How definition of chronic illness taking care of the aged and disabled changed

Before enrolling in this program

I assumed that chronic diseases meant that the patient would eventually be unable to care for oneself because they were incapacitated, implying that they would die soon. Although I was always enthusiastic about caring for the elderly, I often thought that the job was difficult because the patients did so little for themselves. Nonetheless, attending this nursing course extended my perspective on caring for the three categories, giving me a new perspective on it. For example, after completing the Gerontology course, I realized that I could be passionate about caring for the old. I do not view the aged people as boring and monotonous but instead, appreciate the milestones that they have made and the great life lessons that one may learn from them. After taking this course, I discovered that chronic illness is not always fatal and it can be effectively managed with the right care and medication (Duphily, 2014). The patients hence need to have a full understanding of their condition to improve and sustain good health. This course also helped me to understand that disability may not only be intensely physical but it can be any form of incapacitation that hinders one’s daily functions such as depression (Duphily, 2014). I now understand that when taking care of the disabled people, sufficient and regular counseling to the patients is essential and it may also quicken the healing process.

My Approach

After completion of this course, my approach to taking care of the aged, the disabled and the chronically ill have changed. I now comprehend that the baby boomers tend to live long and hence this may be witnessed by the high number of admissions in the hospital (Duphily, 2014). As a registered nurse, I will offer enough support to the aged people and advance my knowledge about them. I will also provide counseling to the chronically ill people and also educate them on how to manage their illness and also lengthen their life. Lastly, since my understanding of the disabled people has broadened, I will handle each patient with their particular condition. For instance, a mentally ill person may need sufficient counseling to get out of the problem (Duphily, 2014). Conversely, a physically disabled person may need to be taught on how to take care of themselves on their own after they have been discharged from the hospital.

Strengths

Supportive

I have always been supportive to members of my community, and this has allowed me to transition into my nursing career smoothly.

Patience

After going through this course, I have developed patience by understanding that the group needs intensive care as opposed to the regular patients.

Weaknesses

Sympathetic

I have been overly sensitive to mentally ill, disabled and elderly patients and I discovered that this might delay their healing process.

Critical

After taking this course, I have become too critical of the chronically ill, aged and the disabled patients and I expect them to be aware of their situations to manage them better.

How to Manage Weakness

I will closely work with other nurse professionals so that I can understand how to take better care of the patients to facilitate faster healing. I also seek to apply for counseling from senior nurses to understand their journey and how I can help patients recover without expecting too much from them.

Reference

Duphily, N. (2014). Transitioning from LPN/LVN to BSN. New York : Springer Publishing Company, LLC.