PSYCHO-SOCIAL SUPPORT FROM A NURSE FOR PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY JOINT DISEASES

Abstract

Psychosocial support in patients with inflammatory joint disease is recommended in the Rheumatological Treatment Guidelines of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR). The aim of the present study was to examine the psychosocial support of a nurse in patients with inflammatory joint disease as part of the comprehensive rheumatological care provided. Psychosocial care includes psychological, social and spiritual care through therapeutic communication. Methods: To analyze the problem, a specially developed questionnaire was used in outpatient rheumatological practice, including 56 patients with inflammatory joint diseases for the period July 2021 and August 2021. Care is considered in three main areas: 1) Planning activities and the provision of care by a rheumatology nurse, including telephone access for assistance, consultation and referral to a rheumatologist, provision of information and education about the disease, support for self-management in the treatment process. 2) Using a human-oriented approach combined with empathy and good communication skills, which creates a good therapeutic environment. 3) Care aimed at the patient by providing knowledge and skills for the patient leading to the satisfaction of care needs - providing psychological support in the management of the disease and its impact on the patient. Psychosocial support for patients with inflammatory joint disease focuses on providing communication, meeting information needs, providing emotional support, screening patient needs, and managing disease symptoms. The nurse is an important provider of information on the duration of treatment, providing support in the process of training for self-injection with biological agents, reporting of side effects and their management, as well as solving practical issues. Providing emotional and social support is another important psychosocial intervention, as patients need to share concerns about their treatment. Results: There was complete agreement among the respondents regarding the role of the nurse in providing medical information. Questions about the subjective perception of "security", "accessibility", "satisfaction" were used, as well as the assessment of the quality of work of the health care specialist in general and specifically in the processing of medical records, again with full agreement among the subjects.