Self-management of chronic kidney disease.

Living with chronic kidney disease usually involves management of other chronic conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, and often requires a change in the patient's way of life: medical and emotional aspects of the disease must be handled, symptoms interpreted and reported, partnerships with health care providers forged, and new resources used. Nurses can help patients maneuver this initially frightening and sometimes difficult terrain with strategies tailored to the stage of the disease.