Question

4. You have just graduated from nursing school and started a job at the local correctional facility in the health clinic. Your first client is a female who has just been transferred to the correctional facility today. She has a diagnosis of terminal cancer. You learn she has three children and a husband that are devastated about her incarceration. The client reports being extremely worried about her family.

a. What are the potential blocks to the assessment process with this client?

b. What are potential nursing diagnoses for this client? What interventions could be used for each diagnosis (use the textbook for support)?

c. What strategies would you adopt when working with the client’s family? Provide examples of how you could implement these strategies.

Answer 1

a.The potential blocks to the assessment process involves collecting information on patients needs and circumstances and making sense of that information in order to identify needs and decide on what support or treatment to be offered.The assessment would mainly include administration of chemotherapy and other desired medications.Educate the patient with their disease and its progresssion.Respiratory assessment should be done time to time.All the lab investigation and other diagnostic tests to be conducted.Personal family assessment to be done by asking about their history of any cancer affected patients.

b.Nursing diagnosis for terminal cancer patients includes anxiety related to the diagnosis of the cancer,fear of pain,possible perception of loss of childbearing potential.Acute pain related to surgery and other adjuvant therapy ,evaluation of pain management to be done.Disturbed body image due to surgery and altered nutrition.Nursing interventions is to monitor for adverse affects of radiation therapy such as fatigue,sore throat,dry cough ,nausea and anorexia.Monitor for adverse affects of chemotherapy ,bone marrow suppression,vomiting,alopeciaetc.Involvement of patient in planning and treatment and should describe all the surgical procedures to alleviate fear.

c.While working with the clients family ,the best strategy is to remain calm and communication with them works the best.The nurse should try to communicate with them in a positive way and support their decision making skills.Nurses should help family members to cope ,to have cope ,confidence and trust to prepare for and accepting things to make decisions.