Teaching Family Caregiver Care for the Patient with COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition that causes airflow blockage that worsens over time. The inability to breathe can cause fear and anxiety for the patient and the family caregiver (FC). Focused education and support by the nursing care team can alleviate concerns and equip the patient and their FC with the necessary education and resources to make daily decisions to manage COPD. In this story, I, in the role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), guide care by steering the nurses towards FCs and their needs while empowering the patient toward self-care as much as possible. In this way, the outcomes are optimized once the patient and their FC leave the hospital system.