Adapting nursing treatment approaches to suit patients of different ages is a critical component of healthcare that requires a nuanced understanding of social, psychological, and physiological factors. When individuals progress from infancy to adulthood, their healthcare needs evolve, requiring personalized approaches to ensure desired outcomes.
However, this is easier said than done, especially since this process is more comprehensive than simply adjusting medical interventions inherent to each age group. As a competent nursing professional, you must also consider each age group’s unique coping mechanisms, communication styles, and family dynamics to deliver personalized and compassionate care.
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Why nurses must adapt their treatment methods
Personalized nursing care is gaining significant traction in healthcare circles, and for a good reason. Through customized nursing care, nurses can deliver targeted interventions considering the patient’s current health and age-specific health risks. By tailoring treatment methods to suit specific age groups, nurses can improve the effectiveness and safety of nursing interventions.
Moreover, acknowledging these diverse care aspects enables nurses to deliver patient-centered care that considers the uniqueness of individuals at different life stages. According to a recent study, patient-centered care is associated with improved emotional well-being, fewer diagnostic tests, and enhanced recovery. This is because patient-centered care highlights individual patient needs, preferences, and values while promoting a more supportive and collaborative relationship between patients and nursing care providers.
How nurses adapt their treatments to suit different age groups
Adjusting treatments to suit different groups requires a multifaceted approach that involves thorough assessment, effective communication, family involvement, emotional support, and environmental modifications. This complex process is often taught when nurses study the difference between a DNP and a PhD in nursing at established academic institutions such as Wilkes University. By adapting their treatments, nurses can ensure they align with specific patient needs and requirements across the lifespan.
Pediatric care
There are few things worse than seeing a sick infant or child. It takes a unique set of clinical and bedside skills to deal with the challenges pediatric patients and their immediate families face. As a pediatric nurse, you must learn to foster trust with children to reduce anxiety, build rapport, and make the entire experience more comfortable.
Child patients often do not know much about their illnesses and look for someone they can trust. Pediatric nurses receive that gift of trust as children turn to them for answers when they are upset or scared and believe them without hesitation. The most important way for nurses to adapt their treatment to pediatric care is to build trust. Here is a look at several ways nurses can build trust to adjust their treatment approaches to children.
Create a kid-friendly environment
Establishing a safe and kid-friendly environment is the initial step in delivering effective pediatric care. Whether they are designing the room with decorations and toys that are suitable for the patient’s age or talking about their favorite cartoon characters, building an environment where children can incorporate play into healthcare interactions is essential in reducing anxiety and facilitating collaboration.
Use simple language
Pediatric nurses should communicate in a manner that is tailored to a child’s age and developmental level. This means using simple language and descriptions to help every child understand as young people do not process information the same way their parents do. This reduces anxiety and creates a more positive healthcare experience for children.
Be up front
Pediatric nurses are honest and open with children about specific procedures. For example, when a child asks if the shot will be painful, competent pediatric nurses won’t tell them it won’t if that is not true. While this might seem counterintuitive, informing pediatric patients will reduce anxiety and help them know what to expect.
Listen actively
Active listening is another strategy pediatric nurses use to strengthen communication and improve relationships with child patients. Through active listening, pediatric nurses can learn and understand what is going on in their child patients’ lives, which can be essential for treating them appropriately.
It is, however, worth noting that pediatric nursing care treatments are evolving continuously through technological advancements and a comprehensive understanding of childhood diseases. As a result, research is essential in enhancing pediatric nursing practice and finding a way to better care. This is especially important when you consider that developmental differences, physiological changes, and psychological needs differ across multiple stages of a child’s development.
Nurses who understand these differences through continuous research can establish developmental milestones that guide the understanding of age-appropriate behaviors and abilities. Moreover, research empowers pediatric nurses to identify effective treatments, medications, and procedures for child patients. This reduces the risks and long-term impact of certain conditions, fosters better healthcare outcomes, and ensures that care aligns with the latest advancements and best practices.
Adolescent care
Adolescence can be a challenging time for teenagers. This is one of the most dramatic and rapid growth periods for young adults, and personality and emotional changes can be difficult to keep up with. After all, teenagers are vulnerable because of physiological and developmental changes.
For girls, it manifests as the development of breasts, increasing body curves, and the onset of menstruation, while boys may experience sudden growth spurts, hormonal fluctuations, and sexual exploration. Nurses can provide excellent care that incorporates understanding male and female adolescents’ unique needs and requirements. This includes educating them about reproductive and sexual health and preventive services recommendations.
Moreover, nurses can help adolescents achieve healthy mental well-being. Unfortunately, the toll of death, illness, and injury during the adolescent years is exceptionally high. According to the World Health Organization, anxiety and depression are among the primary causes of disability and illness among adolescents, with suicide being the leading cause of death in the 15 to 19 age range.
This is because adolescents establish unique behavioral habits that can protect or put their health at risk now and in the future. Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach for adapting nursing treatments for adolescents, nurses often tailor their care using the following strategies.
Offer mental health support
Given the prevalence of mental health challenges during this stage of life, nurses are more attentive than ever to the emotional well-being of adolescents. They often conduct comprehensive mental health assessments to diagnose behavioral issues and identify the root causes of their distress.
Provide comprehensive health education
Education is essential for promoting health among teenagers. Nurses educate adolescents on the importance of health, different health disorders, and coping mechanisms. This helps teenagers make healthy lifestyle choices such as getting enough exercise, a nutritious diet, and sufficient sleep to improve their overall well-being.
Deliver trauma-informed care
It is not uncommon for adolescents to experience trauma during their teenage years. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than two-thirds of children reported at least one traumatic event by age 16. Using trauma-informed care, nurses can create a treatment regimen that considers the unique childhood experiences of every teenager and comprehends their existing stressful circumstances.
Like pediatric care, research is crucial in improving adolescent nursing care. By digging deep into various aspects of adolescent health, research unlocks valuable insights that help nurses tailor interventions, address unique challenges, and promote a supportive environment. Here are several ways research contributes to improving nursing practice when caring for adolescent patients.
Encourage evidence-based practices
Using research, nurses can identify practical and science-backed interventions for various health issues. This ensures that nursing care is based on the latest scientific knowledge, ultimately leading to more desirable health outcomes.
Promote preventive care
Research allows for the steadfast development of preventive care strategies for common adolescent health concerns. When nurses can deliver preventive care, adolescents are less likely to develop serious health problems that could affect them later in life.
Gather essential mental health insights
Research empowers nurses to gain a better understanding of issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression among teenagers. This allows them to implement appropriate screening tools, prevention strategies, and mental health support.
By embracing the latest knowledge, nurses can provide more educated, empathetic, and culturally competent care that improves the overall well-being of adolescents. This enables nurses to better address immediate health concerns, contributes to preventing long-term issues, and promotes positive health behaviors.
Adult care
As individuals squeak past their adolescent years, they experience unique social, physical, emotional, and mental health challenges once they reach adulthood. For nurses to deliver comprehensive care during adulthood, they must learn to recognize patients’ diverse needs and characteristics by considering factors such as age, health status, and individual preferences.
Nurses can tailor care to specific age groups by considering the patients’ varying health concerns and fostering an open dialog to develop understanding and collaboration in the care process. When tailoring treatment approaches, nurses also encourage adults to adopt healthy behaviors, undergo health screenings, and manage risk factors for chronic conditions. This involves educating patients about their conditions, promoting medication management, and implementing strategies to improve overall health.
Since adult care is varied and diverse, research advances the quality and effectiveness of care provided to adults across various healthcare settings. Through in-depth and continuous research, nurses can address gaps in existing treatment approaches and shape the direction of adult nursing care and practice.
Geriatric care
There is an increasing demand for effective geriatric care in healthcare circles, especially with the rising baby boomer population. A recent census revealed that more than 70 million individuals were born between 1946 and 1964, with the oldest members of this generation retiring in 2012 and the rest expected to do so in 2030. Through proper care, geriatric patients can receive specialized care that considers their unique needs.
This is especially important considering the fact that multiple health issues occur and intensify because of the continued decline in physical and cognitive health. Older adults often cannot keep up with their care as they age, and adverse health episodes occur more frequently. According to the National Council on Aging, nearly 95% of Americans aged 65 and older experience chronic severe conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease.
Therefore, nurses must address the unique, physical, emotional, and social needs associated with aging when adjusting their treatment approaches for geriatric patients. Several critical aspects of how nurses adjust their care for geriatric patients differ according to the individual’s needs, preferences, and societal beliefs, but they often stem from the following principles.
Create a comprehensive care plan
As individuals get older, they require more specialized care to handle the various health challenges they encounter. For nurses to provide specialized and personalized care, they must create a comprehensive care plan that addresses the challenges associated with geriatric patients and focuses on fostering, restoring, and optimizing health functions.
This usually involves comprehensive assessments to understand the individual health needs, functional abilities, and potential age-related issues affecting geriatric patients. By creating a comprehensive care plan, nurses can formulate diagnoses, establish goals and outcomes, and adjust interventions to address problems.
Chronic disease management
The physical and mental health needs of older populations are unique, and they often warrant a focus on chronic disease management. Nurses improve disease management with medication, lifestyle changes, and other therapies to reduce or eliminate the risk of severe symptoms and complications. The goal of chronic disease management among the geriatric population focuses largely on symptom control and improving overall quality of life.
Nutritional support
Consuming a healthy diet is one of the lifestyle changes older adults can make to boost their energy levels and live happily in old age. As humans age, their lives and bodies evolve, and what they need to stay healthy also changes. Nurses adapt their treatment methods based on the existing diets of their geriatric patients to prevent the adverse effects of medications and promote healthy aging.
The importance of research in improving geriatric nursing practice cannot be overlooked. Using the latest research and technological advancements, geriatric nurses can find proven treatments that improve patient recovery instead of resorting to a standardized approach. This allows nurses to find the best healthcare models for specific patients and apply innovative techniques to advance the practice.
Tailoring nursing care across ages
Adopting a lifespan approach in nursing is essential because health and well-being change continuously throughout different developmental phases. By tailoring nursing care to suit various age groups, nurses can focus on each patient’s needs and provide a more holistic approach to patient well-being.
