Assignment Task: Critical Thinking Activity
Use the findings from your evaluation to complete the following:
Clinical Assessment and Interventions:
Answer the following questions based on Mr. Smith's presentation and history.
- Discuss the conditions that could be causing Mr. Smith's shortness of breath given his clear chest x-ray.
- Identify possible interventions that would be needed to address Mr. Smith's shortness of breath. Include the timeframe for each intervention in your discussion.
- Prioritize three to five additional interventions that would be needed to address Mr. Smith's immediate health needs.
Building Rapport through Respect, Compassion, and Empathy:
- Establishing caring relationships is vital for the nurse-patient relationship, especially when taking care of patients with complex, chronic needs.
- Discuss the steps needed to build rapport and mutual understanding when providing care to Mr. Smith, given his distrust of healthcare providers and his lack of a support system.
- Explain the strategies that would be useful when establishing a respectful nurse-patient relationship demonstrating qualities of compassion and empathy.
Effective Communication:
- Caring for patients with complex needs requires the nurse to possess effective communication skills. You are assigned as Mr. Smith's primary nurse during his most recent hospitalization. Consider Mr. Smith's most recent assessment findings in addressing the following questions.
- When communicating with Mr. Smith, identify which of his values and beliefs would be important to consider to ensure effective communication. Use information from this and previous case studies in this course.
- Emotional intelligence helps us maintain an awareness of our own emotions and enables us to effectively interact with others in an empathetic manner. When admitting Mr. Smith to the hospital, how would the nurse demonstrate emotional intelligence in her interactions with him?
Psychosocial and Spiritual Considerations:
- Providing holistic nursing care for the patient with complex conditions requires that the nurse take into account the patient's psychosocial and spiritual needs.
- Given the patient's current situation, discuss ways in which the nurse can take into account and address the patient's psychosocial and spiritual needs. Want Professional Help?
Hospice/Palliative Care Management
You are assigned as the nurse case manager for Mr. Smith.
- Explain the difference between hospice and palliative care. Based on Mr. Smith's current assessment findings, discuss the type of care (i.e., palliative, hospice, rehabilitative, etc.) that would be most appropriate for him.
- Develop a plan to address Mr. Smith's needs including living environment, health care needs, mental health needs, and financial resources. In your plan, include a discussion of the type of support Mr. Smith needs now that he no longer has a support system and struggles to comprehend his current health needs and management.
- Identify two care team members who you would need to collaborate with in order to ensure effective coordination of care for Mr. Smith.
Community Resources and Support Network:
- Appropriate resources and a support network are important for Mr. Smith and will be imperative in promoting optimal outcomes.
- Discuss the options that are still available to provide assistance to Mr. Smith.
- Suppose this patient was a part of your community. What community resources are offered to enhance his quality of life?
References (Please include working hyperlinks.)