Paper Example: The Patient's Behavior Change

These critical steps that Bright star took in the process of change were associated with the model's stages. In nursing, evidence-based research identifies the first step as determining a patient's understanding of healthy behaviors who are in the early stages of change. Educating them on the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle will also be applied in practice (Freysteinson, 2012). Likewise, evaluating the perceived barriers to behavior change will be assessed. Then, in the next steps of preparation and action, discussions will be made on what needs to be improved or removed for a healthy change to start (Freysteinson, 2012). In addition, in this stage of action, people take a very short time making it the shortest of time taken in all the stages (Mastellos et al., 2014). They have the willpower to change and chances of relapsing are very high. For example, Bright star faced instances of relapse but her will power was stronger. Thus, in the nursing practice, it is important for the analysis of the patient's behavior change efforts in a way that will enhance their self-confidence, which will result to a minimum possibility of quitting (Mastellos et al., 2014).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Maintenance and Termination Stages

The bright star is in the maintenance stage, where she is choosing to continue living a healthy lifestyle. However, she has had instances of relapses, but she kept on going on and trying her best to prevent them from occurring again. She has set goals to reach the termination stage and be a healthy woman. Very few women reach up to this level. For instance, in the United States, 24% of overweight women get to reach this stage. On the other hand, in women with heart failure, many were in the steps of action and termination since they had a motivation (Ghannadiasl et al., 2014). Based on these estimates, encouraging patients through probably making phone calls will help them to sustain their changed healthy lifestyle (Freysteinson, 2012). Also, in the maintenance stage, re-evaluating the progress made is important (Rose et al., 2013). This can be done by going through the stages from the first to the last one, assessing how the progress and success rate was. Also, encouragement is very important in this phase since the patients are acquiring new skills and making major changes in their daily life while trying not to relapse. Thus, when encouragement is provided, then will a healthy lifestyle be maintained for a long period.

However, in the maintenance stage, the changes have been short-lived, with studies showing that overweight people sustaining healthy skills for approximately a year. Thus, in the practice of nursing, it is important for the nurse to be keeping in touch with the patient for an extended period of time to avoid any relapses after a 12-month abstinence of eating unhealthy foods (Rose et al., 2013). This can be done by making calls and scheduling sessions whereby the patient's progress can be evaluated, self-confidence boosted and more education provided.

Motivational Interviewing Concepts

Three motivational interviewing concepts arose during my conversation with Bright star. The first was reflective listening. This was welcomed and embraced since she felt heard and empathized. Thus, she was more open in the conversation, abought her weight loss progress. Another MI was adjusting to her resistance. While having a conversation about a sensitive issue such as weight, one can tend to be less likely to open up and talk about it. Most of the time, people tend to avoid the discussion or if they engage in one, some aspects could be difficult for them to talk about. They will tend to resist and thus it is important to not oppose their resistance and understanding that the subject is sensitive to them. The other concept was optimism whereby there was hope for the future that her actions would be successful at the end. These concepts are fundamental, especially in matters of weight. Overweight people need understanding and confidence, which will encourage them more to start changing their behavior (Armstrong et al., 2011). Facing opposition will make them recoil and share less, which will impede the efforts made in helping them adapt to healthy functioning. Also, studies done show that MI has had long term and sustained changes by promoting self-efficacy (Stallings, & Schneider, 2018). Thus, using MI in practice will be better, and the desired results will be achieved. The ultimate goal is the termination of unhealthy behaviors and long lasting changes. Thus, the concept proves to be effective for use among overweight and obese patients in the long run, therefore, they will adopt healthy lifestyles and reduce their risks of developing health complications.

Summary

Overweight is a rising public health issue in the United States. Estimates show that the numbers will keep on rising not only in the country but also worldwide. Bright star is one of the overweight people constituting the numbers of these people in the country. She was not overweight while she was a child, but as the years passed by, she engaged and adapted to an unhealthy lifestyle. At the beginning of her unhealthy lifestyle, she did not think that her behaviors were harmful and posed significant health risks. She instead continued and soon realized that she had to change her lifestyle to improve her health.

Her process of change was one where she realized her condition was severe; thus, she gathered information from various websites about the health implications of being overweight. The desire to change developed and also got support. She started making changes progressively. But before she was not thinking nor ready for change, which is a trait observed in various studies among overweight people. Fortunately, with time, some start understanding the seriousness of the risk they are placing themselves in and undergo the stages of changes.