In this essay I will be exploring the relationship between nursing theory and practice in patient assessment. I will analyse the activities of daily living section (Appendix 1) of the combined nursing assessment tool and look at how it facilitates patient centred care. I decided to focus my essay on this after working on a ward on placement where it was routine to complete a Combined Nursing Assessment within four hours of any patient arriving onto the ward. For this essay I will be using the Gibbs (1998) cycle of reflection. In accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) I will use the pseudonym Patient A, to protect the identity and confidentiality of the patient.
What happened?
Patient A was a male gentleman in his forties with autism. Autism is defined as developmental disability affecting how a person communicates. It also causes differences in the way a person relates to and understands other people (The National Autistic Society, 2013). He had been admitted onto the ward, scheduled for day surgery and was to return home the same day. He was due to have a small surgical biopsy on his left ear. He arrived onto the ward with his parents and carer. I was asked to complete a preoperative checklist and a combined nursing assessment with the patient. This was challenging as Patient A was wearing large headphones and found communicating with people difficult. The headphones where worn to stop Patient A from hitting his ears. Due to his Autism, this had been the way he had communicated with his carer that he was in pain and the problem with his ear had been diagnosed. I introduced myself to the patient and his family and carer and explained the assessment. I then asked for consent to complete the assessment with Pati...
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Calman’s study examines, from the patients' perspective, what is meant by competent nursing and how, with this perspective in mind, patients would view the prospect of assessing the competence of nurses. The study was guided by a primary research question “how do patients construct the concept of competence of nurses?” (Calman, 2006). Her research aimed to create a theoretical understanding of patient’s views of nursing competence and what their opinions are when faced with the prospect of assessing the competence of the nurses that have cared for them. The research strives to be able to eventually provide evidence that would aid to improve the future planning of patient involvement in nurse education. Calman used an array of techniques to collect and analysis data, it could be suggested that it may have been more beneficial or appropriate to have chosen alternative techniques.
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Every year doctors diagnose thousands of adults and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Due to the growing awareness of autism and recent developments in technology, scientists and doctors can now discover and observe the effects of autism on society, and people. Starting with its discovery, researchers have been able to diagnose people more effectively. Doctors are beginning to discover what causes this disorder, and are currently trying to find ways to prevent and treat it. Many places have opened their doors to people with this disorder, creating autistic friendly environments where people are patient and understanding. Schools have also become accommodating to autistic children and adults. Autism also puts great strain on family and home lives.
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Theories in the 1980’s had much to do with transition, conditions, attainment and uncertainty. All of which are incorporated into nursing
Autism is a developmental disorder that appears within the first three years of a child’s life. It affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. Autism affects 1 out of 68 children. It is also the fastest growing disability in the United States. There are multiple types of Autism, some children are considered high functioning, and some are low functioning. “High functioning” is when a child with autism can function in life, and completes jobs, and chores with little to no help. “Low functioning” is when a child with autism cannot complete simple daily tasks without help, and (or) constant supervision.
Autism is a general term for a group of complex disorders of brain development. The Autism spectrum is vast and varies in degree of severity from person to person. The challenges that come with Autism Disorder include difficulty in social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. Autism has been a diagnosable disorder since 1951. Treatment options have changed since the first diagnosis. Available treatment today has advanced over the sixty-three year span and has become the best possible form of treatment available for Autism.
The nursing process is one of the most fundamental yet crucial aspects of the nursing profession. It guides patient care in a manner that creates an effective, safe, and health promoting process. The purpose and focus of this assessment paper is to detail the core aspects of the nursing process and creating nursing diagnoses for patients in a formal paper. The nursing process allows nurses to identify a patient’s health status, their current health problems, and also identify any potential health risks the patient may have. The nursing process is a broad assessment tool that can be applied to every patient but results in an individualized care plan tailored to the most important needs of the patient. The nurse can then implement this outcome oriented care plan and then evaluate and modify it to fit the patient’s progress (Taylor, C. R., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P., 2011). The nursing process prioritizes care, creates safety checks so that essential assessments are not missing, and creates an organized routine, allowing nurses to be both efficient and responsible.
65 children, 52 boys and 13 girls who were not diagnosed with autism, from 3 different clinics, were used for this study. They were under 3 years of age, they were referred to the clinics due to social and/or language issues, and their parents provided informed consent. The children had also previously had 2 independent diagnostic evaluations. A second group of 37 children were used from this sample, th...
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