An analysis of a critical incident related to the care of a patient of a higher dependency who is critically ill - Assignment Example

Download file to see previous pages... Most of these deaths have been shown to be preventable (Douglas and Elward, 2011, p.68). According to (Sheldon, 2009, p.104), about 52% of people suffering from asthma have been found to underestimate the risk of them having an asthmatic attack.
As a nurse, I was involved in the care of a critically ill patient diagnosed with infective exacerbation Asthma (Heffner, 1991, p. 67). The patient was a 60-year-old woman who presented with shortness of breath and chest pain. The patient’s name will not be used in this reflection for confidentiality reasons and instead, the patient will be referred to as Mrs. A. In the provision of nursing care, communication plays an important role and nurses are tasked with ensuring the utilization of effective skills in communication. Communication is an effective tool in the transmission of useful information to and from the patient (s). Communication has been shown to be effective in speeding up recovery by reducing the number of complications developing from disease, reducing stress, relieving pain and alleviating the fear that patients may have regarding their condition (Arnold and Boggs, 2003, p. 52).
In a study, Carpenito (2009, p.90) identified three risk behaviors that can cause an individual to get an asthma attack; an asthmatic not using their preventive inhaler as prescribed, not having an asthma action plan and an individual not paying attention to their worsening condition.
In adults, asthma is diagnosed through the recognition of the characteristic symptoms the patient presents with, the signs as observed by the healthcare practitioner together with the absence of an alternative diagnosis to rule out the condition (Baillie, 2005, p. 78). The practitioner is required to carefully take the patient’s clinical history. Mrs. A’s diagnosis was done using this criterion. She presented with chest pain accompanied by shortness of breath. Peak Expiratory Flow was used as an alternative test to determine ...Download file to see next pagesRead More