Arthritis Nursing Diagnosis and Nursing Care Plan

Arthritis Nursing Care Plans Diagnosis and Interventions

Arthritis NCLEX Review and Nursing Care Plans

Arthritis is a medical condition that involves the inflammation of joints, which includes joint tenderness, swelling, and pain. Arthritis usually becomes worse as a person age.

There are different types of arthritis; the most common ones include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout. Other types of arthritis include ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, septic arthritis, and thumb arthritis.

The usual treatment plan for patients with arthritis involve reducing joint pain and improve their quality of life.

Signs and symptoms of Arthritis

• Swelling of the joints
• Joint stiffness and/or pain
• Warm sensation on the affected joints
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Deformed joints, especially in the fingers and toes
• Bony enlargement – found in the middle and end joints of the fingers

Causes and Risk Factors for Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develops when the immune system attacks the lining of the joints called the synovium.

Osteoarthritis (OA), on the other hand, involves the degeneration of the joint, particularly the cartilage that covers the bones’ ends.

Gouty arthritis (GA), or simply known as gout, is caused by the formation of uric acid crystals in the joint, usually starting at the big toe.

Complications of Arthritis

1. Rheumatoid nodules. RA puts a person at risk of developing rheumatoid nodules, which are firm clumps of tissue that form around the elbows, or other pressure points, or even inside the lungs.
2. Osteoporosis and fractures. Aside from the affected joints, the nearby bones can eventually weaken, making the patient at a high risk for developing fractures.
3. Joint deformity. Many types of arthritis can develop bony nodules on the fingers. In the long run, the patient may experience radial or ulnar deviations of the affected joint.
4. Carpal tunnel syndrome. The wrists may also be affected by arthritis, causing them to be inflamed and compress the median nerve that innervates the hand and fingers.
5. Functional impairment and disability. Arthritis can affect both gross and motor abilities of the limbs. These can make it difficult to do physical work and activities of daily living for the patient.
6. Chronic pain syndrome. The neural pain pathways are persistently activated in severe arthritis, which can eventually develop chronic pain syndrome.

Diagnosis of Arthritis

• Physical exam – to check for the signs and symptoms such as bony enlargement of the joints, as well as muscular strength and reflex exams
• Blood tests for complete blood count, biochemistry, rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies – to diagnose RA; not indicated to diagnose OA but can be used to determine the type of arthritis; uric acid and creatinine levels are helpful for identifying gout
• Imaging – X-ray of the affected joints; MRI and ultrasound to determine the severity
• Joint aspiration – if there is fluid accumulation around the joint, the fluid can be aspirated for testing to determine the type of arthritis

Treatment for Arthritis

1. Medications. The following medications are commonly used in the treatment of arthritis:
2. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – to reduce inflammation and relieve pain
3. Steroids – to slow down the damage of the joints, reducing inflammation and pain
4. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) – to slow down RA progression, reducing the risk for permanent tissue and joint damage; not suitable for OA
5. Biologic response modifiers – DMARDs that target specific parts of the immune system that stimulates the inflammation; not suitable for OA
6. Colchicine – if NSAIDS do not work to reduce pain and swelling in gout patients, this medication is prescribed for gout flare ups.
7. Surgery. The doctor may recommend surgery to resolve unbearable joint pain due to arthritis. This includes joint replacement (replacing a damaged joint with an artificial joint), arthroscopy (to remove the damaged joint tissues or repair them if possible), osteotomy (for realignment of the bone of the arm or leg), and joint fusion (for realignment and stabilization of the affected joint).
8. Physical therapy. This is an important part of the treatment regimen for arthritis and includes a physical therapist who can guide the patient with effective exercises to reduce the joint pain. Low impact exercises such as walking on flat surfaces and swimming are recommended to reduce the risk of putting stress on the damaged joint.
9. Weight loss. Obesity is one of the most common risk factors for arthritis, thus, a crucial part of the treatment is to lose weight through diet and exercise.

Arthritis Nursing Diagnosis

Nursing Care Plan for Arthritis 1

Nursing Diagnosis: Activity intolerance related to joint inflammation and pain secondary to arthritis, as evidenced by pain score of 10 out of 10, fatigue, disinterest in ADLs due to pain, verbalization of tiredness and generalized weakness

Desired Outcome: The patient will demonstration active participation in necessary and desired activities and demonstrate increase in activity levels.

Nursing Care Plan for Arthritis 2

Nursing Diagnosis: Pain related to joint inflammation secondary to arthritis, as evidenced by pain score of 10 out of 10, guarding sign on the affected fingers, restlessness, and irritability

Desired Outcome: The patient will report a pain score of 0 out of 10.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – to reduce inflammation and relieve pain

Steroids – to slow down the damage of the joints, reducing inflammation and pain

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) – to slow down RA progression, reducing the risk for permanent tissue and joint damage; not suitable for OA

Biologic response modifiers – DMARDs that target specific parts of the immune system that stimulates the inflammation; not suitable for OA

Nursing Care Plan for Arthritis 3

Nursing Diagnosis: Impaired Physical Mobility related to intolerance to activity; reduced muscle strength secondary to arthritis as manifested by restricted range of movement, impaired coordination, and reduced muscle strength.

Desired Outcomes:

• The patient will verbalize good pain tolerance at a level of 3 to 4 on a rating score of 0 to 10.
• The patient’s affected body part will improve its strength, mobility, and function.
• The patient will sustain a position of function with limited muscular contractures.

Nursing Care Plan for Arthritis 4

Nursing Diagnosis: Risk for Injury related to altered mobility secondary to arthritis.

Desired Outcomes:

• The patient will be free from incidents that may result in injury.
• The patient will identify the safety measures in preventing injury.
• The patient will show how to perform prevention and safety measures.
• The patient and family members will perform strategies to promote safety and avoid falls at home.

Nursing Care Plan for Arthritis 5

Nursing Diagnosis: Disturbed Body Image related to increased energy expenditure secondary to arthritis as manifested by changes in the function of affected areas, negative self-talk, lifestyle changes, changes in social involvement, and feeling of helplessness.

Desired Outcomes:

• The patient will express increased self-confidence in the capability to work with the illness, changes in lifestyle, and any possible limitations.
• The patient will plan realistic goals for the future.

Other possible nursing diagnoses:

• Fatigue
• Deficient Knowledge
• Situational Low Self-Esteem

Nursing References

Ackley, B. J., Ladwig, G. B., Makic, M. B., Martinez-Kratz, M. R., & Zanotti, M. (2020). Nursing diagnoses handbook: An evidence-based guide to planning care. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Buy on Amazon

Gulanick, M., & Myers, J. L. (2022). Nursing care plans: Diagnoses, interventions, & outcomes. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Buy on Amazon

Ignatavicius, D. D., Workman, M. L., Rebar, C. R., & Heimgartner, N. M. (2020). Medical-surgical nursing: Concepts for interprofessional collaborative care. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Buy on Amazon

Silvestri, L. A. (2020). Saunders comprehensive review for the NCLEX-RN examination. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Buy on Amazon

Disclaimer:

Please follow your facilities guidelines and policies and procedures. The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes.

This information is not intended to be nursing education and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Anna Curran. RN-BC, BSN, PHN, CMSRN I am a Critical Care ER nurse. I have been in this field for over 30 years. I also began teaching BSN and LVN students and found that by writing additional study guides helped their knowledge base, especially when it was time to take the NCLEX examinations.