include anxiety, depression, stigma, isolation, emotional stress, employment issues, self image, fatigue/insomnia, self-harm behaviour eg alcohol abuse. You may also explore guilt and blame
  • Consider how the above affect quality of life, self-care, concordance
  • Support your discussion with literature, research papers
  • (600 words)

Although are many psychosocial issues that can affect the individual living with long-term condition hypertension, that can affect the quality of life, self-care and concordance. The most common significant are  depression and fatigue/insomnia. Carrier (2016) states that TO BE PARAPRASE one of the ….

Criteria 3: With reference to the chosen long-term condition and recognised physical and psychosocial issues associated; identify and discuss how nurses make decisions. You should consider evidence based decision making along with the values of shared decision making (800 words)

  • Consider the key areas where decisions are made by nurses with the patient about their care. (two or three areas)
  • This will vary considerably depending on which LTC you have selected.
  • These decisions should be supported by evidence from the literature you have read.
  • These might include; decisions regarding nursing treatment, medications, place of care, referrals, care planning, sign posting, accessing voluntary sector organizations
  • Ensure you consider factors influencing decision making such as; nurses knowledge, local and national guidelines and policy, availability of resources, location of treatment, patient’s level of understanding and capacity, the MDT and family support (800 words)

Criteria 4:  Consider the self-management model and critically discuss how the concepts of self-management can enable and improve quality of life for the individual. (300 words)

  • Explore what the literature states around self-management models.
  • Present views that both support and criticize their effectiveness.
  • Discuss how patient empowerment can improve quality of life but also consider the barriers to self-management (culture, age, literacy levels, language) . (300 words)

Criteria 5: Analyze and relate relevant evidence based practice to the chosen long-term condition. Consider what aspects of evidence based practice are pertinent to delivering nursing care to the individual with the chosen long term condition and provide a conclusion for the essay. (this will be achieved throughout – allow 200 words approx. for a conclusion)

  • This will be achieved throughout, higher grades will be achieved by using current and relevant literature from a range of resources.
  • Provide a succinct conclusion (paragraph) that summarizes key points. No new information should appear here.

(allow 200 words approx. for a conclusion)

Learning Outcomes Assessment

  1. Identify and discuss the impact that the disease has on the persons’ physical body.
  2. Critically discuss psychosocial elements that impact upon the person living with the long term condition.

3.Identify and analyze how the adult nurses’ role is enhanced through the concept of shared decision making.

4.Analyze and apply the concept of self-management for enabling quality of life in long term conditions.