Nursing care
Part two of the NSF for renal services (DH 2005) recommends that the identification and management of early chronic kidney disease are the responsibility of primary and secondary healthcare professionals. Nurses in both care setting have and important role, not only in the identification and management of these patients, but also in the education of patients about chronic kidney disease and lifestyle modifications. Evidence suggests that nurses can improve chronic care by communicating effectively with patients and helping them to understand their illness and concordance with medication and treatment regimens. Information leaflets produced by, for example, the Nation Kidney Federation (2006), can help patients to better understand chronic kidney disease. Box 5 summaries the nursing strategies to be used at each stage of chronic kidney disease whether patients are being treated in primary or secondary care