Inside this Issue
- How should nurses approach discussions with patients with progressive disease who are steadfast in their desire to get pregnant as soon as possible?
- How can you appropriately manage multiple digital ulcerations in patients with systemic sclerosis?
- Why shouldn’t you always assume that fellow healthcare workers are going to be adherent to treatment plans?
- What factors need to be considered when prescribing pain medications for patients suffering from possible depression?
Learning Objectives
- Discuss common factors that lead to nonadherence to treatment regimens for rheumatoid arthritis, including cost of medication, side effects profiles, and poor clinician-patient communication
- Analyze factors that may lead to increasing levels of depression, withdrawal, and nonadherence in patients with rheumatic disease
- Identify characteristics that differentiate rare autoimmune diseases such as Wegener’s granulomatosis with polyangiitis from more common conditions
- Develop strategies to manage women with progressive disease who prioritize pregnancy over management of their worsening symptoms
