Week 1 Flashcards
What is acute care nursing?
Care of acutely, chronically and/or critically ill patients
What are the 3 levels of nursing enquiry?
Critical engagement in everyday practice (reflection, experiential learning)
Collaborative and ongoing evaluation of nursing practice
Nursing research for advancement of nursing knowledge
Why do we do observations in the acute care patient?
Alteration in vital signs can provide objective evidence of the body’s response to physical and psychological stress or changes in physiological function
Why is it important to know the normal limits of TPR, BP and O2 sats?
Good technique and knowledge of the normal limits for the particular patient ensures the patient is suitably monitored so that correct therapy is applied and adverse affects are prevented.
What do we do with vital sign results once they are recorded?
Compare to previous results taken of the patient
Determine if in normal limits (for that patient)
Check for any modification in the AORC
Escalate as per protocol if required
Why is documentation so important?
To identify reason for admission, care already received and doctors orders
To facilitate communication between all members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team
To ensure other healthcare professionals are well informed
To ensure continuity of care
To enable effective ongoing care of the patient
What are some legal issues regarding nursing documentation?
Poor documentation - negligence
Failure to use non-judgmental language - libel
Gaps in records that allow someone else to fill in the blanks or tell a different story
Failure to follow organisations policy can result in the organisation not providing support to the employer if litigated
What is Qualitative and Quantitative research?
Qualitative refers to research conducted that explores the deeper understanding of the patients or health professionals experiences.
Quantitative refers to the measurement of a particular variable; how frequently a phenomena occurs or the causes of the phenomena.
What are the main causes of mortality and morbidity among Australian adults?
Australia 2013
Ischaemic heart disease Dementia Alzheimer's disease Cardiovascular disease Trachea/bronchus/lung cancer Chronic lower respiratory disease Diabetes Colon cancer Blood and lymph cancer Leukaemia Heart failure Prostate cancer
Why does the AORC (Adult Observation and Response Chart) have colours and what does each mean?
Escalation protocols
If observations fall within:
Purple: Pt meets criteria for MET
Pinky/red: Pt requires medical review
Orange: Pt requires review by Senior Nurse
Yellow: Pt requires more frequent observations
