Critical Thinking Essay

Case Study: Mr. M. It is necessary for an RN-BSN-prepared nurse to demonstrate an enhanced understanding of the pathophysiological processes of disease, the clinical manifestations and treatment protocols, and how they affect clients across the life span. Evaluate the Health History and Medical Information for Mr. M., presented below. Based on this information, formulate a conclusion based on your evaluation, and complete the Critical Thinking Essay assignment, as instructed below. Health History and Medical Information Health History Mr. M., a 70-year-old male, has been living at the assisted living facility where you work. He has no know allergies. He is a nonsmoker and does not use alcohol. Limited physical activity related to difficulty ambulating and unsteady gait. Medical history includes hypertension controlled with ACE inhibitors, hypercholesterolemia, status post appendectomy, and tibial fracture status postsurgical repair with no obvious signs of complications. Current medications include Lisinopril 20mg daily, Lipitor 40mg daily, Ambien 10mg PRN, Xanax 0.5 mg PRN, and ibuprofen 400mg PRN. Case Scenario Over the past 2 months, Mr. M. seems to be deteriorating quickly. He is having trouble recalling the names of his family members, remembering his room number, and even repeating what he has just read. He is becoming agitated and aggressive quickly. He appears to be afraid and fearful when he gets aggressive.Critical Thinking Essay Paper.  He has been found wandering at night and will frequently become lost, needing help to get back to his room. Mr. M has become dependent with many ADLs, whereas a few months ago he was fully able to dress, bathe, and feed himself. The assisted living facility is concerned with his rapid decline and has decided to order testing. Objective Data Temperature: 37.1 degrees C BP 123/78 HR 93 RR 22 Pox 99% Denies pain Height: 69.5 inches; Weight 87 kg Laboratory Results WBC: 19.2 (1,000/uL) Lymphocytes 6700 (cells/uL) CT Head shows no changes since previous scan Urinalysis positive for moderate amount of leukocytes and cloudy Protein: 7.1 g/dL; AST: 32 U/L; ALT 29 U/L Critical Thinking Essay In 750-1,000 words, critically evaluate Mr. M.\’s situation. Include the following: Describe the clinical manifestations present in Mr. M. Based on the information presented in the case scenario, discuss what primary and secondary medical diagnoses should be considered for Mr. M. Explain why these should be considered and what data is provided for support. When performing your nursing assessment, discuss what abnormalities would you expect to find and why. Describe the physical, psychological, and emotional effects Mr. M.\’s current health status may have on him. Discuss the impact it can have on his family. Discuss what interventions can be put into place to support Mr. M. and his family. Given Mr. M.\’s current condition, discuss at least four actual or potential problems he faces. Provide rationale for each. You are required to cite to a minimum of two sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and relevant to nursing practice. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance. Critical Thinking Essay Paper

Critical Thinking Essay

In healthcare, all the needs are unique to the client. Nurses and other healthcare providers conduct assessments and investigations to obtain unique data that describes a client. Thereafter, the information obtained is used to formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan for the client based on the needs identified. Critical thinking in nursing is crucial since it allows the nurse to decern the best way to address the needs identified and to achieve the goals set (Sastre-Fullana, 2017). This essay elaborates on the clinical findings based on data collected from Mr. M’s case scenario and decisions made on the nursing interventions applicable. Critical Thinking Essay Paper

Clinical Manifestations

Mr. M has memory loss that is evidenced by various factors including failure to recall the names of his family members. The human being’s brain is conditioned to obtain information through working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Information obtained through short-term and working memory can easily be forgotten. However, data stored in the long-term memory is hardly lost unless there are is an underlying issue. Loss of memory obtained on a long-term based is associated with conditions that cause the degeneration of brain cells that are responsible for the storage of information(Livingston et al., 2017). Mr. M also presents with insomnia. The human body requires rest after long hours of being awake and active. Thus, it is designed to go into a sleeping mode which is meant to give room for the organs to rejuvenate and work effectively after resting. Insomnia is a condition where the body does not follow sleep and awake pattern effectively (R, 2018). It is evidenced by lack of sleep in the night which is the case with Mr. M who has been found wandering at night. The client also exhibits aggressiveness and agitation. Human beings respond to various situations that they encounter in their day to day activity. Some of the responses include happiness, sorrow, agitation, and aggression among others. The reactions are considered normal as long as there is a trigger factor that is likely to influence a similar reaction to another individual. In some situations, the client demonstrates inappropriate reactions that are either way above or below the normal responses expected. When one is considered aggressive or agitative like Mr. M it means that their response to daily occurrences is way beyond the norm. Critical Thinking Essay Paper

Primary and Secondary Diagnosis

A medical diagnosis is a decision made on the health status of a client after analyzing presenting signs and symptoms. A primary diagnosis comprises of the health need that requires intensive resources and the attention of the healthcare team. Secondary diagnosis on the other hand is that which has comprises signs and symptoms that were present during admission and may interfere with the treatment process of the primary diagnosis. Mr. M’s primary diagnosis is dementia. Dementia is a condition that affects the mental health of an individual due to the loss or destruction of nerve cells in the brain (Livingston et al., 2017). The degradation of the nerve cell interferes with the processing and storage of information in the brain. Consequently, the patient presents with symptoms similar to those with Mr. M. He is having trouble recalling the names of his family members, remembering his room number, and even repeating what he has just read. The secondary diagnosis in this case scenario is hypertension. The client’s medical history indicates that he has hypertension and has been taking medication for the same. The current vital signs indicate normal blood pressure but it is subject to rising during the aggression and agitation episodes that he is experiencing. Thus, the nurse should ensure both the diagnosis is attended with the order of priority. Critical Thinking Essay Paper

Findings During Nursing Assessment

Based on the diagnosis, the nurse is likely to obtain abnormal findings during an assessment. Selfcare care deficit is likely to occur in patients with dementia. Such clients have challenges with the cognitive and judgment process(Livingston et al., 2017). Thus, it is difficult for them to make decisions when they need to perform self-care activities like bathing on their bodies. The client is also likely to have reduced muscle function. The history indicates that he has a limited physical activity to difficulty ambulating and unsteady gait.

Impact on the Physical, Psychological, and Emotional Aspects of the Client 

Dementia as mention before has a massive impact on one’s cognitive and ability to make a sound judgment. Therefore, the choices they make have an impact on the physical, psychological, and emotional aspects. The physical aspect is impacted when one cannot perform activities of daily life (ADL) effectively. Thus, there is self-neglect evidenced by indicators like unkempt hair. The physiological effect is evidenced by aggressiveness when he feels provoked even though it was not intended. The emotional aspect is indicated when he appears fearful during the aggressive episodes. The family is likely to perceive him as an emotional and physical burden and more so when he if ADL fully dependent. Critical Thinking Essay Paper