Nursing Care in Cases of Multiple Sclerosis - Essay Example

Critical Thinking Introduction Nursing care in cases of Multiple Sclerosis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Spinal Cord Trauma, Stroke, or Alzheimer’s has one thing in common – palliative care. Medicines are necessary but it is difficult to pinpoint the medical regimen given the complexity of the above diseases and the doses needed to be administered. Thus, palliative and psychological care assumes gigantic proportions in the healing process. The will of the patient also plays an important role in living with the disease and its healing (Deverell, Lil; 2002). Cognitive We live in an information age when the line of treatment and medical information is available online. Patients have access to medical advice and similar cases online and can be extremely curious and choosy about medicines prescribed. Hence, medical practitioners must be prepared for queries from patients or their relatives about a particular line of treatment and the medicines prescribed. There are cures for some of the above diseases. Others such as stroke and Alzheimer disease, by and large, do not have effectives cure as of now. In these circumstances, it is advisable to opt for therapeutic treatments such as basic and simple exercises and physiotherapy as these enable patients to live with due adjustments for longer time periods. The above diseases interfere with the physical and mental capacities of the patients. The interference depends on the severity of the attack. It is important to get the correct diagnosis of the disease. Once the correct diagnosis is concluded, the regimen of medicines must be made available to the patient if he or she has to make informed decisions on whether or not to opt for the medicines. The patient has to make informed decisions because certain medicines have debilitating side effects (Deverell, Lil; 2002). Interpersonal Along with periodical nursing care, family members are the best caregivers for patients of the above diseases. The degree of self-support the patient is able to exercise depends on his recovery process and the mental frame. There may be bouts of frustrating moments for the patient and the caregivers. However, the healing process has surprising elements when the patient begins to adjust to the new life style with the ailment (McConnell, Virginia; 2009). Patients must be able to live and move with dignity in spite of the debilitating effects of the disease. Nurses’ interactions with the patient must be professional and spontaneous so that the best interests of the patient is served and family members who are involved as long term caregivers receive useful lessons about caring for the patient. “Patients who are confused have changes in their actions and behaviors. A common memory problem is the inability to remember recent events. A confused patient may not remember that he just had breakfast. Personality changes including mood swings, suspiciousness, and delusions may be seen. Disorientation is another common symptom. The confused patient may have difficulty remembering the day of the week, season, or even the time of day” (Caring for the Client who is Confused or Mentally ILL). Along with medical help, the attitude and values of a nurse go a long way in restoring health and confidence of the patient. The confident and reassuring ways of a concerned nurse boosts the patient’s morale. Time and again, there are awesome accounts of patients receiving the healing touch because of the nature of care received from a particular doctor, nurse or nurses (McConnell, Virginia; 2009). Ethics Professional standards and core competencies in the nursing profession define the essence of a nurse. Ethics safeguard the highest medical principles in the course of a nurse’s duty. It is not possible to practice nursing without standards and competencies. Nursing involves science, concern and care. The combination of these three issues elevates the position of a nurse to a level where the struggle between life and death takes place. The nurse is duty bound to constantly make attempts to save and preserve lives. Sometimes this can be a thankless task. A patient can lose life in spite of the best attempts. Multiple Sclerosis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Spinal Cord Trauma, Stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease are demanding ailments because unlike other ailments they disable the patients’ ability to think and act rationally. In the advanced stages they make the patient completely dependent on nurses and caregivers for support in carrying out daily routines (Sato, Alyce et al; 1996). Thus, it is necessary for nurses and caregivers to be ethically motivated to have the best interests of the patient in mind while carrying out their duties (Schofield, Ruth; 2008). Skills Symptoms of the above diseases can confuse and scare a fresh and unskilled nurse. While the outcome of these diseases is similar, the course of treatment is different. Therefore, a fresh nurse must bide her time in the medical institution under training over a period of time to supplement her qualifications with experience. This period of training can be nerve wracking because the fresh nurse finds herself in dilemma quite often if progress in the healing process is slow or even does not appear to be happening. This is when the fresh nurse has to depend on her seniors and doctors for support that ultimately leads to a degree of self-reliance interspersed with intellectual and critical thinking. Process Treatment and observation are critical ingredients in the nursing profession. In the treatment of the above-named diseases, considerable amount of time is likely to be involved for cure. This is due to the fact that the patient’s physical as well as psychological dimensions are under treatment and observation. In particular, strokes and Alzheimer’s disease are big challenges because there is no known cure for these diseases. However, treatment through physiotherapy provides relief in the early stages of these diseases. It is necessary for nurses to stay focused on the latest developments on cure or relief for these diseases (Meadows, Nancy; 2010). Reflective Nurses are expected to carry out instructions provided by doctors. The doctors visit patients and prescribe medicines and other line of actions for various reactions. However, the patients are under the nurses’ surveillance throughout the day and night. In the ultimate analysis, it is the administrative and personal care of the nurse that sees the patient through. The above-named diseases continue to challenge the medical field because their total cure cannot be guaranteed. The nurse however develops her confidence through experiences of cures and non-cures that take place in her practice. Doctors and nurses can only do their best. Ultimately, it is God almighty who brings about cure or takes away the patient (Caring for the Client who is Confused or Mentally ILL). Conclusion Multiple Sclerosis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Spinal Cord Trauma, Stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease present the biggest challenges to the field of science. More often than not, the treatments for these diseases are powerful enough to leave debilitating side effects (Deverell, Lil; 2002). These diseases cause delirium or dementia. “Delirium is an acute form of confusion that starts suddenly. The client has fluctuating levels of alertness. Delirium may be caused by illness or medications. This type of confusion usually goes away when the medication is stopped or the illness is treated. Dementia has a slow onset and becomes progressively worse. Dementia is usually permanent. Dementia can be the result of a stroke, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or AIDS. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. The client with dementia is usually alert. The emphasis in dementia care should focus on the person, not on the disorder. The In-Home Aide must view someone with dementia as a person and not just a confused patient” (Caring for the Client who is Confused or Mentally ILL, p3). The nursing profession must receive maximum credit for the treatment of these diseases. In no other field of medicine, administrative and personal roles play such important part in the preservation of the patients’ lives and dignity. Sources: Caring for the Client who is Confused or Mentally ILL, http://missouricareereducation.org/CDs/CIHA/CIHA_ch6.pdf’ Schofield, Ruth; 15 May 2008, Connecting the CHN Standards and PH Core Competencies, http://www.phred-redsp.on.ca/Docs/Presentations/StandardsAndCompetencies.ppt#279,17,PHN Discipline Specific Competencies Deverell, Lil; 2002, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, http://gbstasmania.asn.au/stories_L_Deverell.php McConnell, Virginia; 2009, Alzheimer's client remembers husband, http://www.emofree.com/articles/alzheimer-remembers-husband.htm Meadows, Nancy; 2010, Care and Comfort for Stroke Patient, http://www.caregiver.com/articles/general/care_comfort_stroke_patient.htm Sato, Alyce et al; 1996, Needs of Caregivers of Clients with Multiple Sclerosis, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3427890 Werner, Ruth; May 2002, Working with Clients Who Have Spinal Cord Injuries, Volume 2, Issue 5, http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=10465 Read More