NR 305 Week 1 Discussion: Exploring the Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment (graded)

Sample Answer for NR 305 Week 1 Discussion: Exploring the Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment (graded) Included After Question

Discussion

The nursing process is utilized in a variety of nursing roles and health care settings. Whether you are working in direct patient care, telehealth, or in a leadership role – the basic model is the same! Take this opportunity to share how the nursing process is utilized in your own practice settings! Hint: Your assigned readings will be helpful in formulating your answers.

Please answer the following question in your initial post:

Describe how you apply the first step (assessment) of the nursing process in your current practice setting. If you are not currently practicing as an RN, you may use an example from a prior clinical or work experience. Include the following information:

• Briefly describe your practice setting and the typical patient population.
• Provide examples of key subjective and objective data points you collect.
• Describe how you document your findings. Is there technology involved?
• Describe your process of data analysis. What is the end result of this process? (i.e., Do you formulate nursing diagnoses and care plans, collaborate with others and/or make referrals?)

Remember to use and credit the textbook or lesson, as well as an outside scholarly source, for full credit.

A Sample Answer for the Assignment: NR 305 Week 1 Discussion: Exploring the Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment (graded)

Title: NR 305 Week 1 Discussion: Exploring the Nurse’s Role in Health Assessment (graded)

I work in a hospital’s medical and surgical telemetry floor for patients comprising adolescents and seniors. Our unit sees to it that the patients can recover smoothly from their surgery, and we are able to fulfill this task by closely monitoring crucial metrics that pertain to their health.

To do this, I collect a range of subjective and objective data points. For the former, our concern includes determining how the patients are generally feeling at specified hours. The subjective data points I collect also include how they feel the medications are affecting their overall condition. For the objective data points, these include basic information such as pulse and heart rates, blood pressure, oxygen intake, and body temperature.

Our clinical setting is among the 97% of healthcare establishments mentioned by Hebda & Czar as those extensively employing technology in collecting and assessing patient information (n.p.). In our case, all the vital signs are directed to a centralized monitor in one of the rooms. From there, we can see immediately all the important metrics we need to know pertaining to the patient we are monitoring. The system also has a built-in alarm that alerts us whenever the metrics surpass certain benchmarks set for each patient.

As part of our data analysis, we anticipate all the information that the physicians would look for whenever something comes up with a particular patient. Collating such information expedites the treatment process as the doctors can make crucial decisions when they already have the relevant information at hand.

Reference

Hebda, Toni, and Patricia Czar. “Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals.” Boston: Pearson, 2013.

I work on the oncology/hematology and medical-surgical and telemetry unit. We take turns being charge nurse as well. My patient population is a wide range of disorders. Almost the entire population either has cancer or an autoimmune disorder of some sort. We also frequently get alcohol and opiate detox; and pancreatitis patients seem commonplace as well. We are also on the same floor as the psychiatric unit. Therefore, we do get psychiatric patients who are needing some medical attention prior to transfer. We also may have psychiatric patients who need observers and are waiting for placement to the psychiatric unit. Some valuable date is needed for our unit.

Commonplace subjective data on my unit are CIWA scores for detox patients, and pain level and nausea level. Most patients who are hospitalized with cancer treatment battle nausea. Subjective data include questions that we ask our patients (Weber and Kelley, 2018) “Feelings, sensations, symptoms” are subjective data (Weber & Kelley, 2018, p. 12). However, objective data is something “observable” (Weber & Kelley, 2018, p. 2018). So then, I can observe a patient is vomiting and even measure the emesis and that is an observation and is data that helps understand if the patient is getting too dehydrated.

We use Epic to document all patient data. We have flowsheets and we make a note per shift. I would document pain as 1-10 or nausea as mild, moderate, severe.

I typically will measure vital signs more frequently when patients are vomiting to make sure that patient did not become too hypovolemic. When a patient is in pain and on dilaudid, we will keep that patient on continuous pulse oximetry to determine if that patient desaturated. In the greater picture of managing pain and nausea, you can think of all the measurable outcomes that patient has from measuring urine output, bowel movements, and how much the patient is able to drink or eat. The end result is that I know when it is time to ask the doctor for some other medication to make sure that the patient is as well as possible, or when it is time to come to the bedside and I need a doctor’s help.

Gathering subjective data is helpful for the overall benefit of the patient and a population. Robinson and Smith (2016) surveyed oncology patient for improvement of symptoms of “pain, fatigue, nausea, and anxiety” with “therapeutic massage”. Although this reflects subjective data, there is still empirical evidence that shows improvements based on statistics. In this case, there was a 40% greater satisfaction rating in these patients overall from use of therapeutic massage (Robinson and Smith, 2016). Both subjective and objective data prove useful.

References

Weber, J.R. & Kelley, J.H. (2018). Health assessment in nursing (6th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Robinson, J. and Smith, C. (2016). Therapeutic Massage During Chemotherapy and/orBiotherapy      Infusions: Patient Perceptions of Pain, Fatigue, Nausea, Anxiety, and Satisfaction. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 20(2): E34-E40.http://dx.doi.org.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1188/16.CJON.E34-E40 

5. Grading Rubric

Discussion Criteria	A (100%) Outstanding or highest level of performance	B (87%) Very good or high level of performance	C (76%) Competent or satisfactory level of performance	F (0) Poor or failing or unsatisfactory level of performance
Answers the initial graded threaded discussion question(s)/topic(s), demonstrating knowledge and understanding of concepts for the week. 16 points	Addresses all aspects of the initial discussion question(s) applying experiences, knowledge, and understanding regarding all weekly concepts.16 points	Addresses most aspects of the initial discussion question(s) applying experiences, knowledge, and understanding of most of the weekly concepts.14 points	Addresses some aspects of the initial discussion question(s) applying experiences, knowledge, and understanding of some of the weekly concepts.12 points	Minimally addresses the initial discussion question(s) or does not address the initial question(s).0 points
Integrates evidence to support discussion. Sources are credited.* ( APA format not required) 12 points	Integrates evidence to support your discussion from:assigned readings** OR online lessons, ANDat least one outside scholarly source.***Sources are credited.*12 points	Integrates evidence to support discussion from:assigned readings OR online lesson.Sources are credited.*10 points	Integrates evidence to support discussion only from an outside source with no mention of assigned reading or lesson.Sources are credited.*9 points	Does not integrate any evidence.0 points
Engages in meaningful dialogue with classmates or instructor before the end of the week. 14 points	Responds to a classmate and/or instructor’s post furthering the dialogue by providing more information and clarification, thereby adding much depth to the discussion.14 points	Responds to a classmate and/or instructor furthering the dialogue by adding some depth to the discussion.12 points	Responds to a classmate and/or instructor but does not further the discussion.10 points	No response post to another student or instructor.0 points
Communicates in a professional manner. 8 points	Presents information using clear and concise language in an organized manner (minimal errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation).8 points	Presents information in an organized manner (few errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation).7 points	Presents information using understandable language but is somewhat disorganized (some errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation).6 points	Presents information that is not clear, logical, professional or organized to the point that the reader has difficulty understanding the message (numerous errors in English grammar, spelling, syntax, and/or punctuation).0 points
PARTICIPATION: Response to initial question: Responds to initial discussion question(s) by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. M.T.	0 points lostStudent posts an answer to the initial discussion question(s) by Wednesday, 11:59 p . m. MT.		-5 pointsStudent does not post an answer to the initial discussion question(s) by Wednesday, 11:59 p . m. MT.
PARTICIPATION Total posts: Participates in the discussion thread at least three times on at least two different days.	0 points lostPosts in the discussion at least three times AND on two different days.		-5 pointsPosts fewer than three times OR does not participate on at least two different days.