Diabetes management and prevention. Health, Medicine, Nursing

Diabetes Management and Prevention
Name
Institution
Diabetes Management and Prevention
Background
Diabetes is one of the leading lifestyle diseases, not only in the US but also in other parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2018), approximately 422 million people live with diabetes, globally. This condition is associated with many life-threatening complications that require hospital readmissions and ultimately, high costs of healthcare. Despite these known challenges associated with diabetes, poor lifestyle choices continue to be a major contributing factor to diabetes. For instance, according to Capehorn (2017), obesity increases the risk of developing type II diabetes by 5.2 times and 12.7 times in men and women, respectively. As such, weight loss is instrumental in the management of diabetes. Both exercise and dietary plans are essential in the weight loss journey and as such, they should be tailored to individuals with diabetes to facilitate management and prevention (Capehorn, 2017). Also, the lack of awareness on current diabetes management and treatment options, in both patients and nurses, has contributed to the alarming increase in the number of patients living with diabetes. As revealed by Barbosa and Souza (2018) nurses need to know the available treatment and prevention options at their disposal so that they can use them when necessary, and also educate diabetic patients. This will go a long way in the management of diabetes.
Clinical Problem Statement
Complications associated with diabetes are not only life-threatening but also results in increased hospitalization and healthcare costs. Therefore, educating nurses on the significance of managing patient’s diabetes will assist in preventing complications as well as reduce the cost burden on the healthcare system. Existing research on how nurses and patients can manage and treat diabetes will be evaluated and its findings will be implemented through an education program. The education program will enlighten nurses in different departments on complications associated with the disease and the available treatment options. Nurses will also be taught on the dietary and activity needs of diabetic patients. Then, a trickle-down effect will be provided where, eventually, even the families of diabetic patients will have the necessary knowledge on how to manage diabetes. 
Purpose of the Change Proposal
           The purpose of the change proposal discussed in this paper is to ensure that nurses, patients, and their families can manage and prevent diabetes. Specifically, the proposed change will reduce the number of hospital readmissions arising from complications caused by unmanaged diabetes. Consequently, this will reduce the cost of healthcare. This is especially important given that globally, approximately five million deaths of people aged 20 to 80 years have been attributed to diabetes and about 673 billion dollars have been spent in the treatment of diabetic patients (Barbosa & Souza, 2018). Also, the proposed change will ensure that diabetic patients live longer and that their quality of life is improved, especially through proper exercises and appropriate dietary plans. 
PICOT Question
Can educating the nursing staff of the Progressive Care Unit (PCU) and Neuro-Telemetry Unit of a community acute inpatient hospital prevent further complications associated with poor management of diabetes in a month? 
Literature Search Strategy Employed
           The research materials utilized in this project were obtained from different sources. However, the search strategy used to obtain the appropriate research materials begun with the identification of the research question, which in this case, was the best treatment, prevention and management options for diabetes. Then, EBSCOhost was selected as the online research platform because it provides a variety of databases that are appropriate to nursing students such as MEDLINE. Also, diabetes prevention, diabetes treatment, and diabetes management were used as the key terms in the search process. The search was limited to articles that have only been published since the year 2016.
Evaluation of the Literature
The literature materials used in this project were evaluated using various criteria. First, the articles were evaluated based on the authors, the name of the peer-reviewed journals, as well as the working link used to access the article. Second, the articles were evaluated based on the title as well as the year of publication. Third, the evaluation also involved listing the research questions or the hypothesis used in the various studies. The fourth criterion involved examining the purpose or aim of the study. Further, the setting or sample of the study was examined, as well as the methods, analysis and key findings of the studies. Finally, the recommendations of the studies were identified and an explanation of how the articles support the research problem was provided. Table 1.1 in the appendix provides a detailed sample of the literature evaluation. 
Applicable Nursing Theory Utilized
           Dorothea Orem’s theory of self-care deficit was utilized in this project. This theory is based on three sub-theories (1) theory of self-care, (2) theory of self-care deficit, and (3) theory of nursing system. According to this theory, individuals can perform self-care and in the absence of this ability, nurses can assist by either educating the individuals or by providing the care directly to the individuals (Borji, Otaghi, & Kazembeigi, 2017). This theory was applicable in this project because the proposed change involves educating nurses so that they can also educate patients on the treatment, prevention, and management of diabetes. 
Proposed Implementation Plan with Outcome Measures
           This project is focused on education on the management and prevention of complications caused by uncontrolled diabetics. The nursing staff will receive four training sessions within a week which will be done in shifts during normal working hours. The training sessions will include talking points and written hand-outs that contain the most up-to-date information about the strategies and methods used in the prevention and management of diabetes including diet and exercise, available programs in the area for weight loss, and support groups. Once the nursing staff has been provided with the education, their understanding of the methods and techniques will be evaluated through feedback forms.The nursing staff will then begin to educate their diabetic patients using the newly gained knowledge. Several outcome measures will be used to measure the success of the proposed change. First, the nursing staff will be able to list at least five complications that are associated with diabetes. Second, the nursing staff will be able to identify and recommend at least five treatment options for diabetic patients. Third, nurses will be able to recommend the appropriate nutritional food options for patients with diabetes. Fourth, the nursing staff will be able to identify the best exercise plans for patients with diabetes
Discussion of how Evidence-based Practice was used in Creating the Intervention Plan
Many evidence-based studies were used to create this intervention plan. They were all incorporated to provide a solution to the existing clinical problem. The study by Stetson, Minges, and Richardson (2016), revealed that young adults and children are in urgent need of strategies that will enhance weight loss and encourage physical activities as a means of preventing and managing diabetes. The study by McClinchy (2018) also highlighted the importance of dietary plans for older patients living with diabetes. Many older people are increasingly suffering from this condition because they face the risk of malnutrition. Riediger, et al. (2018) revealed that obesity and weight los...