Caring for Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease

1258 Words3 Pages

The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) (2009) reported, “an estimated two million Canadians have kidney disease or are at risk for it” (p. 17). According to Porth (2011) and the Kidney Foundatoin of Canada (n.d.c), chronic kidney disease (CKD) has several different causes that combined cause a loss in renal function over 3 months or more, resulting in kidney failure, and its progression is classified into five stages. The two main causes for CKD are diabetes and hypertension (HTN) (National Kidney Foundation, 2012a). Practical nurses caring for adults with chronic kidney disease must consider the importance to their practices and to the adults and their families and the care and education needed to assist the adult and family.

According to Koufaki and Kouidi (2010), the population of adults diagnosed with CKD is increasing rapidly because of the high prevalence of diabetes and in today’s society. Because of the rise in the risk factors, knowledge in prevention and care is important for nurses, adults, and their families who have or are at risk for CKD. This mean that many Canadians are at risk for or have CKD; therefore is a larger demand for care for adults with the disease. The care for adults with CKD can be demanding not just for them, but also for their families, nurses, and other members of the health care team. Understanding how to provide adequate care is important for nurses and family members to understand in order improve living for adults living with CKD.

Because of there is no cure for CKD, it is important for practical nurses to have the knowledge to provide proper care to adults with CKD because by providing adequate care and teaching it may be possible to prolong or stop the progression to hig...

... middle of paper ...

... Initiative. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 37(2), 121-131.

Orlando, L.A, Belasco, E.J., Patel, U.D., & Matchar , D.B. (2011). The chronic kidney disease model: a general purpose model of disease progression and treatment. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 11(41).

Porth, C. M. (2011). Essentials of Pathophysiology (3rd ed.). Toronto, ON: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (2009). Decison Support for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease. Toronto, Canada: Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.rnao.org/Storage/61/5545_Decision _Support_for_Adults_Living_with_Chronic_Kidney_Disease_Revised_Final_Sept_23,_2009.pdf

Schrauf, C.M. (2011). Factors that influence state policies for caregivers of patients with chronic kidney disease and how to impact them. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 38(5), 395-402.

Open Document