Whether you’re recovering from a knee replacement or need in-home care because osteoarthritis has affected your mobility, you will probably be cared for by a nurse at some point in your life. People who have inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, polymyalgia rheumatica, osteoarthritis and gout may require surgery at some point to repair damage done by the disease. In that case, they would be cared for before, during and after by a nurse, whether it’s assisting the physician with an ankle injury surgery, helping you with wound care in your home following a hip replacement or helping you do back exercises while you recover from a spinal procedure. Nurses may work in hospitals, private practices, schools and homes.

The role of a nurse in that setting may have them do many things for you. Nurses will be involved in administering medications. Some of the medications we use to treat arthritis are given intravenously in the office and a nurse will be the individual that is providing this service

In addition, many of the medications that we use to treat rheumatoid arthritis are not available in a pill form and as a result they are given by injection and nurses will often teach you how to do those injections yourself so that you can do them at home.

Nurses are also very important in administering vaccinations and many of our patients require vaccinations because they are on immunosuppressant medications, so they will likely talk to you about vaccinations and which ones you need.
And finally, nurses can be very important in helping manage pain, disability and a flair if your arthritis is getting worse. They are also a crucial link with your rheumatologist and are able to convey important information back to them between your healthcare visits.

The goal of all these members of the healthcare team is to help your arthritis and prevent damage over the long term There are many different kinds of nurses, from LPNs to RNs to cardiology nurses. If you think you could benefit from working with a local nurse to manage your rheumatological condition, talk to your local rheumatologist about the options that are available to you. Your nurse can work with all of your healthcare providers, including your local rheumatologist, local family physician, athletic therapist, kinesiologist, nutritionist, dermatologist, physiotherapist, orthopedic surgeon or chiropractor.