Implementation of Nursing Care
Provide Bed Rest and Comfort
Your major role as a nurse is to provide bed rest to the child and assist the child and parents to understand the need for amount of bed rest. The aim of bed rest is to minimise the effects of inflammatory process on all body systems, and particularly the heart. Nursing procedures are carried out quickly and skillfully to minimise discomfort. They should be organised as to assure as few interruptions as possible to prevent tiring the patient. A bed cradle is used to prevent pressure on painful extremities. The nurse supports the joints with her hands when moving the patient. While the patient is on bed rest the nurse needs to give special attention to the skin especially over bony prominencies, light back care, good oral hygiene and small frequent feedings of nourishing foods. The other nursing activities include prevention of foot drop and constipaton, skin breakdown, excess weight gain etc. by giving appropriate nursing care to the child.
Bed rest may cause psychologic concern for the child's family and the nurse because of inactivity and its duration. So it is responsibility of nurse to prevent the child from frustration and boredom and involve the child and parents in goal setting while planning nursing care.
The patients who do not have cardiac involvement can be ambulatory in two to three weeks whereas when carditis is present, immobilisation may have to be continued for two to months.