The Comfort Theory was chosen to be analyzed, with goals of seeking relevant information and guidelines on how to successfully implement the theory to improve the comfort level among critically ill patients while performing daily routine care in ICU. Acute life-threatening illnesses represent a crisis situation to the
Problem Statement Nurses play an important role in preventing pressure ulcers. The development, progression, and regression of pressure ulcers are linked to early prevention and awareness of the nurses caring for the patient. Previously conducted studies have identified a break in the care trajectory of the patient. The article, “Factors of Importance to the Development of Pressure Ulcers in the care Trajectory: Perceptions of Hospital and Community Care Nurses” discusses the weak point in the care trajectory using a qualitative design study. Understanding this weakness through the perception of the nurses can improve patient outcomes; this is the research problem in the study.
Chochinov, 2007 (cited in Cornwell & Goodrich, 2009), states simply that compassion is ‘a deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.’ Pediatric patients and their families are highly sensitive to the compassionate nature of health care professionals and a successful therapeutic relationship with them depends on the sensitive, compassionate care offered by the nurse. This paper will discuss why communication, family centred care and compassion are necessary and important qualities for a nurse to possess when working with pediatric patients and specify some of the challenges a nurse may meet in providing these. Communicating with Babies and Children Nursing children and babies requires a highly skilled and sensitive approach to communication. The developmental age of the pediatric patient needs to be considered when determining the best ways to
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes the death of around 1 Australian every 11 minutes and influences the lives of 1 in every 5 Australians [ (Heart Foundation, 2010) ]. Many of the identified risk factors for CVD are controllable. This makes it the most important health issue in Australia in 2011. CVD is any disease associated with an individual’s heart or blood vessels. It includes many diseases including coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, heart attacks, arthrosclerosis, arteriosclerosis, angina pectoris and heart failure (Ruskin, 2009).
Marie is directing patient centered care, but culturally, Carla prefers her family around her to support her and her help make decisions while Carla is recovering. One of the visitors in Carla’s room may be a partera who is helped Carla with the delivery and is helping with recovery. Carla may even have a trusted family member that will make decisions for her (Potter, Perry, Stockert & Hall, 2013). Delivering care to a patient in a way that is respectful to the patient and their family is crucial for several reasons. Culturally congruent care means taking in to account the beliefs and traditions of the patient and working them into the care plan.
DELIVER CARE SERVICES USING A PALLIATIVE APPROACH ASSIGNMENT Medical dictionaries define palliative care as care that affords relief, but does not cure, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines it as 'an approach that improves the quality of life of individuals and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention or relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual’. We can offer our clients a dignified death by allowing them to choose where they wish to be cared for, where they wish to die, and who they wish to care for them. As an active listener, we can hear what the client’s wishes are, and we can execute those wishes as best we can. It is important to ask questions so we can better understand those wishes. Considering each client is an individual, they are likely to have their own preferences and choices, both while they are in our care as well as after they have deceased.
Patients and their families have the right to be educated on PSM to assist their decision in regards to their comfort and to ensure that their family members are aware of the treatments available. However, there are times when patients’ symptoms cannot be controlled with conventional opioids. At these times, palliative sedation (PS), the use of sedatives to induce unconsciousness at the EOL has been introduced as a medical therapy to better achieve control of symptoms and relieve suffering (Bansari Patel, 2012). Based on research of PS and its ability to control difficult symptoms such as bone pain and dyspnea, most U. S. hospitals and hospices have not developed a standard policy for its’s use. There are a few reasons that a policy has not been placed despite nurses being involved in evaluating the proper plan of care such as nurses’ attitudes of PS, and lack of education to healthcare professionals in PS (Bansari Patel, 2012).
The goal of continuously educating staff in the importance of nursing-sensitive indicators hopefully leads to improved care and a reduction in negative outcomes. Nursing-sensitive indicators include anything relating to the quality of nursing care (Sauls, 2013). This includes a wide range of topics from the incidence of pressure ulcers to patient satisfaction scores. In the case study provided, a better understanding of several nursing-sensitive indicators would help reduce interference with patient care. Some of the basics include, use of restraints, respect for culture and patient wishes, and transparency between the medical staff and the patient/family unit.
worrying about money, bills, or how supporting family) and spiritual needs (i.e. feelings of anger or guilt). Conventional medicine, alternative and complementary therapies can be used as options to relieve pain and other symptoms if desired. Care plan is individualized and tailor-made for the service users which support their lifestyle and culture. The individuals and their family members are consulted and their wishes respected as far as possible in the care process.
Quality of Life and Functioning The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics states several behaviors that are expected in the provision of healthcare, including allowing patients the right to autonomy and treating all patients equally and with respect. Along those same lines, nurses are expected to be aware of their own values and morals, and exhibit moral self-respect. Additionally, nurses must uphold their responsibility to act as patient advocates, be committed to the care of their patients, and must work with the interdisciplinary team to ensure that patients are receiving the most efficient and effective care possible (“Code of Ethics,” 2010). A. Personal Perceptions Caring for terminally ill patients can be a daunting task for all involved, whether it is for the patient, friends or family, or the nurse or other clinicians.