Perhaps the greatest gift that the health professional can offer patients is the opportunity to choose this second option. This gift can be given in several ways. The health professional can assist the patient or suggest other professionals who can help. These professionals can educate family and friends about the needs and circumstances of lupus patients. Health professionals can help patients develop an effective self-management program that sets out achievable goals, realistically paces activities, and avoids overcommitments.
Nurses can also teach strategies for communicating with the health care team.
This knowledge and these strategies will help the patient gain a sense of increased medical control over the disease. These advances and a growing body of practical experience in living with and controlling lupus point to a prognosis for lupus patients that is far brighter than it was even 20 years ago. Nurses and other health professionals who work on an ongoing basis with lupus patients can have a significant role in improving the emotional and psychological status of patients so that they can take advantage of this brighter tomorrow. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of The National Institutes of Health. Psychosocial Aspects of Lupus .