Nursing Assessment and Care of the Patient with Pneumonia
Enhancing oxygenation & oxygen transport
You are working as a student nurse in a metropolitan hospital. Steven Smith is a 32 year old man admitted to the medical ward with bacterial pneumonia. Steven appears to be asleep on his side when you enter the room and his face seems pale. You can?t see the rest of him as the bedclothes are pulled up to his neck. You can however see his chest rising and falling under the bedclothes. You check the documentation and his vital signs 2 hours ago were BP 135/80mmHg and pulse 96b/min. His respiratory rate is recorded as 28 respirations/min and the comments column on the observation chart reads: moderate recession/working hard decreased air entry in both lung bases scattered coarse crackles and wheezes upon auscultation and oxygen saturations 92% in room air. The sputum cup next to his bed contains yellowy-green sputum. His temperature is recorded as 38.1oC He has intravenous (IV) therapy ordered & running N/Saline 0.9% 1000ml/12 hours and is ordered IV antibiotics. Other information in the chart gives the following details: 2 week history of flu? like illness with productive cough presented to hospital following GP referral for chest X-ray experiencing intermittent chest pain worsened by coughing and deep breathing smoker 30/day works in the building & construction industry as a labourer and divorced 5 years ago. After Steven finishes his rest you need to perform certain nursing-based interventions to aid his recovery.
The 1800- word essay should cover the points below:
Introduction (100 words): State an overview of the patients condition and identify TWO priority nursing problems. Give a brief plan for the essay topics.