Scenario : Mr. S is an elderly male who has a longstanding history of hypertension. He suddenly develops throbbing pain in the abdomen. He notified his doctor and was admitted to the hospital for tests. A CAT scan would reveal an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Surgical intervention for AAA was done emergently. Following surgery, Mr.S was transferred to the ICU for a higher level of care. During his stay, his vital signs, neurological, cardiac and respiratory status would all be monitored. Please click on the links for more learning: Hemodynamic Monitoring Info for the layperson Scenario : Mr.S had a repair of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm done. He will be cared for and closely monitored in the ICU. Please click on the link below, for more information. Mr. S in the ICU. What is an aneurysm? An aneurysm is a ballooning or bulging in a blood vessel. Aneurysms may occur in the brain or the abdomen (the aort...
Chest pain assessment Chest pain is a very common complaint . It may occur anywhere and anytime, even at rest. It may be related to stress or actual damage to the heart. A patient having a heart attack , may very readily complain of chest pain. Helpful hints : If the patient in your care is complaining of chest pain, immediate action should be taken to assess the pain. Chest pain may be sharp, severe and stabbing. It may also feel like pressure in the chest or Like a pair of hands squeezing the chest. It is important to do a pain assessment on a scale of 1-10 and document results. It is also of note to ask the patient to describe the character and duration of the pain. Always remember to document all interventions. Follow your Institution's policies, procedures and MD orders for chest pain. Do you know your heart Simple EKG interpretation: The EKG (Electrocardiogram) is a noninv...
Scenario 1 : The Emergency Room Scenario 2 : The ICU Sce nario 1 : In the image above, the nurse in the green top has been enjoying a lengthy conversation with a friend. She has no idea one of the patients is having chest pain . The doctor arrives to confront the situation. It is important for the nurse in a clinical area to be vigilant and use good clinical judgement. Monitoring of the patients in the ER, is a priority. Scenario 2 : The nurse in the red top has been floated to ICU. She is assigned to a postoperative patient. She neglects to do an assessment and vital signs, as she thinks not being an ICU nurse as an excuse. It is important for the clinical nurse to take full responsibility for an assignment. For more information on this topic, please click on the link below: Clinical judgement Patient education For more clinical information, please cl...
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