Leadership, Collaboration, Communication, Change Management, and Policy Considerations in Asthma Management

Leadership, Collaboration, Communication, Change Management, and Policy Considerations in Asthma Management

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that affects millions worldwide. It is characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, leading to recurring episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 25 million Americans have asthma, with nearly one in 13 school-aged children affected (Hashmi & Cataletto, 2024). Effective asthma management is essential to preventing exacerbations, improving quality of life, and reducing the burden on healthcare systems.

In this capstone project, the focus is on asthma management in a young male family member who has experienced recurrent asthma exacerbations, particularly during seasonal changes. My role as a BSN-prepared nurse involved reviewing the patient’s current medication regimen, educating him on lifestyle modifications, and emphasizing adherence to his asthma action plan. This paper examines how asthma management can be enhanced through the lens of leadership, collaboration, communication, change management, and policy considerations. These key elements are crucial in ensuring effective patient care and improved outcomes.

Transformational Leadership in Asthma Management

Leadership is important in the management of chronic diseases, including asthma. Among available leadership styles, transformational leadership is especially effective because it promotes effective organizational culture, specifically accountability, collaboration, and innovation among healthcare teams (ALFadhalah & Elamir, 2021). As a transformational leader, I took the patient through his planned regime with asthmatic medication, ensuring he knew the use of every medication and the steps to take while using it. This type of leadership not only brings out the power of a patient but also makes healthcare providers innovative in changing the fate of the patient.

Transformational leadership is also essential in advocating for changes within healthcare organizations, especially when it comes to chronic condition management like asthma. For example, the implementation of educational programs focused on asthma management and the adjustment of environmental standards to reduce asthma triggers require leaders to act as change agents. During my clinical hours with a young male family member, I employed transformational leadership by ensuring he adhered to his asthma action plan, particularly during times when his symptoms were likely to worsen due to seasonal changes. Through this focused approach, the patient gained increased confidence in managing his condition. Additionally, I prioritized building rapport with the patient and his family, involving them in the management process. This collaborative leadership effort not only empowered the patient but also ensured that his family supported his treatment plan, which is crucial for sustaining long-term adherence and improved health outcomes.

Regarding asthma, the Self-Care Deficit Theory postulates that nurses need to evaluate the independence and define any shortages of the patient and then teach them how to act on their own in terms of provided health management. For example, during the interaction with the patient, I sought to find out his knowledge on issues related to asthma, triggers, or medication in order to find out how much knowledge he possesses to enable him to maintain good control of his asthma. Using Orem’s self-care framework, I was able to center the care on teaching the gaps to the patient and empowering the patient to take a central part in following up on the asthma action plan and making the right lifestyle changes.

Collaboration in Asthma Management

Collaboration and communication are crucial for managing chronic conditions effectively. During my practicum, I consulted the patient’s primary care doctor and his pharmacist to get professional input into the asthma management plan so that it incorporated all the evidence-based practices. This partnership was crucial to make certain that the patient received integrated care, which is a component of patient orientation.

Effective communication played a central role in this collaboration. The physician’s aide was also acquainted with how to respond to his symptoms, the effectiveness of the medication, and any side effects. Subsequently, I raised issues about the side effects of one of his inhalers, leading to a change of management plan for him. Through this uninterrupted open line of communication, all the stakeholders were kept informed, and any changes could be made.

Besides enhancing communication between the healthcare providers, I also paid attention to making it easier for the family members to interact with the care providers. For this purpose, I taught the patient how to express his symptoms in a detailed manner and report his emotions during a consultation visit. This skill is specifically useful to clients with diseases such as asthma as they are the only ones who may explain what they require and still guarantee that they will receive the right treatment. As a result, we increased the level of coordination between the patient and his healthcare providers with the aim of improving his healthcare experience (Rehman et al., 2020).

Communication Strategies in Asthma Management

Clear and effective communication is essential in managing chronic conditions like asthma. While closely working with the patient, I tried to avoid medical terms while explaining his condition, factors that lead to flare-ups of the condition, and the need to stick to a set treatment plan diligently. Communication aides, including the patient’s asthma management plan, which was developed during an interview with the patient, guided the management of symptoms during an asthma attack. By reviewing the plan with him, I reinforced the importance of recognizing early signs of an attack and knowing when to use his rescue inhaler.

Patient-centered communication strategies, such as motivational interviewing, were also used to engage the patient in his care. Motivational interviewing for an asthmatic patient includes questions, empathy, and affirmative comments to enable the individual to understand the importance of sticking to their asthma treatment plan. From establishing a good relationship with the patient, I understood his fears regarding side effects and managed to extend my understanding by appealing to take the medication regularly.

Inter-professional communication between healthcare providers is also crucial. In electronic health records (EHRs), the patient care plan was easily communicated to all the caregivers involved in his treatment to ensure everyone appreciated his status and any alterations that were required to his dosing schedule. Interactions between the providers are important in ensuring the patients follow the right treatment plan in order to avoid further worsening of the disease and complications related to asthma (Vos et al., 2020).

Evidence-Based Asthma Management: Insights from Peer-Reviewed Research

Peer-reviewed literature provides valuable insights into evidence-based practices for managing asthma. Contemporary studies stress taking medication, lifestyle changes, and patient enlightenment programs cumulatively (Stoodley et al., 2019). These findings affirm the interventions in the practicum area through educating family members regarding the necessity of strictly adhering to an asthma action plan and embracing any lifestyle adjustments as required.

One challenge identified in the literature is patient non-compliance with long-term treatment plans. Research has indicated that patients with asthma also have poor compliance resulting from forgetfulness or side effects or lack of appropriate understanding of the side effects (Amin et al., 2020). As such, I stressed the importance of compliance with the prescribed regime. I formulated practical tips on how to remember to take the medications, namely, the use of a timetable with the notice on the phone.

The Health Belief Model, a theoretical framework commonly used in nursing, was instrumental in guiding my approach to asthma management. This model implies that for patients to exhibit health-promoting behaviors, they ought to feel threatened by their health and, at the same time, believe that the recommended interventions are capable of lowering that threat (Alyafei & Easton-Carr, 2024). When using this model, I was able to describe the risks of uncontrolled asthma and its risks to my family members, as well as the advantages of following a recommended treatment plan.

Change Management in Asthma Care

Change management plays a crucial role in improving asthma care, particularly when introducing new treatment plans or modifying existing ones. Kotter’s change management model outlines a step-by-step approach to implementing change, beginning with creating a sense of urgency and building a coalition (Onubogu, 2019). In the process of asthma management, this may entail encouraging the patients to embrace and stick to changes in their habits, such as avoiding triggers that cause asthma and breathing exercises.

In my interactions with the patient, I elicited an extrinsic motivation by painting to picture the ramifications of poorly managed asthma, such as admission and chronic destruction of lung tissue. This way, I put these risks in a form that the patient would understand and then embraced the power of patient self-management by following his asthma action plan. Further, I engaged his family to explain how they will participate in their daily management of asthma, making the change management process even stronger.

At the organizational level, there is a need to manage change so as to provide the patients with preventive care programs that will eliminate triggers that cause asthma in the patient environment. Hospitals and clinics are responsible for training more healthcare providers on the need to ensure that patients with asthma are put through a self-management plan and avail support materials that supplement the long-term management of the condition. These process renovations require effective leadership to champion the change, necessitating the healthcare teams to embrace new best practices in the delivery of services.

Policy Considerations in Asthma Management

Policies at the local, state, and federal levels have a significant impact on asthma management. For example, policies that require clean air measures, limit people’s exposure to environmental hazards, and increase access to affordable health care have a docking effect on asthma. The CDC has claimed that asthmatic patients are the dwellers of low-income areas, stricken with environmental irritants and inadequate medical care (Hashmi & Cataletto, 2024).

During the time I spent with the patient, his ability to obtain medication had a direct correlation to his insurance, which paid for most of the medications he needed. Nonetheless, the cost and access to asthma medications remain a challenge to most patients since some state healthcare policies do not fully support preventive health. Efforts for sound policies that increase access to adequate health care and lessen the impact of the environment on asthma are vital, especially for vulnerable groups.

Moreover, nurses should be involved in policy advocacy because they reach out to patients with chronic illnesses first. They can reduce the impact of asthma not only on patients but also on the healthcare systems themselves by demanding health policies that will lead to the availability of cheap medication, promotion of fresh air, and providing patients with awareness organizations. Also, the standards of nursing practice for the state boards raise the possibility of early intervention and recognize the preventive measures, hence making them a perfect match with the objectives of asthma. Such standards assist the nurses in delivering patient-centered care, which is a factor in the social determinants of health, such as the ability to access healthy places and the cost of requisite interventions (Hashmi & Cataletto, 2024).

Different nursing standards and policies to enhance the management of chronic diseases, such as asthma, have undergone testing to determine their feasibility. For instance, Nasiri et al. (2022) established that ANA standards of practice, which focus on patient-centered care and health promotion, are efficient tools for improving the health outcomes of those with asthma. Nasiri et al.’s (2022) study also showed that when nurses delivered structured education in accordance with the mentioned standards, asthma patients had a 30 percent cut in the frequency of their hospital readmissions and ER visits caused by asthma attacks. This study underscores the importance of nurses in the provision of preventive care and counseling patients on measures to take in case of asthma attacks.

In addition, studies conducted on the observational analysis of asthma action plans included in the provisions of the nursing practice revealed that tremendous asthma control can be provided and performed by nurses using asthma action plans. Asthma action plans accompanied by nurse-led education in clinical practice reduce exacerbations and improve patient’s quality of life (Nasiri et al., 2022). Additional evidence exists supporting these standards because education that is structured and delivered by nurses enhances the likelihood that compliant patients will follow medication and lifestyle advice.

Policy Impact and Nursing Standards in Optimizing Asthma Care

Effective leadership and policy advocacy are essential to improving asthma management outcomes. As a future nurse leader, I recommend adopting transformational leadership strategies to empower both healthcare providers and patients. Transformational leadership is applied to stewardship by encouraging organizational healthcare teams to coordinate, enhance, and improve patient-centered services (ALFadhalah & Elamir, 2021). Strengthening the mental attitude of care delivery, nurse leaders can ensure that staff is continuously educated on efficient asthma care and adopt clinical technologies, including telemedicine, to manage patients.

In terms of policy, I suggest promoting increasing access to health insurance and affordable products for asthmatic patients, particularly focusing on underserved communities. Furthermore, encouraging legislation that backs proper air-related causes significantly diminishes environmental asthma causes. It is possible to facilitate regulation policies on air quality that would protect patients with respiratory issues at both state and federal levels when policy advocacy is encouraged.

Nurse leaders can also promote the availability of community-based asthma education to teach individuals about asthma triggers and proficient ways of handling asthma. Thus, with the help of covered policy-makers, healthcare managers, and such organizations as the American Lung Association, the leaders of the nursing profession can foster the development of the proper state and federal legislation that would encourage the elaboration and proactive implementation of adopted guidelines on promoting asthma-friendly environments in particular and supporting preventive action in general, not to mention fewer hospitalization caused by asthmatic patients.

Conclusion

Asthma results in a complex management task involving leadership, collaboration, communication, change, and policy. When it comes to the administration of asthma care, a BSN-prepared nurse is well-placed to initiate the process of patient education and the organization of care, as well as develop viable policies that would support the same. After talking with the patient, analyzing his medication schedule, and knowing about changes in his lifestyle, I was able to help him take charge of his disease and avoid further deterioration.

Furthermore, leadership interventions, including transformational leadership in combination with other aspects of communication and collaboration, are crucial in increasing asthma results. Also, motivational interviewing and patient education processes, which are aspects of change management, guarantee patient compliance with therapeutic regimens. Finally, because there has been an emphasis on policies, addressing medication and preventative care is important in sustaining asthma control. Thus, using these approaches, healthcare providers can improve the quality of patients with asthma and decrease overall healthcare costs.

References

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Alyafei, A., & Easton-Carr, R. (2024, May 19). The health belief model of behavior change. Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK606120/

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Vos, J. F. J., Boonstra, A., Kooistra, A., Seelen, M., & van Offenbeek, M. (2020). The influence of electronic health record use on collaboration among medical specialties. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05542-6

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