Posts

HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR THE CLINICAL SETTING

Image
         A nurse may face many challenging situations in the clinical setting.         There may be a traumatic event, which involves a hemothorax . How about the patient who has excrutiating pain after IV Potassium has been hung? Exercise is essential for good health. It  helps to keep your weight under control.  Exercise also helps to promote good brain function. Chest pain may be brought on by stress. It may also be a sign      of a cardiac event. It is important to seek medical advice if  chest pain occurs.  

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS OF PATIENT ON MECHANICAL VENRILATION

Image
  Scenario : John was admitted to the ICU with difficulty breathing .He was intubated and placed on mechanical ventilation. Potential problems of the patient on mechanical ventilation: 1. Anxiety related to intubation. Typically, medication to decrease   anxiety is ordered by the doctor. 2. Impaired gas exchange. Maintaining a patent airway is  very important. Checking breath sounds, suctioning secretions and troubleshooting alarms, are actions taken.  3. Self extubation   may occur, so for this reason, the doctor may order restraints or some other option to prevent this happening. 4. Water might collect in the tubing of the ventilator. Measures to clear the tubing is usually done. Patient and family education Patient and family education will help to decrease anxiety. Patient restraints may be necessary to prevent self extubation.

THE STANDARDS OF CARE

Image
  ABOUT THE STANDARDS OF CARE The standards of care are an essential part of  the Nursing profession. It provides guidelines within a framework of practices. Inservice education provides a platform for staff members  to be educated regarding a safe work environment. Each institution has policies and procedures in place that are demonstrated as needed , in order to maintain a good standard of care. Inservice education is set up to enforce the standard of care and updates are usually done to improve this standard. Maintaining and providing safe work practices, is a must. What has not changed? Some things never change. Let us take a look: 1.The heart still has four chambers and pumps blood all around the body. 2. The brain is made up of four lobes and has twelve cranial nerves. 3. There are right and left lungs which oxygenate blood. 4. Insulin is secreted by special cells in the pancreas. How can we improve? It is important to recognize that classroom skills  are different from clin

CATATONIC SCHIZOPHRENIA

Image
Scenario : In the image above, there are two people with catatonic schizophrenia. Jan on the left , has been standing in the same position for many hours. She has not been speaking. Ann on the right, has been having long periods of sitting and staring blankly, as well as neglecting her personal hygiene.   The cause of this condition is not fully understood. Both are displaying signs and symptoms of catatonic schizophrenia. These include : - immobility or not speaking for long periods of time - neglecting personal hygiene - making statements that make no sense Treatment of schizophrenia is discussed.  

AVOIDING MEDICATION ERRORS

Image
  Scenario : Nurse Jenna is in the middle of a bitter custody battle. She has just received more bad news and is having a  difficult time  coping. Jenna is about to make a  medication error , as she is headed for the wrong patient's room. How can medication errors be avoided? Medication errors should be avoided at all cost. Once  a mistake  is made, it may not be easy to undo the damage. It is advisable in  a situation  like Jenna's to take a second to gather one's thought  processes  before giving medication. Enjoy watching the videos: The New Nurse- Communication verbal Parts 1 and 2 The New Nurse- Avoiding medication errors

MRI ( MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING)

Image
 In the image above, someone is scheduled for an MRI. What is an MRI? An MRI ( Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a diagnostic study. It is noninvasive. MRI scans have the ability to show bones, blood vessels and other internal structures. MRI has very strong magnetic fields. Preparation for an MRI scan  When an MRI scan is ordered by the doctor, special preparation is made. Because of the strong magnetic fields, a questionnaire is filled out. Knowledge regarding pacemaker insertion , IVC filter, aneurysm clips , surgical wires and more is documented. Objects such as keys, credit cards,   coins and glasses are removed. An MRI scanner may be very noisy, like a blow horn. The doctor may  order sedation for the patient who has claustrophobia .  Patient education is also done . The result of the MRI scan will be read by the doctor.

CAT SCAN

Image
In the image above, Tracy was practicing for show jumping. She fell off her horse and had to be transported to the Emergency Room by paramedics. She did not lose consciousness, but did have a mild headache. The doctor ordered a CAT SCAN of the head, to find out if there is any internal bleeding. What is a CAT SCAN? CAT SCAN ( Computerized Axial Tomography) A CAT SCAN is a type of X Ray used to scan body parts in detail.  It is noninvasive and can show parts of the body like muscles, bones, organs and more. When a CAT Scan is ordered by the doctor , the nurse is responsible  for a consent being signed by the patient or guardian. Contrast dye is sometimes used and may be given orally or IV. The doctor decides whether to use dye. Sedation may be ordered by the doctor, to decrease anxiety. Once the CAT scan is completed, the doctor will read the scan and  confirm diagnosis.