Assignment 2: Partnership in Nephrology Nursing—Exploring the Notion of Compliance (20%)

This assignment is designed to provide you with the opportunity to reflect on the nature of relationships between nurses and clients and to develop insight into compliance as experienced by nephrology clients.

Through an experiential exploration of compliance, you will have the opportunity to examine your own values and beliefs about partnership in nephrology nursing and to reflect on how these values and beliefs influence nursing care.

We believe that through focusing attention on your past experience of compliance, you will gain a broader understanding of what it means to comply with treatment regimes. This exercise is not meant to trivialize the experience of living with renal disease, but to deepen your appreciation of the notion of compliance.

Assignment Instructions

Choose a topic that relates to the care of renal clients, for example, diet, exercise, or any other personal regime.

Next, find out as much as you can about your topic and how it relates to renal clients. For example, if you choose diet, read the diet guidelines for a renal diet.

The next step is to design a personal regime for yourself that you could adhere to for a few days or even a couple of weeks.

Build a structure or pattern for your program and then follow this program for the length of time you have decided on. As you progress through your program, take some time to notice how you respond. It will be helpful to jot down your feelings and insights as you progress through the regime. The following are some questions to consider as you work through your program:

  • How am I feeling at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the program?
  • How consistent is my level of enthusiasm and commitment throughout the program?
  • What factors (for example, emotions, work schedule, family commitments, expectations, and so on) influence my ability to follow the program?
  • How would I feel if someone else had created a program for me, without my input?
  • What feelings are evoked if I don’t comply totally with the program?
  • How would I feel if someone commented on my lack of consistency in following the regime?
  • What impact would this commentary have on my relationship with that person?
  • What are my values and beliefs about compliance for nephrology clients?
  • Would I respond differently if I were a nephrology client in a renal program?
  • What, if any, effect did it have on my family/social life?
  • What do I find to be the most difficult or the easiest task?

Once you have completed your program, submit a paper (minimum 1,250 words and maximum 1,750 words excluding title page and references) that follows APA format and addresses the following:

  1. What was your experience of compliance with your program, using the questions above to guide your discussion.
  2. Discuss your ideas about compliance from your personal experience.
  3. How do you think compliance issues might affect clients with renal disease. Draw from the examples provided by the client narratives within the course modules, the client vignettes within the modules, module articles, and your client interview.
  4. Compare and contrast your ideas about compliance with those of renal clients.
  5. Explore how this experience may influence your nursing practice in the nephrology setting.
  6. What strategies would you use when working with compliant and/or non-compliant clients? How do you define these terms? How does your client?

Evaluation Criteria

  1. Description of your program (3 marks)
  2. Description of your experience of compliance with your program (4 marks)
  3. Discussion about the relationship between your experience and compliance for nephrology clients (5 marks)
  4. Critical reflection on how this exercise may influence your nephrology nursing practice (5 marks)
  5. Presentation and APA format (3 marks)