Summary: Nursing Implications
Nursing Implications
For individuals that are in the pre listing stage of liver transplants one main aspect to address is educating the patient and the family. One of the main nursing interventions is teaching patients and their family the importance of abstinence from both alcohol and tobacco if it is used. The continued use of alcohol can cause worsening condition of the patient’s current liver in addition to being a reason as to why the patient is no longer eligible for liver transplant (NIDDK, 2012). If the patient uses tobacco it is important that they know they should stop smoking as soon as possible due to the fact smoking can cause vascular issues within the liver which could result in clots (Doane, 2013). Also, tobacco when used in …show more content…
This can assist the family and patient in identifying new productive ways to cope with life stresses as well as assist the patient on their journey to sobriety. Substance abuse counseling should be utilized as much as possible because as stated earlier relapse rates decrease significantly when patients receive counseling both before and after transplant (Rodrigo et. al, 2013). Through this relationship the nurse should always remember to employ the ethical principle of respect for human dignity and respect (ANA,2015). As the nurse it is his or her responsibility to treat the patient respectfully no matter the personal opinions or biases that may be …show more content…
Compliance with the strict lifelong regimen of antirejection medication is absolutely critical to maintain surviving allograft (Doane, 2013, p. 319). Failure to comply can lead to failure of the transplanted liver. Continued sobriety counseling should be encouraged to assist in the journey of being sober. Patients may be overwhelmed due to the stress of having a rigid medication schedule the rest of their life paired with the struggle with substance abuse. To help the patient deal with this issues it is important that nurses form a therapeutic trusting relationship with their patient that provides nursing care with respect of the patient and their values without prejudice (ANA, 2015). These patients have dealt with enough stress the last thing the patient needs is their nurse judging or being overly critical of them and their
For individuals that are in the pre listing stage of liver transplants one main aspect to address is educating the patient and the family. One of the main nursing interventions is teaching patients and their family the importance of abstinence from both alcohol and tobacco if it is used. The continued use of alcohol can cause worsening condition of the patient’s current liver in addition to being a reason as to why the patient is no longer eligible for liver transplant (NIDDK, 2012). If the patient uses tobacco it is important that they know they should stop smoking as soon as possible due to the fact smoking can cause vascular issues within the liver which could result in clots (Doane, 2013). Also, tobacco when used in …show more content…
This can assist the family and patient in identifying new productive ways to cope with life stresses as well as assist the patient on their journey to sobriety. Substance abuse counseling should be utilized as much as possible because as stated earlier relapse rates decrease significantly when patients receive counseling both before and after transplant (Rodrigo et. al, 2013). Through this relationship the nurse should always remember to employ the ethical principle of respect for human dignity and respect (ANA,2015). As the nurse it is his or her responsibility to treat the patient respectfully no matter the personal opinions or biases that may be …show more content…
Compliance with the strict lifelong regimen of antirejection medication is absolutely critical to maintain surviving allograft (Doane, 2013, p. 319). Failure to comply can lead to failure of the transplanted liver. Continued sobriety counseling should be encouraged to assist in the journey of being sober. Patients may be overwhelmed due to the stress of having a rigid medication schedule the rest of their life paired with the struggle with substance abuse. To help the patient deal with this issues it is important that nurses form a therapeutic trusting relationship with their patient that provides nursing care with respect of the patient and their values without prejudice (ANA, 2015). These patients have dealt with enough stress the last thing the patient needs is their nurse judging or being overly critical of them and their