Nurse-led management interventions
Traditionally, nursing care has been characterised by a holistic
approach towards disease management. In COPD, nurses have been
involved in delivering non-pharmacological interventions aimed at
reducing symptoms and improving the quality of life of patients –
such as smoking cessation, increased physical activity, and
pulmonary rehabilitation. 15 The increase in the prevalence of chronic
diseases has led to the development of more comprehensive and
multimodal approaches, combining some or all of these areas of
traditional nursing care with patient education and mentoring
interventions aimed at improving patient self-efficacy and enhancing
long-term health status.
Smoking cessation interventions have been shown to be
effective when used alone or in conjunction with other
interventions. 16-18 Evidence of the effectiveness of more
comprehensive nurse-led multidisciplinary programmes is also
starting to emerge. A one-year longitudinal study in 103 COPD
patients investigating the effect of a nurse-led programme of
pulmonary rehabilitation argues in favour of a positive impact of
nurses’ interventions in the management of COPD. 19 Patients in the
intervention group experienced a significantly greater improvement
in exacerbation frequency compared with the control group; no
significant differences in functional capacity or quality of life were
seen. 19 A randomised controlled trial in 122 patients also evaluated