Atención de enfermería al paciente crónico

Chronic illnesses are currently among the most common illnesses. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers them to have been one of the most important challenges in healthcare over the last few decades. Thus, Spain’s National Health Service is making changes to improve healthcare for this type of patient. The role played by nursing in the care of chronically ill patients is becoming more relevant with each passing day. The principal objective of this bibliographical review is to show the importance of community nursing in caring for those patients with chronic illnesses. To do so, we have carried out a search for articles published over the last eight years in different databases. Community nursing improves the quality of life for chronically ill patients through both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. The services offered have improved the quality of life for these patients, and consequently, their presence in hospital A&Es has decreased. Technology and advanced nursing practices have made a decisive contribution to quality, individualized care for chronically ill patients.