Patients can select the activities that are most important to them. To identify a patient's fatigue pattern, his or her levels of fatigue should be determined several times daily. Shorter lengths of stays and the complex environment of acute care settings make this difficult, but nurses can ask patients and families for help collecting information and suggesting interventions. This will help them become involved in the fatigue management plan. Nursing implications Nursing interventions help patients establish daily activity priorities, identify factors that worsen fatigue, and select strategies that will lessen the impact of fatigue.
Some patients find that talking with friends and switching activities also relieve fatigue.
Patients with RA, MS, and PPS experience fatigue as part of their disease process and need to learn lifelong skills for minimizing fatigue. For these patients, performing ADLs within their energy limits is an ongoing challenge. Physical and occupational therapists can teach patients to minimize fatigue symptoms by using energyconservation techniques and adaptive equipment. In addition, nurses can work with patients' families and friends to explore ways in which they can help with tasks such as household chores and errands until patients' energy levels increase. Obtaining adequate nutrition may be a problem for patients who have chronic illnesses or who are undergoing cancer treatment.