Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

... Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a significant health problem ranked 12th for worldwide burden of disease and projected to be 5th by the year 2020 (British thoracic society (BTS),1997). The aim of this assignment is to explore the nature of COPD, the lived experience of those with the condition and their special needs. In particular it looks at the measures used to help the patient manage the symptoms of COPD and minimise the damage associated with pulmonary changes to improve a patient's quality of life "nursing is the use of clinical judgement and the provision of care to enable people to promote, improve, maintain, or recover health and when death is inevitable, to die peacefully" (RCN 2002, p.1). The author will explore the principles of chronicity and relate how COPD fits into these criteria as a chronic illness. A case study will highlight the key clinical manifestations of an

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