From Awareness to Action: Nurse Practitioners Lead the Way in COPD Care
During COPD Awareness Month, nurse practitioners are driving early detection, empowering patients and advancing innovative care strategies that help every person breathe easier.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may not be a condition that patients have heard of as often as other chronic diseases like diabetes or cancer, but COPD’s impact exceeds what it may lack in name recognition. In the U.S. alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that, “Nearly 16 million adults have COPD, and many more do not know they have it,” and “COPD is 1 of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S.”
While COPD does not have a cure, nurse practitioners (NPs) and other health care providers remain proactive by speaking with patients about reducing risks before they have COPD; testing for COPD and treating it early; and managing patients who do have COPD by encouraging lifestyle changes, oxygen therapy, vaccinations and medications. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) and other organizations are here to assist health care providers and patients with fact sheets, visual aids and other resources to help assist in recognizing and treating COPD.
Testing and Treatment
Patients may be familiar with two of the more common types of COPD — emphysema and chronic bronchitis — but they may not know that COPD is the umbrella term that includes the above conditions and many more. The COPD Foundation created a resource for patients to help them understand the condition entitled “Anyone Can Get COPD” to make COPD easily understandable. Other educational materials provided by the COPD Foundation include The Basics of COPD, which explains some of the causes of COPD, like smoking and the inhalation of irritants, while also explaining that genetics can cause COPD through an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (Alpha-1).
Along with other chronic conditions, treating COPD requires shared decision-making from both the patient and practitioner. Another example of providing understandable and actionable educational materials is detailed in an article for the Journal of the American Association for Nurse Practitioners. Here, the authors spotlight an educational tool created by the Veteran Health Administration called Green Light to Go, which places different symptoms into “zones,” ranging from the Green Zone (All Clear) to the Red Zone (Medical Alert Zone). The sample size of the study was small, but the authors still note that “…by identifying evidence-based strategies tied to promoting self-management in COPD, NPs will be in a better position to contribute to improving health care outcomes for patients, families and systems of care.” Other patient-facing resources include several created by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, like the “COPD: Portraits of Lung Health at Any Age Infographic” and the “Take Action on COPD: Protect Your Lungs for Life Fact Sheet.”
Resources From Your NP Association
AANP has also created several resources specifically for NPs. One infographic is divided into both evaluating and managing COPD, and a clinical resource tool provides important information about the condition and offers examples of pharmacotherapy and more. An article in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners “introduces a mnemonic that corresponds to the relevant pharmacological management of stable COPD based on current practice guidelines in Canada.” Created for NPs, this mnemonic device and an accompanying decision tree “can be implemented in clinical practice to assist NPs in choosing the most appropriate pharmaceutical intervention in patients with stable COPD.” Finally, AANP also has a members-only clinical practice brief concerning the diagnosis, management and prevention of COPD.
AANP’s podcast, NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, includes an episode dedicated to COPD, discussing treatment modalities for the condition and other relevant topics. Corrine Young, MSN, FNP-C, FCCP, and Juan Gonzalez, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, ENP-C, FNP-BC, CEN, CNE, FAANP, are the guests featured on this episode, and they discuss the diagnosis, assessment and treatment recommendations as delineated in the latest COPD guidelines, including the major changes introduced in the 2024 GOLD report; differentiating the different treatment modalities for COPD and know when to use each treatment depending on patient group; and comparing the emerging treatment modalities currently under investigation for the management of COPD.
Gonzalez and Young, throughout their talk of diagnosing and treating COPD, also make sure to center the experiences and emotions of their patients. Gonzalez says: “One component — at least from the emergency standpoint — we tend to forget or omit is when giving a diagnosis such as COPD, is considering the impact that such a diagnosis will have on the individual at so many levels. So, not forgetting to also refer [the patient] for counseling just in general.” This is recommended because of the importance that “a condition like COPD is diagnosed, and the impact that it’s going to have — not only on the individual, but also on everyone involved in care.”
Empowering NPs in Pulmonary and Sleep Health
Join AANP’s Pulmonary and Sleep Community to collaborate with NP colleagues who are redefining pulmonary and sleep health. This community offers NPs a dedicated space to collaborate, share expertise and stay at the forefront of sleep and pulmonary care. By joining this community, you’ll connect with colleagues who share your passion for improving pulmonary and sleep health; gain access to evidence-based resources and clinical insights; and engage in discussions that shape best practices in this growing specialty.