HEALTH ASSESSMENT Flashcards
Ethics
the study of conduct and character
code of ethics
a guide for the expectations and standards of a profession
basic principles of ethics (4)
advocacy
responsibility
accountability
confidentiality
advocacy
support of client’s health/wellness/safety/and personal rights, including privacy
responsibility
willingness to respect obligations and follow through on promises
accountability
ability to answer for one’s own actions
confidentiality
protection of privacy without diminishing access to high-quality care
ethical principles for client care
autonomy
beneficence
fidelity
justice
nonmaleficence
veracity
autonomy
the right to make one’s own personal decisions, even when those decisions might not be in that person’s best interest
beneficence
action that promotes good for others, without any self-interest
fidelity
fulfillment of promises
justice
fairness in care delivery and use of resources
nonmaleficence
a commitment to do no harm
veracity
a commitment to tell the truth
ethical dilemma
problems that involve more than one choice and stem from differences in the values and beliefs of the decision makers
a problem is an ethical dilemma when (3)
1) a review of scientific data is not enough to solve it
2) it involves a conflict between two moral imperatives
3) the answer will have a profound effect on the situation and the client
what to do when making an ethical decision (7)
1) identify whether the issue is indeed an ethical dilemma 2) gather as much relevant information as possible about the dilemma 3) reflect on your own values as they relate to the dilemma 4) state the ethical dilemma, including all surrounding issues and the individuals it involves 5) list and analyze all possible options for resolving the dilemma, and review the implications of each option 6) select the option that is in concert with the ethical principle that applies to this situation, the decision maker’s values and beliefs, and the profession’s values for client care. Justify selecting that one option in light of the relevant variables 7) apply this decision to the dilemma and evaulate the outcomes
examples of ethical dilemmas nurses may face
1) caring for an adolescent client who has to decide whether to undergo an abortion even though her parents believe it is wrong
2) discussing options with a parent who has to decide whether to consent to a blood transfusion for a child when his religion prohibits such treatment
unintentional torts
1) negligence (a nurse fails to implement safety measures for a client at risk for falls)
2) malpractice (a nurse administers a large dose of medication due to a calculation error, the client has a cardiac arrest and dies)
quasi-intentional torts
1) breach of confidentiality (a nurse releases a client’s medical diagnosis to a member of the press)
2) defamation of character (a nurse tells a coworker that she believes the client has been unfaithful to her partner)
intentional torts
1) assault (a nurse threatens to place an NG tube in a client who is refusing to eat)
2) battery (a nurse restrains a client and administers an injection against her wishes)
3) false imprisonment (a nurse uses restraints on a competent client to prevent his leaving the health care facility)
professional negligence
the failure of a person who has professional training to act in a reasonable and prudent manner
– what typically leads to a malpractice suit
five elements necessary to prove negligence
1) duty to provide care as defined by a standard (care a nurse should give or what a reasonably prudent nurse would do)
2) breach of duty by failure to meet standard (failure to give the standard of care)
3) foreseeability of harm (knowledge that failing to give the proper standard of care could harm the client)
4) breach of duty has potential to cause harm (failure to meet the standard had potential to cause harm - relationship must be provable)
5) harm occurs
five elements of negligence in nursing with client who has fall risk
1) standard of care exists
- - the nurse should complete a fall risk assessment for all clients during admission
2) failure of standard
- - the nurse does not perform a fall risk assessment during admission
3) know of consequences of no standard care
- - the nurse should know that failure to take fall risk precautions could endanger a client at risk for falls
4) relationship between 2&3
- - without a fall risk assessment, the nurse does not know the client’s risk for falls and does not take the proper precautions
5) harm occurs
- - the client falls out of bed and fractures his hip
informed consent
a legal process by which a client or the client’s legally appointed designee has given written permission for a procedure or treatment
1) the reason the client needs the treatment or procedure
2) how the treatment or procedure will benefit the client
3) the risks involved if the client chooses to receive the treatment or procedure
4) other options to treat the problem, including not treating the problem
nurses role in informed consent
to witness the informed consent
- ensure that the provider gave the client the necessary information
- ensure that the client understood the information and is competent to give informed consent
- have the client sign the informed consent document
- notify the provider if the client has more questions or appears not to understand any of the information. the provider is then responsible for giving clarification
- document questions the client has, notification of the provider, reinforcement of teaching, and use of an interpreter
nurses role in advanced directives
1) provide written information about advance directives
2) document the client’s advance directives status
3) ensure that the advance directives reflect the client’s current decisions
4) inform all members of the health care team of the client’s advance directives
nursing process
cyclical, critical thinking process that consists of five steps to follow in a purposeful, goal-directed systematic way to achieve optimal client outcomes
– dynamic/continuous/client-centered/problem-solving/decision making framework
steps of the nursing process
1) assessment/data collection
- - collect information about a client;s present health status to identify need, and to identify additional data to collect based on findings
2) analysis
- - interpret or monitor the collected databse, reach an appropriate nursing judgement about a client’s health status and coping mechanisms, and provide direction for nursing care
3) planning
- - establish priorities and optimal outcomes of care to measure and evaluate. then, select the nursing interventions to include in a client’s plan of care to promote, maintain, or restore health
4) implementation
- - provide care based on assessment data, analyses, and the plan of care
5) evaluation
- - examine a client’s response to nursing interventions and form a clinical judgement about meeting goals and outcomes
sources for data collection (4)
1) primary subjective (symptoms)
- - what the client tells the nurse (my should hurts)
2) primary objective (signs)
- - data the nurse obtains through observation and examination (client grimaces when attempting to lift arm)
3) secondary subjective
- - what others tell the nurse based on what the client has told them (she told me her shoulder is sore)
4) secondary objective
- - data the nurse collects from other sources (family/friends/medical records/etc)
3 types of nursing interventions
1) nurse-initiated/independent
2) provider-initiated/dependent
3) collaborative
nurse initiated interventions
nurses use evidence and scientific rational to take autonomous actions to benefit clients. they base these actions on identified problems and health care needs, and make sure they are within their scope of practice. nurses perform or delegate the interventions and are accountable for them
– an example is repositioning a client at least every 2 hours to prevent skin breakdown
provider initiated interventions
interventions nurses initiate as a result of a providers prescription (written, standing, or verbal) or the facilities protocol (such as blood administration procedures
goals should be (7)
client-centered/singular/observable/measurable /time-limited/mutually-agreeable/reasonable
factors that can lead to lack of goal achievement (4)
1) an incomplete database
2) unrealistic client outcomes
3) nonspecific nursing interventions
4) inadequate time for the client to achieve the outcomes
3 levels of critical thinking
1) basic critical thinking
- - trusts the experts and thinks concretely based on the rules
- - a client reports pain 1 hour after receiving a pain medication, instead of reassessing the client’s pain, the nurse tells the client he must wait two more hours before he can receive his next dose
2) complex critical thinking
- - begins to express autonomy by analyzing and examining data to determine the best alternative
- - a nurse realizes that a client is not ambulating as often as prescribed because of a fear of missing her daughters phone call. the nurse assures the client that the staff will listen for and answer the phone when she is out of her room
3) commitment
- - able to make choices without help and fully assume the responsibility
- - a nurse increases the rate of an IV fluid infusion when a client’s blood pressure indicates hypovolemic shock 24 hours after surgery
chain of infection (6)
1) causative agent
- - bacteria/virus/fungus/prion/parasite
2) reservoir
- - human/animal/food/water/soil/insects
3) portal of exit (from host)
- - respiratory tract/GI tract/GU tract/skin/mucous membranes/blood/body fluids/transplacental
4) mode of transmission
- - contact (direct/indirect/fecal-oral)/droplet /airborne/vector
5) portal of entry (to new host)
- - may be same as exit portal
6) susceptible host
- - compromised defense mechanisms leave the host more vulnerable
stages of an infection (4)
1) incubation
- - interval between the pathogen entering the body and the presentation of the first symptom
2) prodromal stage
- - interval from onset of general symptoms to more distinct symptoms, during this time the pathogen is multiplying
3) illness stage
- - interval when symptoms specific to the infection occur
4) convalescence
- - interval when acute symptoms disappear. total recovery could take days to months
Some things to avoid while communicating therapeutically include the following.
Using inappropriate plural pronouns (“we”) Assuming the client knows about a health interview or physical Asking personal questions that are not relevant to the situation Giving personal opinions Using automatic responses and false reassurances Relaying disapproval of client statements or health practices
Some of the key elements of therapeutic communication include the following.
Ask what the client prefers to be called, otherwise address the client by using their surname. Keep questions focused and relevant to the context and situation. Ask open-ended questions. Redirect the client as needed. Engage in active listening. Restate the client’s view to indicate your understanding. Use everyday language and stay away from medical terms as much as possible. Keep any emotionally charged conversations for last in order to receive any other pertinent information. Give positive reinforcement and reassurance without passing judgment or disapproval
ISBARR
ISBARR is a tool to have clear communication for effective client care. Identify. State the team member’s name and title. Situation. Provide the circumstances that have required the communication to occur. Background. Provide the background data regarding the client to assist the provider with familiarity. Assessment. Provide the most recent set of vital signs or other data relevant to the communication. Recommendations. Provide any suggestions that may be helpful to the situation. Read back orders. Repeat the orders that are given and clarify anything that is unclear.
select the action the PN participates in with the nursing process
assist the RN with collecting data from the client
what does HIPAA refer to
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
therapeutic communication involves which of the following
- touch
- open-ended questions
which of the following techniques is used with palpation
use the palmar side of the hands or the pads of the fingers
which of the following actions by the nurse are examples of infection control?
>hand washing with soap and water for 15 seconds
>using an alcohol-based rub when hands are not visibly soiled
>using an alcohol pad to wipe the diaphragm of the stethoscope between clients
which of the following are tools used with auscultation
>stethoscope
>doppler
place each step of the nursing process in the correct order
>assessment
>analysis
>planning
>implementation
>evaluation
place the steps for communicating with members of the health care team in the correct order
identify
current info
background
give
suggestions
repeat order
which of the following is the first action during the physical assessment of the client
inspect the client
justice
>being open and fair
autonomy
>having self-control
Nonmaleficence
>avoiding hurt or harm to others
Confidentiality
>protecting the privacy of others
Beneficence
>helping others in a positive manner
Therapeutic communication
>keep any emotionally charged conversations for last
>be vigilant throughout the conversation
>clarify to see if the information is accurate
>redirect the client as needed
>keep questions focused and relevant to the context and situation
nontherapeutic communication
>use plural pronouns like “we”
>give personal opinions
>give approval and disapproval
>give false reassurances
>ask for explanations
ISBARR
- Identify
- Situation
- Background
- Assessment
- Recommendations
- Read back orders