Patient's Care Model - Essay Example

"Patient's Care Model" is a perfect example of a paper on care. When my roommate began recently to complain about indigestion, fatigue, and mild shortness of breath, I decided to perform a nursing assessment on her. Her vital signs appeared stable, and she was in no apparent distress, so I opted to accompany her to a primary care physician instead of the ER, which I believed to be in her own interest. The physician addressed her complaints. Stewart contends, “Effective patient care requires attending as much to patients' personal experiences of disease as to their illness” (Stewart, 2011). Having been a patient of his for a while, the primary physician understood how my roommate’s sudden loss of her mother at a young age, had a significant effect on my roommate’s emotional and physical wellbeing. Although I was not aware of patient Centered care Model’s six components at the time, I have come to appreciate that the physician and his office did an excellent job by addressing the model’s six components.  

            The model was developed to integrate disease exploration with psychological and physical components of the illness that the patient may be suffering (Hart, 2010). The model’s first component was addressed on arrival, which involves the exploration of the illness and the disease experience. A registered nurse welcomed my roommate, and she informed her that her pulse oximetry reading indicated 99% oxygen saturation on room air and that her vital signs were still stable. Normal sinus rhythms were also read from an EKG. Aware of her mother’s heart disease, the physician assured her that this was not heart-related. He then went on to ask her questions regarding her symptoms and making differentials.

            The model’s second component was addressed at this point. The component involves the comprehension of the whole patient by incorporating their history with developmental and personal issues (Hart, 2010). He discovered that she had been experienced increased loneliness in the past few months. The physician told us that anxiety and depression could be possible attributes to her illness. Additional components related to the model, as stated by Hart include the establishment, with the patient, of common ground in relation to the management of the illness, thus incorporating prevention and health promotion issues (Hart, 2010). The physician also improved his relationship with her by addressing her continued loneliness after her mother’s loss, which is another component of the model. They both came up with a mutually acceptable plan for treatment where the physician gave her a mild anti-depressant, a scheduled appointment with an outpatient cardiologist, and Precavid for her indigestion. This addressed the component of realism (Forman, 2011). The physician, while believing that my roommate’s symptoms were not cardiac, understood that the tests were not conclusive enough.

            On leaving his office, the RN greeted us again and made sure that we had received the prescriptions and had no lingering questions. She also noticed that the scheduled physician could be difficult to secure for an appointment; therefore, the nurse personally requested an appointment for her the following day by calling the physician’s office. She was eventually cleared by cardiology with the physician following her case since. The model of patient-centered care was a positive experience for both my roommate and me. I believe, as a nurse, that, for a while I had been implementing the model without my knowledge. Relating the model to my personal experience, I feel that I will better appreciate the effects it has on my patient's overall outcomes and care.

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