¶ … chronic disease? A disease is classified as 'chronic' when it cannot be cured and will last throughout the duration of the patient's life. Type II diabetes is an example of a chronic disease which is on the rise and which can be managed but cannot be entirely 'cured.' Unlike type I diabetes, which typically manifests itself in early childhood as an autoimmune disorder, type II diabetes is caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. "The majority of people (80%) who develop type 2 diabetes are overweight" (Burden 2003).

What two nursing preventions can nurses do for this chronic illness?

Because type II diabetes is classified as a lifestyle-related disorder, treating it requires a change of diet and altering other habitual factors. "The basis of initial treatment is to pay attention to dietary intake and to encourage exercise so...

One of the reasons that nursing can be so effective in treating diabetes is that its perspective addresses the needs of the 'whole person' in his or her entirety. It is not enough to merely tell someone to eat less and to move more to lose weight. The nurse must take into consideration the culture of the patient; the patient's personal stressors; economic and social considerations and other priorities in designing a treatment plan which can be followed. The ideal is to forestall the need for the use of insulin or other medications. However, "it should be made clear to the patient that he or she is not failing if insulin is eventually required but that it is an inevitable consequence of type 2 diabetes"…