Critical Thinking: Caring For the Nguyens

Answer

Critical Thinking: Caring For the Nguyens

            Nurses have a fundamental role to play in the administration of nursing care as guided by the nursing process. This essay explores a case of Mr. Nam Nguyen while exploring the roles and responsibilities of the nurses in administering care to the patient.

Patient Situation

            Mr. Nguyen is at the Family Medical Center as a result of his knee pain that negatively affects his work. The patient’s wife thinks that Mrs. Nguyen may be developing a heart condition since he often exhibits shortness of breath easily and is always tired after work. The patient’s concerns are different from that of his wife’s because Nguyen complains of a knee pain unlike the wife who suspects a heart condition. To collect the data I need to assist the patient, I will recommend that he goes through a series of test such as an X- ray to establish what could be prompting the knee pain. Additionally, I will also recommend that an electrocardiogram be conducted on the patient to establish any irregularities in the electrical signal that assists in detecting any defaults in the structure and rhythm of the heart (“Heart Disease,” 2018).

Moreover, a fasting plasma glucose test will also be effective in the case of Mr. Nguyen. Notably, this will be effective in ascertaining the patient’s blood glucose level to determine if Nguyen suffers from diabetes. Moreover, I will also rely on the patient’s family history data as a source to back up the diagnosis. The data collected is congruent with the patient’s family history. One of the possible factors to be considered in Nguyen’s case is the fact that he is suffering from heart disease inherited genetically. Notably, Kathiresan and Srivastava (2012) purport that cardiovascular conditions can be genetically inherited. Therefore, since Nguyen’s parents are both suffering from a heart disease and high blood pressure, it is highly likely that the patient might have inherited the gene which causes these health concerns.

Nursing Knowledge

            Theoretical knowledge is fundamental towards understanding the patient’s condition and answering questions about Mr. Nguyen’s concerns. Mr. Nguyen has several health concerns which should be addressed by the healthcare team such as a chronic knee pain and an elevated heart rate and shortness of breath. Zach is a family nurse practitioner and has several roles to play as a healthcare team member. For instance, Zach has the obligation to work with the other healthcare specialists to ensure that the patient’s condition is co-managed. Zach’s typical duties include conducting patient examinations, recommending and interpreting results from diagnostic tests, and diagnosing the patient’s conditions (Dahrouge, Muldoon, Ward, Hogg, Russell & Taylor-Sussex, 2014). As a clinic nurse, I have several roles to play in the management of Nguyen’s condition. For instance, I will work alongside physicians in carrying out duties such as the delivery of patient care, treatment administration, monitoring Nguyen’s vital signs, completing tests, and recording the behavior of the patient.

The Nursing Process

            According to Toney-Butler and Thayer (2019), assessment is the first stage of the nursing process. Therefore, as a clinical nurse, I will be engaged in asking the patient about the reason for his visit during the assessment phase as this is the point whereby subjective and objective data is collected (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2019). The diagnosis phase is the second stage of the process. Unique activities take place at the diagnosis phase such as the act of implementing clinical judgment to aid in the implementation and planning of patient care (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2019). Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is included in the diagnosis phases to assist the nurse in prioritizing the plan of care determined by the patient-centered outcomes (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2019).

            The planning outcomes stage is critical in the nursing process. At this point of the process, the goals and outcomes which directly impacts patient care are formulated based on the set EDP guidelines (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2019). The goals established are specific to the needs of the patient and their attainment assists in the generation of a positive outcome. Nursing care plans are devised at the planning outcomes phase as this is critical in the goal setting process. The evaluation phase is also a fundamental element of the nursing process. However, evaluation phase will not be included at this point because it is the final stage of the process seeking to establish if the anticipated outcomes from the care process has been achieved (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2019). This stage will not be included at this point because it is only completed after the healthcare provider intervenes to implement care for the patient’s condition (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2019). However, at this stage of the nursing process, it is evident that care has not yet been implemented, hence evaluation cannot be carried out to depict if care has been effective in addressing the needs of the patient.

Conclusion

            Conclusively, nurses have a desirable role to play in caring for the patient. Notably, they have to complete an assessment of the patient’s condition before taking part in diagnosis to make a clinical judgment about the patient’s health concern. Planning is also effective to devise the best form of care required by the patient.