SDLP Flashcards
Why are observations and documentation important elements of nursing care?
Vital signs can determine the patients health status, documentation improves communication and promotes nursing care, documentation is an important legal standard and changes in condition can be noted and compared
Why do we do OBS on acute patients?
- Alteration can provide objective evidence of body’s response to physical and psychological stress or changes in physiological function
Legal documentation issues:
- Poor documentation can lead to negligence
- Gaps can lead to someone filling in blanks or tell stories
- Libel suits may be filed if judgemental terminology is used
Nursing diagnosis is different to medical diagnosis how?
Nursing diagnosis is concerned with caring for the patient while medical is about curing the patient
Negligence is:
Failure to provide care or perform a duty that prudent nurses would
ANMC negligence with practice:
Failure to act professionally, acting in a negligent manner (breach of conduct, threatens registration)
When do we need consent?
ALL care and interventions should be consented and if not it can be considered ASSAULT. Consent improves patient compliance
Duty of care is:
Legal obligation on an individual requiring adherence to standards of care. (Nurses to patients, hospital to staff)
Quantitative research:
Systematic collection of numerical information (trials)
Quantitative analysis:
Analysis of information using statistical procedure to determine relations in data
Qualitative research:
Collecting and analysing data
Why we put in intermittent catheters:
- Pre and post abdominal, pelvic, rectal investigations
- Determine residual urine (retention)
- Allow bladder irrigation
- Bypass obstruction (tumour)
- When introducing cytotoxic drugs
- Reduce moisture and promote healing
Why we put in NGT:
- Access route for fluid and medication administration
- Allow for drainage of stomach contents
- Removal of air
Patients with NGT:
- Long term: nutritional
- Surgical: remove gastric contents/gas
- Pancreatitis: remove gastric acid and stomach contents
- Pre-term infants: nutritional
Complications of enteral feeding:
Insertion: aspiration, trauma, vomiting, coughing, gagging, pain (3 attempts only)
GI/Metabolic: not meeting caloric requirement, over hydration, diarrhoea, constipation
Mechanical: tube migration, tube blockage (measure length every shift, flush with 50ml before and after feeds)
Infection: aspiration pneumonia, tube contamination, contamination of feed (no touch technique, expiry date)
Nursing responsibility with patient teaching of medications in GERD/GORD, gastritis and peptic ulcer disease?
- Take OTC periodically
- Lifestyle changes to manage heartburn and reflux
- Heartburn and reflux prescribed if symptoms occur more than twice a week
- Avoid food and drinks that trigger reflexes
- Avoid large and late meals
- Lose weight, stop smoking, reduce alcohol intake
Pre and post operative information for patient with Hiatus Hernia? (information and anatomical models)
- Model of lungs to bowel
- Brochures and flyers
- Function of diaphragm and lower oesophageal sphincter
- Protrusion leading to pain
- Lifestyle changes (reduce alcohol, weight loss, avoid large meals, quit smoking)
Why is acute pancreatitis painful?
- Increased pressure in ductal system
- Inflamed pancreatic nerves
- Elevated levels of neuropeptides and neurotransmitters
- Obstructed common bile duct
- Duodenal stenosis
Interventions to diminish pain from acute pancreatitis:
- Prophylactic antibiotics
- Analgesia and anti emetics
- NGT
- Regular LFT to monitor biliary obstruction
- Fluid replacement
Medications for acute pancreatitis:
Analgesic: opiates (fentanyl, morphine) Antiemetic's: metoclopramide/ondansetron Antibiotic: ceftriaxone Insulin Nitrates: sublingual GTN
Advice when a patient with acute pancreatitis is being discharged:
- Avoid alcohol
- Discuss with DR possible cholecystectomy
- Avoid paracetamol
- High carb low fat diet
- Small regular meals
- Monitor BSL
Nursing care with BOWEL obstruction:
- Prep for surgery
- Radiography/ultrasound
- Pain management
- Maintain fluids (IV hydration)
- IV antibiotics
- Obs
- Urine output
- Education
What is an ileus?
Temporary cessation of peristalsis. Symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, absent bowel sounds. Diagnosed with X-ray/ultrasound
Nursing responsibilities with fluid sequestration?
NGT (nil by mouth)
Monitor peristalsis (abdo sounds)
Maintain fluid balance
Check girth and distension
Treatment for diarrhoea
Opioids: codeine, loperamine
Bulk-forming laxative: psyllium
Oral rehydration salt: gastrolyte
Treatment for constipation
Bulk forming laxative: best for simple constipation
Osmotic laxative: gylcerol, lactulose, sorbitol
Stimulant laxative: directly stimulate nerve endings in colonic mucosa to increase intestinal motility
Information to clients with constipation/diarrhoea:
- Adequate fibre intake
- Increasing activity/exercise
- Increase activity and exercise
- Immediately respond to urge to defecate
What is golitely and how is it administered?
Polyethylene glycol- osmotic laxative, draws water into the bowel
Advice given to patient on golitely:
- Diarrhoea within an hour
- Drink clear fluids
- Broth and clear fruit juices
- Continue until stool appears with no debris
Why is food easier to swallow than water?
Chewing forms a bolus which can be moved via peristalsis
Essential steps in swallow assessment: (8)
- Patient can swallow and cough on demand
- Sit patient up more than 30 degrees
- Mouth care
- Assess gag reflex and control of mouth/tongue
- Assess LOC, speech disturbance, facial droop
- Swallow spoonfuls of water
- Observe patient drink small cup of water
- Screening tools
Difference between one and two step questioning:
One step: pick up pen, now write name
Two step: pick up pen and write your name
One step: yes or no
Two step: options
Muscles used in micturition:
- Urine made in kidneys
- Urine stored in bladder
- Spinchter relaxes
- Bladder contracts
- Bladder emptied through urethra and urine removed from body
Trajectory of deterioration in rising ICP if signs missed:
- Higher mortality risk/permanent neurological impairment
- Delaying treatment worsens tissue hypoxia
- Alteration of blood volume (dilation/constriction)
- Compression of optic nerve results in impaired pupillary response
- Herniation
- Changes in BP, pulse and respiratory are LATE signs
Monro-Kellie hypothesis:
The cranial cavity is a closed rigid box and that therefore a change in the volume of blood, tissue or CSF will result in displacement of one or two components