While assisting with self-care measures, involve patient in discussions that will provide further insights into patient's coping patterns and self-esteem. Patient's usual coping patterns and self-perception provide baseline data for assessing potential threat of current situation.- Accept patient's perception of self. The nurse's acceptance validates patient's self-perception and provides reassurance of successfully overcoming crisis.
- Assess patient's readiness for decision-making; then involve patient in making choices and decisions related to care and treatment. This gives patient a sense of control over environment.
- Convey a positive, caring attitude and take steps to ensure continuity of care throughout treatment to ensure safety and foster a trusting therapeutic relationship.
- Encourage patient to express feelings about physical changes. Active listening conveys a caring and accepting attitude.
Provide information on appropriate self-care activities, such as: - maintaining a proper diet
- bathing
- using skin lotions
- exercising appropriately to maintain muscle mass, bone strength, and cardiorespiratory health
- Encourage patient to participate actively in performing care. This gives patient a sense of independence and increases self-esteem.
- Give patient opportunities to voice feelings. This helps patient ventilate doubts and resolve concerns.
- Assist in identifying positive aspects of patient's appearance to improve self-esteem by correcting distorted perceptions about body image.
- Encourage patient to consider new grooming styles or to seek advice from a barber or cosmetologist on “updating” hair and makeup styles. Attractive, tasteful grooming may help the older patient achieve a sense of control over the aging process.
- Provide positive reinforcement to patient's efforts to adapt to increase probability that healthy adaptation will continue.
Arrange for patient to interact with others who have similar problems. A support group allows patient to share mutual support and caring with others who can fully understand. This kind of support will help the patient to respond in social situations without undue embarrassment.- Refer patient to a mental health professional for further counseling. Referral is indicated when patient is adapting poorly to situation.
- Assist patient to identify appropriate coping strategies. Discuss previously effective strategies to help patient substitute them for maladaptive ones.
- Encourage participation in support groups to provide a forum for expressing feelings and obtaining support from individuals who can understand their concerns.
- Encourage family members to express feelings and concerns about changes in the patient's body appearance or function. Provide accurate information and answer questions thoroughly. Encouraging open discussion enables you to provide emotional support and may help ease family members' anxiety.
- Have patient provide feedback about coping behaviors that seem to work. Reinforce the practice of these behaviors. This allows you to evaluate patient's adaptive abilities. Positive feedback reinforces adaptability and encourages similar behaviors in future.
Suggested NIC Interventions
Active Listening; Anticipatory Guidance; Body Image Enhancement; Coping Enhancement; Counseling; Grief Work Facilitation; Presence; Self-Care Assistance; Spiritual Support; Support System Enhancement |