Healthcare Nursing Diagnosis Label or Patient Problem Order Instructions:
Module 3
Each student will be assigned by the instructor to one (1) of the two (2) patient scenarios below for their initial post. Check the Course Announcements for your assignment.
Scenario 1
A 25-year-old Arab American man is one-day post-op following an appendectomy. There have been no post-surgical complications. He tells his family that he is “in terrible pain”, yet he reports ratings of 2 to 3 on 0-10 numeric rating scale to the nursing staff. He requests pain medication every two to three hours, and will not get out of bed or ambulate.
Scenario 2
A 60-year-old African American woman with metastatic ovarian cancer is experiencing chronic pain. Her pain ratings have been between 3 and 7 on the 0-10 numeric rating scale. Her vital signs remain within normal ranges. She is fully able to participate in her daily care. She describes herself as the matriarch of her family and looks forward to daily visits from her family even when her pain rating is high. Her church pastor calls and visits her several times per week. She anticipates discharge in a few days
Initial Discussion Post on Healthcare Nursing Diagnosis Label or Patient Problem
For your assigned scenario, address the following:
Identify and state a priority nursing diagnosis label for your assigned patient related to pain.
Develop and state three (3) nursing interventions for this nursing diagnosis label or patient problem. When planning individualized nursing interventions, consider the patient’s type of pain and cultural perspective.
Provide your rationale or reasoning for each intervention chosen.
Healthcare Nursing Diagnosis Label or Patient Problem Sample Answer
Health care providers are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that patients who have gone through surgical procedures have a faster return to their normal activities. To achieve this, the clinicians should have a clear outline of the priorities required for patient management. For patients that have been through an appendectomy such as the 25- year old Arab American presented in the case study, their care priorities include prevention of complications that are arise after surgical procedure such as infections, ensuring that they are comfortable through pain management, and providing them with essential information regarding the surgical procedure its prognosis, treatment as well as the potential complications that may come about.
Healthcare Nursing Diagnosis Label or Patient Problem
One of the nursing intervention that should be tailored for the patient presented in the case study is the management of the postsurgical pain. This intervention will involve assessing the patient’s pain, its location, and its severity on a scale of 0-10 (Pantaleao et al., 2015). Abdominal pain should be managed through the periodic placement of an ice bag on the abdomen for the first 24-48 hours after the procedure. This aids in soothing and relieving pain through nerve desensitization. Opioid analgesics such as morphine or codeine should also be administered to the patient. These are an effective agent for pain management although the patient should be monitored closely so that he does not develop tolerance or dependence of the drugs.
Healthcare Nursing Diagnosis Label or Patient Problem
Patients who have gone through appendectomy are also at the risk of developing deficient fluid volume. Pantaleao et al., (2015) enlighten that this arises mainly due to peritoneal inflammation which tends to sequester fluid. As an intervention, clinicians should provide the patient with clear liquids in small amounts after he has resumed his oral intake and also progress diet as tolerated. This is indicated in order to minimize the risk of gastric irritation and vomiting that cause fluid loss. In severe cases, the patient can be administered with IV fluids as well as electrolytes. This is recommended since it promotes rehydration and electrolyte balance.
Healthcare Nursing Diagnosis Label or Patient Problem
The other intervention for postsurgical patients is the prevention of infections which they are usually prone to. This can be done through monitoring of vital signs such as chills, fever, mentation changes, and patient reports on increased pain in the abdomen. This is an essential procedure because it provides an indication on the presence of abscess, sepsis, or peritonitis which is then managed accordingly in the right time.
Healthcare Nursing Diagnosis Label or Patient Problem Reference
Pantaleao, A., Karamessinis, L., Cooper, J., & Manworren, R. (2015). (108) Monitoring home pain management after laparoscopic appendectomy. The Journal of Pain, 16(4), S3.
