Nursing Case Study

In my short time as a Registered Nurse, I have had the opportunity to see many interesting cases. Working in the Emergency Room, I have cared for a wide range of patients from newborns to ninety. All suffering from a variety of illnesses from sore throats to myocardial infarctions. While nursing in the emergency you must be prepared for any and everything. You must be a pediatric nurse, trauma nurse, ICU nurse, and cardiology nurse when working in the ER. Of all of the cases I have seen in the last year working as an ER nurse, one stands out as most memorable.
The EMS response phone rang alerting the trauma staff, of a fifty-five year old female (S.C) with a past medical history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, coming from home status post

This scale assigns numbers to responses indicating communication and display of responsiveness, the overall score allows classification of the severity of brain injury for triage and for epidemiological studies. It uses unambiguous terms that are readily understood by a wide range of observers. The GCS also facilitates monitoring in the early stages after injury, allowing for rapid detection of complications and decline. Even among mild injuries (GCS 13- 15) the scale can discriminate between those more or less likely to have detectable brain damage and to be at risk of complications (Jannett, 2002, p. 91). Upon arrival to the hospital, the patient was obtunded, eye opening to verbal commands (+3), and incoherently (+3) responded to painful stimuli (+5), giving her a GCS of 8. Minor abrasions were noted to the face, hands, and wrist. After entering the trauma bay, the patient was transferred onto the stretcher and immediately attached to monitoring equipment. Vital signs revealed mild hypotension (112/76) and sinus bradycardia (HR= 47 bpm). Pupils were 2 mm with symmetry with sluggish light reactivity. Her head was normocephalic and a single 1 mm cut was noted to the left temple, dried blood was also noted to the area. Ecchymosis was evident to the bridge of the nose, and redness from abrasions to the hands, bilateral upper extremities and chest were documented with no

Sub arachnoid hematomas are caused by blood that accumulates below the arachnoid layer of the brain this bleed will also cause increased ICP, displacement of the brain, and drastically increases the risk of herniation (McCance, Huether, Brashers, & Rote, 2014, p.585). Intracranial hemorrhage is not only responsible for death but also impart numerous complications in life. With little time to waste, S.C was prepared for emergent surgery for surgical drainage with a Burr-hole washout with drain placement. The patient was intubated by the ER physician, and consents were obtained by the trauma surgeon from the patient’s husband due to the patients’ inability to sign giving