Clinical Reasoning Activity
In this case study the nurse, Kevin, has been presented with a patient, Alma, who is 89 years old and has recently been admitted to the hospital for a fractured right tibia and a laceration to her head, both resulting from a fall three days ago. Alma is in need of surgery, but will be in a boot for at least 8 weeks post operation. The patient has a history of hypertension and has type 2 diabetes mellitus, which is somewhat controlled by oral medication. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three months ago, but her doctor has noticed an increasing amount of tremors. Alma is extremely anxious about the possibility of moving to a nursing home. Her family is willing to help, but is limited with time and resources. …show more content…
The most pressing problem is the overwhelming anxiety she is presenting while the nurse is in the room. Following, or even in concurrence with, the resolution of her anxiety another need to be addressed is Alma’s injuries from her fall. Another aspect to look at in this case is post operation home health and future plans for healthcare to prevent such falls from happening and assist with her ADL’s as her Parkinson’s disease progresses.
It is important to ensure the patient and her daughter have a clear understanding of the plans set in place for Alma’s future healthcare, especially with a surgery and a large amount of post operation care looming. It would be helpful to have some more information on the number of options Alma has for home health or assisted living possibilities. To discuss these in depth with the patient and her daughter as an unbiased third party would be
In this case study the nurse, Kevin, has been presented with a patient, Alma, who is 89 years old and has recently been admitted to the hospital for a fractured right tibia and a laceration to her head, both resulting from a fall three days ago. Alma is in need of surgery, but will be in a boot for at least 8 weeks post operation. The patient has a history of hypertension and has type 2 diabetes mellitus, which is somewhat controlled by oral medication. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three months ago, but her doctor has noticed an increasing amount of tremors. Alma is extremely anxious about the possibility of moving to a nursing home. Her family is willing to help, but is limited with time and resources. …show more content…
The most pressing problem is the overwhelming anxiety she is presenting while the nurse is in the room. Following, or even in concurrence with, the resolution of her anxiety another need to be addressed is Alma’s injuries from her fall. Another aspect to look at in this case is post operation home health and future plans for healthcare to prevent such falls from happening and assist with her ADL’s as her Parkinson’s disease progresses.
It is important to ensure the patient and her daughter have a clear understanding of the plans set in place for Alma’s future healthcare, especially with a surgery and a large amount of post operation care looming. It would be helpful to have some more information on the number of options Alma has for home health or assisted living possibilities. To discuss these in depth with the patient and her daughter as an unbiased third party would be