Venous Thromboembolism Essay

Improved Essays
“The risk of VTE is significantly increased in patients who are hospitalised after trauma, surgery or immobilising medical illness, and also in pregnant and puerperal women, and DVT is common in such individuals.” (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, 2010, p. 2) So my primary goal is to learn how to prevent Venous Thromboembolism for post-surgical patients and be familiar with the different guidelines set in the UK and in the hospital that I am working in.

I decided to choose this topic because, in the hospital that I came from, VTE is not given much importance especially in patients who just came from surgery or patients who has not mobilized for a long period of time. This may be due to the fact that VTE prophylaxis treatments there
…show more content…
According to NICE (2010) “A UK survey suggested that 71% of patients assessed to be at medium or high risk of developing deep vein thrombosis did not receive any form of mechanical or pharmacological VTE prophylaxis”. The guideline emphasized the need for mechanical or chemical prophylaxis especially for post-surgical patients because these are the patients who have significant reduced mobility and are much more at risk. But of course, the guidelines also emphasized the importance of assessing which patients may need either chemical or mechanical prophylaxis. “All adult patients admitted to (Name Withheld) will be individually assessed on admission for their risk for VTE and bleeding using the (Name Withheld) VTE risk assessment tool.” (NHS Trust Policy, Name Withheld, 2014) So, during my exposure to the ward, I have seen my mentor and other staff nurses do the Assessment forms for VTE and how it is part of the hospital policy to always measure the legs of the patient and provide TED stockings upon admission unless it is contraindicated, and tried doing these forms and do the interview with the supervision of my mentor, so that I can experience how to accurately gain information about the VTE risks of …show more content…
I noticed that the patients understand the importance of early mobilization and sometimes, because they are so eager to try and walk, I have to tell them that they still need to wait for the Physiotherapist to assess them before mobilizing.

Every day was a learning experience for me. At first, I always get supervised by my mentor especially during admissions and when new patients come from the theatres, but now, my mentor told me that I have been improving a lot and gaining more confidence on how I handle my patients. Learning about all of these through research, training and meetings with my mentor, I was able to learn about how serious VTE is and its consequences. The things that I have learned about VTE is very useful and I realized that I can also apply the things that I have learned in my everyday

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Blood Draw Instructions

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Once you have chosen a vein release the tourniquet because leaving it on too long can cause damage to the patient’s arm and the sample. Step Five Next you will want to set up your workspace. Make sure you have an alcohol pad, gauze, band aid, and needle set…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Shadowing Ms. Jennifer Dreher, Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and Patient Educator at Bethesda North Hospital, provided insight on her daily tasks and the profession. Ms. Dreher works in the Orthopedics department where she is actively involved in several meetings and performs coordination of care for numerous patients. She is also training Mrs. Laura Moffat, a floor nurse at the hospital studying to become a CNS. During my shadowing experience, I attended two meetings and accompanied Ms. Dreher on rounds to patient rooms.…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    NHS Outcomes Framework

    • 190 Words
    • 1 Pages

    This incorporate NHS Outcomes Framework (2015/16) domain 2 and 4, which stated every healthcare professional should improve the quality of life for people suffering from long-term illness and ensure they are satisfied with the care they receive. Similarly, RCN (2008) and NHS Scotland restates the significance of securing catheter when in suits will promote patient comfort and limit potential complications movement and ensuring less or no need for re-catheterisation. For example, limited circulation to the limb occurrence may lead to deep vein thrombosis while tension and traction to the urethra can cause trauma and necrosis particularly in men (Bierman and Carigan 2003). The SMART plan will outlined the proposed innovation as Specific-target…

    • 190 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    However, what everyone doesn’t realize is that these days greatly increase the risk of suffering from a very serious medical condition referred to as Deep Vein Thrombosis. Doctors are fearful that the increased number of professionals working in an office setting will lead to an increase in cases of a specific type of blood clot called Deep Vein Thrombosis. What Deep Vein Thrombosis refers to is simply the formation of a blood clot in the deep vein of the legs. When these blood clots grow they can break off and find their way to the lungs where they can create a sometimes fatal medical emergency called a pulmonary embolism.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    PICO Review Paper

    • 87 Words
    • 1 Pages

    This article relates to the PICO question by promoting patient adherence to post surgical interventions to prevent deep vein thrombosis. These interventions include early ambulation and compression hose. These are important interventions that the nurse has control of. It is the nurses' responsibility to assist with these interventions. It is also noted in the study that it is the staff's responsibility to encourage patient compliance with these interventions.…

    • 87 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Infections are a common risk factor for any patient in the hospital. The occurrence of an infection is an even greater concern when the patient receives an invasive procedure, such as placement of a Central Venous Access Device. With proper technique and licensed staff placing a central venous access device, the risk for complications can be minimized. Champions for Central Line Care is a journal that explains “the team approach for reducing CLABSIs. (Reed, Brock, & Anderson, 2014, p. 40)” CLABSI can be defined as a Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infection (Giddens, 2014, p. 469).…

    • 730 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Cocaine Case Summary

    • 316 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The patient is a 55 year old male who presented to the ED via LEO with visual hallucinations of individuals stealing from his yard without responding to him then disappearing. The patient reports crying and being scared. During the time of the assessment The patient was alert with his daughter by his side. The patient reports that 3 days ago his pain from his many illnesses as caused him unbearable pain.…

    • 316 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These include appropriate update of patient notes, record keeping of imaging results and drug charts. Enteral feeding should commence as soon as possible and gastric protection must be used. Compliance with the hospital’s venous thrombo-embolism prophylaxis policy is mandatory. Intravenous lines must be used judiciously and removed once not necessary. The patient is nursed better in the 30’ head up position, due to its’ offering improved ventilation, decreasing the risk of micro-aspiration and ventilator associated pneumonia and being safe in the presence of spinal injury.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Evidence Based Practice

    • 1323 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The nurse and other care providers play a key role in the prevention of hospital acquired infection (HAI). Urinary tract infection (UTI) accounts is the commonest accounting for 35% of all infections with 80% of them being associated to indwelling urinary catheter (Schneider, M. A. 2012). In this document, the author discusses the process of implementation evidence based change aimed at reducing the incidence of catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). Evidence based practice is a problem- solving approach that incorporate best practice arrived at from reliable studies and patient care outcome best available practice and the consideration of patient choice and values, to attain the highest level of quality of care and client needs…

    • 1323 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hsc Reflective Account

    • 268 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Introduction: I am a social worker practicing on an adult surgery orthopedic ward within the Health Sciences Center (HSC). My role is to provide services to patients that have experienced musculoskeletal disorders. All have experienced a change in mobility whether temporary or permanently. Together with a multidisciplinary team we work with patients to get them to a new baseline or back to their previous baseline of mobility in order to promote independence and a safe discharge. Medical care, discharge and proper bed utilization is the primary focus within many hospitals.…

    • 268 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    According to the emergency nurses association (ENA) there are various instances where peripheral access is difficult to obtain, and where other measures are often conflicting in causing infections, such as central venous catheters. Especially with patients with multiple morbidities, such as obesity, diabetes, hypovolemia, sickle cell anemia, and drug abuse, studies have shown significant differences between the ultrasound-guided approach compared to traditional methods for success rate, time to IV access patient satisfaction with the procedure. On a broader scale, timely IV access impedes necessary treatment in acute situations such as; intravenous fluid resuscitation or pain management for sickle cell patients, the use of more supplies in an attempt to obtain IV access, poor patient satisfaction scores for facilities. Steps 3, 4, and 5:…

    • 1361 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What three things did I really learn in clinical rotations this weekend at Avante? That is a question with a multitude of answers. Having this being my first time in a hands-on, patient experience I gained many insights, tips, tricks, dos and don’ts in just forty-eight hours. I’m beyond glad that I could participate and look forward to adding to these three little snippets of what knowledge I gained. The first thing that really stands out in my mind is that patience truly is a virtue.…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The neurosurgeon and the patient’s son agreed on TDC; the son signed the informed consent. The patient was placed on continuous electrocardiograph (ECG) and pulse oximetry. In regards to emergency surgery and patients who are on antiplatelet medications such as clopidogrel and aspirin, the American Society of Hematology (2011), recommends pre-operative platelet transfusion. An indwelling urinary catheter was inserted and mannitol 74 g (1g/kg) was given IV push (Meagher & Young, 2015) per physician’s…

    • 1069 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    A Nurse’s Role Providing patient safety is not the of a nurse. The nurse must also show commitment, from the code of ethics, to provide competent and ethical care. Registered nurses also have the professional obligation to raise concerns regarding any patient assignment that may put the patient, the nurse or both at risk. This professional obligation is anchored in the Nursing’s Social Policy Statement Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. Under the Provisions of the Code of Ethics provision 3 it states, “The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient”.…

    • 1151 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When I was accepted to San Jose State University (SJSU) I intended to pursue a career in art therapy with a focus in child development. I always had an aptitude for art and I wanted to incorporate that into a career that allowed me to help people. I took classes, such as Child Psychology, Psychology of the Adolescent, Chad, Multicultural Art/Children, etc., in order to pursue a career in that field. Additionally, I began working at elementary schools, such as Carden Day School, Monroe Middle School, Sherman Oaks, etc., in order to gain some experience working with youth.…

    • 1148 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays