Holistic Assessment Process On Admission

In the first step of the Tanner (2006) model nurses use their personal knowledge and experience to notice whether the patient requires attentions based on their expectations and looking at environment of the patient. Therefore, for an experience nurse it is easier for them responding to the similar situation if she or he revisit because the knowledge is already there through experience. In the case of Mr Devi, assessment will perform using systematic assessment based on the ABCDE approach (Airway, Breathing, circulation, Disability and Exposure). The ABCDE approach is an evidence-based practice widely accepted and used by all the members of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to assess an acutely ill patient (Harrison and Daly 2011). First, life-threatening

This assignment will reflect on the effectiveness of my clinical and interpersonal skills in relation to my position as a nurse in a busy critical care unit. It will primarily focus on one particular patient and the care they received by myself in their immediate post operative period. In accordance with the NMC’s code of professional conduct names will not be used to protect the patient’s confidentiality. NMC (2008).

The function of assessment in learning and development is primarily to provide a measurable barometer for the students progress.

Assessment of a patient is a big process of decision making, it is about the collection of information which will contribute to an overall judgement of a person and the illness they may have. Lloyd (2010) states that assessment is one of the first steps which is needed to be done in the nursing process, it is a building block for a relationship and an ongoing process which lets health professionals gather the correct information to help them understand the problems and needs that the patient is going through. Most of the nursing assessment which are in use today will all have very similar aims. The difference is that how the assessment’s are carried out is where the differences come from.

After surgery, Mr. Baker is taken to a room on the medical-surgical floor. He has an IV infusing at 125 ml/hr, a PCA pump, and a nasogastric tube connected to low suction. He is receiving oxygen through a nasal cannula.

In this Assessment nursing course, one of the major things that is taught is the most important part of giving proper care to a patient. Correct patient assessment is needed before any nursing care plan or treatment can be implemented. This post-review of a person’s assessment will demonstrate the proper way to go about assessing a person’s health.

Assessment in the nursing process will establish the patients' ongoing needs and provide a quality of care best suited to the individual, to achieve a desirable health outcome.

The first stage of the process is assessment. Roper et al (2001) refer to this process as ‘assessing’ indicating an ongoing activity; this encourages nurses to recognise the on-going nature of this initial phase. The assessing stage includes gathering information about a patient, reviewing this information, identifying actual and potential problems and prioritising (Roper et al 2001). Roper et al (2001) explain the importance for assessing, as early as possible in the patient’s stay. Extensive, in-depth information may not be gathered on an initial assessment, however any information obtained contributes towards individualised care (Roper et al 2001). Ambrose and Wittig (1998) explain that the initial assessment becomes a foundation for ongoing assessing and holistic care. Barrett, Wilson and Woollands (2009) concord with Roper et al and Wittig in that assessing is an ongoing process and elaborate on this explaining that assessment should not be confused with admission. They state “an admission tends to be a one-off process when you first meet the patient, whereas assessment carries on throughout your relationship with the patient” (pg22). Assessment enables the nurse and patient to identify actual and potential problems. Although, some problems can be directly related to biological needs, holistic needs must be considered, i.e. psychological state and cultural/social standing

The nurses were required to attend to the personal needs of the patients by asking if they want to use the bathroom or bedpan and any other needs that the patients want to be attended to. In addition to the above, the nurses check position and ask patients if there is anything he or she could do to make his or her positioning comfortable. These include identification of risks for skin breakdown and attending to such risks by providing hygiene and skin care.

This assignment shall focus on a patient called Audrey Smith, a 75 year old lady who has been transferred to the ward from the emergency department with a fractured neck of femur, small haematoma to the left forehead, soft tissue injury and bruising to the left shoulder following a fall at home involving her dog. On admission to the ward at 14.00 hours, Audrey has an intravenous transfusion in progress, an indwelling catheter insitu, she is alert and orientated to time and place and is responsive with a GCS of 14. The plan is for Audrey to go to theatre for arthroplasty of left hip at 17.00 hours. She is nil by mouth and requires hourly neurological observations. The author shall discuss the holistic nursing interventions Audrey shall receive to ensure she is safe, her hygiene and comfort, elimination and nutritional needs are met.

John was a 76 year old gentleman returning to an orthopaedic ward following a total hip replacement under general anaesthetic. The agreed care plan was to regularly monitor John’s vital signs over the next several hours in accordance with local hospital resuscitation trust policy (2012) and the National Institute

Respiratory Assessment for Nurses outlined the importance of appropriate respiratory assessment to improve care outcomes for the acutely ill ward patient. It is recognized that deterioration in physiological status is often not appreciated, nor acted on in a timely manner (Considine and Botti 2004). The anterior posterior diameter of the chest has a ratio of 1:2. Normal breathing is silent, regular, symmetric, and rhythmic and occurs at a rate of 12 to 20 times per minute (Jarvis, 20 The 4 major components of the lung exam (inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation). Learning the appropriate techniques at this juncture will therefore enhance your ability to perform these other examinations as well. A student nurse completed a

In the professional setting, knowing the patient through his or her diagnosis, name, history of present illness, laboratory results or reason for staying in the hospital only contributes to the manner of physical care of the patient. However, recognizing the patient 's spiritual needs such as emotional support, mental positivity, and intellectual understanding of his or her situation gives a better assessment, as well as a trusting relationship between the nurse and the patient, as per personal experience. In the ward, it is evident that most of the staff nurses spend their time doing documentations, preparing medications, following-up laboratory requests, as well as reading through the patients ' charts to affirm the physician 's order. Throughout the duration of our shifts as student nurses, I see that the most that the staff nurses get to be conversant with the patient is when certain procedures (such as feeding through nasogastric tube, taking

The plan I would need in place would first to address her respiratory status and maintain a patent airway. I would also want to have the patient demonstrate how to splint while deep breathing or coughing. I would ask the Cna to help with position changes every 2 hours or more if needed for comfort for the patient. I would need to do a full assessment at this point if the patient is more stable. By having the patient deep breath will also help her return to consciousness, (Ahmed, Latif and Khan, 2013). I would want to keep her comfortable and in as little pain as possible. I would also want to try to educate her as to when to push for pain medications from her PCA pump. If there were any family I would want to try to get them involved with the education as well. The use of an incentive spirometer should be included in the teaching too. I would keep monitoring the incision site and watching for signs that the patient is in pain. While I was working on patient education with this patient, I would ask the CAN to do vitals on the 2 postop patients every 15 minutes for the first hour, reporting abnormal vital signs to myself or the other R.N. I would also ask the other R.N. if she/ he would do the discharge for that patient, while I remain with this patient and make sure she is going to stay stable.

The patient on which the care plan will be assessed will be a 72 year old female, May Watters who I assisted in the care of during clinical placement in the Emergency Department (ED). May Watters is a pseudo name to ensure confidentiality to An Bord Analtrais standards (ABA 2000). May was brought in by ambulance which was called by her husband Jimmy. May was brought into the ED for Diarrhoea and Vomiting 5/7 days and generally unwell and weakness and non productive cough. Mays’ husband who is her next of kin was concerned about her deterioration