Symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Essay Example

NURSING APPLICATION The focal point of this paper is to develop a scenario and describe a case of clinical practice or experience that is sufficiently detailed for analysis of the applicability of the elements of nursing theory. Discussion would be presented with reference to that theory or framework without any potential patient identifiers. The current nursing theory to the clinical situation is based on the Neuman Systems Model where a perspective of systems based approach consolidates the focal point of the unifying focus on the various aspects of nursing formulations. The Neuman Systems Model could be enumerated as a multidimentional approach that can yield reliability and relevance to educational and clinical settings widely allover the world. The purpose of this paper is to present a proper application of theory to practice and the theory this is applied in this part would be taking history in case of a patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. This paper would demonstrate the history-taking techniques based on the developmental stage. This would include culture, religion; developmental and physical milestones gross & fine motor skills, language, and social development for the particular age group. (Kar, 2006) A 56 year old male patient was admitted in the hospital with the ailment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. He was suffering from Cough with phlegm. Alongside there was Wheezing and there was also Shortness of breath. It was needed to gather personal details for an intricate future diagnosis and treatment. For this it was important to communicate with the patient in a warm and personal manner by introducing oneself, ensuring patient's privacy, sitting at eye level when speaking with patient to comfort him as the patient was already in a situation of utter discomfort due to his ailment. For this it is important to use both verbal and nonverbal communications skills. Within this approach it is also important to explain the purpose of this interview in a heartily manner to sooth the patient telling him as in the case of legal advisor it is necessary to provide complete and accurate details as it would only help the doctors and nurses to diagnose perfectly and only then it would be possible to treat properly and thus this would help the patient to recover in a better and faster manner. It is also helpful and advantageous to use open-ended questions and summarize the interview for patient to be sure the information is correct. (Fletcher, 2003) The details and summary of the patient's first hand vital particulars based on the interview performed are enumerated below. Culture: This patient was born and brought up in the United States however he seems to have as strong cultural overtone of his ancestral roots in South Asia but as a mainstream member of the American society he identifies himself as an American in the political and social context of the word. Religion: according to his birth certificate the patient could be enumerated as a Hindu by religion but like his cultural background he is attached to the American way of life and has no bias about any from of medical treatment or procedure. Physical milestones: The patient suffered from jaundice twice at the age of 16 and then again at the age of 27. He was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 44 and he is still suffering from it however a report taken only 2 months back suggests blood sugar content sums up to 103. Gross & fine motor skills: Gross & fine motor skills were found to be at a normal stage however there was reported pain on the left shoulder and upper arm. Otherwise gross & fine motor skills were found to be normal. Language: The patient comes from an all American background and therefore he is fluent in English however he has a slight accent on his language of English like most South Asian. His mother tongue is Bengali. Social development: the patient was accompanied by his wife who is a native of India though she is well acquainted with the English language. This 56 year old patient also has a son and a daughter. The son is 26 year old and currently lives in Philadelphia. The married daughter lives in Los Angeles. Both of them are due to arrive to the location as soon as possible by the next flight. (Lamb, 2004) Ailment History: The patient took to regular smoking from the age of 22 and as the patient is at the age of 56 it relates that he has been smoking regularly for the last 34 years. As it is believed that smoking is the main cause of several lung and heart related disease he was diagnosed for probable treatment during the early 2004 or about 30 months back. This examination took place because the patient was reported with breathing problems and dry cough. Additionally he was reported have fatigue quite easily. Treatments followed and the patient was on medication for couple of months. During this time he was treated with inhalers to help the dilation of the airways or the bronchodilators. He was also treated with theophylline. The patient was prescribed not to smoke which the patient failed to follow after couple of months. He was again admitted and inhaling steroids were used. This was used to smother lung soreness. However, oral steroids, intravenous steroids were not given as there was no evidence of flare-ups as in severe case. (Podolski, 2006) Initial diagnosis: a 56 year old patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. COPD or Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is regarded as a member of a group that is responsible for lung diseases. The main difficulty relating to this ailment is the engorgement of the tracks relating to the airways. The common form of this disease is chronic bronchitis and Emphysema. (Mukherjee, 2004) This ailment is also known as chronic obstructive lung disease. There is another name given to this disease and it is also called chronic obstructive airway disease. Common symptoms associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease can be enumerated as Wheezing, exercise tolerance at a very decreased level, presence of phlegm during cough and most important of all dyspnea or Shortness of breath that may persist for years. The patient in this case was going through all these symptoms therefore it was assumable that this patient was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Furthermore it is already reports of regular habit of smoking while it is a known fact that smoking is a leading cause of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It has been reported that there is the risk of this disease among regular smokers about 20% more than a normal person. It has been reported that tobacco usage inflames the lung destroying the air sacs present in the inner parts of the lungs. As the initial observation revealed probability of such assumption therefore, COPD was the usual suspect in this case. Antibiotics are the presumable treatment along with the use of intubations, non-invasive ventilation or low-flow oxygen can also be prescribed for this 56 year old patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. (Roberts, 2005) In conclusion it can be mentioned that according to the AHCPR, there are several things the patient can do when seeking healthcare to locate quality care. AHCPR recommends that consumers consult consumer ratings of healthcare professionals before deciding on a provider. There are measures, which are technical methods that determine how well healthcare organizations treat and prevent illnesses. According to AHCPR, clinical methods also examine issues such as safety, efficiency, timeliness of treatment, and scientific effectiveness of treatment. For the underprivileged, the problem is not the availability of healthcare, but it is access to healthcare. While in life and death situations, most people receive necessary treatment, when it comes to basic healthcare and health maintenance, those who cannot afford it, do not receive it. In a nation where modern and technological advanced care is prevalent, it is inconceivable that many general people do not have access to basic care because they do not have the financial means to pay. While no one can guarantee good health, it seems that in a wealthy and civilized nation all of its people should be guaranteed healthcare. (Mukherjee, 2004) As Barnes and McCrystal point out, the problem is the question of whether or not all people deserve healthcare and whether or not the government has an ethical obligation to provide that care. Also the question of whether or not care allocated by the government would balance with an individual's right to be free from government interference. However, if a system of accessible healthcare were to be provided for every individual, it is possible to balance these rights so that individual does not give up the right to be free from government interference. In providing healthcare, it is not necessary for the government to manage where and how a person receives that care. (King, 2001) From the perspective of a nurse it is extremely important to incur the right principals taught in the training. For example nurse should concentrate on the four different components of professional practice: 1) Planning and Preparation; 2) The Classroom Environment; 3) Instruction; and 4) Professional Responsibilities. Additionally, a nurse should always remember to follow the theories of implementation. These included: 1) demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness; 2) reflecting on teaching; 3) maintaining accurate records; 4) communicating with families; 5) growing and developing professionally; and 6) showing professionalism. Thus a proper execution of all these issues should be achieved and it should be remembered that the application of theory into practice becomes vital. (Lamb, 2006) References: Fletcher, R; (2003); Beliefs and Knowledge: Believing and Knowing; Howard & Price. 276 Kar, P; (2006); History of Nursing and related applications of Nursing; Dasgupta & Chatterjee. 241 King, H; (2001); Biology Today; HBT & Brooks Ltd. 143 Lamb, Davis; (2004); Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; National Book Trust. 32 Lamb, Susan R; (2006); Justifications of Nursing; Curtley-Vosges. 29 Mukherjee, Sachin D; (2004); Nursing Strategies; IBL & Alliance Ltd. 117 Podolski, V; (2006); Public Perception of Heart Disease: An Approach towards Health of Tomorrow; IBL & Alliance Ltd. 231 Roberts, O M; (2005); Outline of Physiology; National Book Trust. 149 Read More