The Role of Social Workers and Nurses in Holistic Care for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a global threat that is felt in the lives of millions. CKD management involves patient care that is physical, psychological, social, and emotional. Holistic care in improving the quality of life of patients for better health outcomes has a major role for social workers and nurses.
Aim of work: To explore and critically analyze the roles of social workers and nurses in providing holistic care for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search in the MEDLINE database's electronic literature using the following search terms: Role, Social Workers, Nurses, Holistic Care, Patients, Chronic Kidney Disease. The search was restricted to publications from 2016 to 2024 in order to locate relevant content. We performed a search on Google Scholar to locate and examine academic papers that pertain to my subject matter. The selection of articles was impacted by certain criteria for inclusion.
Results: The publications analyzed in this study encompassed from 2016 to 2024. The study was structured into various sections with specific headings in the discussion section.
Conclusion: The social workers and nurses roles in caring for patients with chronic illnesses such as CKD include the following, but are not limited to: holistic approach to medical, emotional, and social issues; thereby providing comprehensive treatment for patients according to their area of need. It empowers the patients through education, emotional support, advocacy, and care coordination, to deal with the challenges of CKD while improving their quality of life. Interdisciplinary care between social work and nursing was very much concerned with and showed such a good example of teamwork in achieving good outcome. This sets them apart among the best in the industry. They will most likely face many challenges during their career but at the same time, they will do a great deal for CKD in terms of bringing hope and healing into the face of a chronic conditions which has often proven daunting and overwhelming. Care will not shrink in importance but will grow and develop further as the prevalence of CKD increases. It is quite certain and obvious that all social workers and nurses would still remain custodians of intimate and effective care.