Question

The nurse is caring for a client who was newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Which intervention by the nurse best promotes client cooperation with the treatment plan?

1) Teaching the client that he must lose weight to control his blood sugar
2) Informing the client he must exercise at least three times per week
3) Explaining to the client that he must come to the diabetic clinic weekly
4) Determining the clients main concerns about his diabetes

Answer 1

The best intervention by the nurse to promote client cooperation with the treatment plan for a client who was newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus is determining the client's main concerns about his diabetes. (option 4 is the correct answer)

Step-by-step explanation:

Identifying the client's main concerns about their type 2 diabetes is the most effective nursing intervention for promoting cooperation with the treatment plan. It enables the nurse to tailor education and management strategies, focusing on lifestyle changes, blood glucose testing, and medication adherence.

This individualized approach ensures that the education and management strategies are relevant to the client's situation, potentially increasing adherence to the treatment plan. In contrast, simply instructing a patient to lose weight, exercise regularly, or attend the clinic may not address personal barriers to disease management and may feel overwhelming or irrelevant to the patient.

Understanding the patient's concerns allows the nurse to provide tailored education on important aspects of diabetes care such as blood glucose testing, the impact of lifestyle changes, and any prescribed medications or insulin therapy if needed. This personalized strategy can incorporate evidenced-based behavioral interventions to assist with weight management, dietary changes, physical activity, and behavior modification, all of which are crucial for controlling blood glucose levels and potentially reversing or stopping the progression of type 2 diabetes.