Journal of General Practice Nursing (GPN) | December 2019

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Care planning for people with long-term health conditions

Care planning for people with long-term health conditions
Health promotion

Article topics: Biopsychosocial approach, Care planning, Goal-setting, long-term health conditions, Mental and physical health care

The role of nursing staff within general practice is rapidly growing to encompass the consideration of both physical and mental health, as well as wellbeing. While this encourages holistic care, staff report feeling pushed to their limits in terms of time and capacity. With this in mind, this article aims to provide guidance on collecting information to address root causes of an individual’s distress and disability in time-limited consultations. It considers how biological, psychological and social issues combine and influence an individual’s physical and mental health. It also offers guidance on identifying barriers to wellbeing using a biopsychosocial approach. Strategies on opening and closing sensitive conversations are discussed, including ideas for possible sources of support for identified issues. Meaningful and achievable goal-setting as part of care planning for long-term health conditions is explored. It is hoped that these suggestions will aid general practice nursing staff in achieving more rewarding care planning consultations.

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