Health Assessment

Subject co-coordinator suggestions to students for a good paper were:

• Although use, contraindications and adverse effects of the medications prescribed are required in the essay (along with a reference for each), the main focus is the rationale for giving the medication. For example, why are we giving this medication? Is it effective? Should we be giving something else instead?
• A rationale along with a reference is required for any nursing interventions also.
• The difference between a good mark and a great mark in this section will be answering more than just how to safely give the drug, but also addressing these ideas as well.
• Steroids, medication for sedation
• In part B of that case there are some medications/fluids on the IV order you could discuss. I would recommend focusing on what is already included in the case in preference to discussing medications that could be relevant (the drugs you mentioned are good examples of this), but have not been mentioned in the case.
• You mentioned steroids have not been ordered. It would be a good idea to have another look at the case.
• The layout of this assessment

You need to include an introduction, body and conclusion.

You can use headings if you like but otherwise your paper needs to be in normal academic paragraphs and following other academic conventions. I would recommend separating your paper into responses to the three questions separately. There are ways to layout your paper differently to this but it’s more difficult to mark and runs the risk of becoming disorganised and the marker missing good points you have made. It’s easier and preferred by markers to answer the questions distinctly before moving on to the next part.

I would minimise how many words you spend recounting any information already found in the case. Obviously in question 1 you need to identify important facts from the case but sometimes students copy large chunks of the case study into their paper. This is not helpful and chews through words you should be using to address the question more directly.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

• Jessica is allergic to penicillin
• Jessica has been either overusing or not using her nebulizers at home.

Assessment 3: Case Analysis                          

Overview of scenario

Jessica is a 27-year-old female who presented with an acute onset of shortness of breath, audible wheeze, increased work of breathing and very distressed. She was diagnosed with severe asthma. She was prescribed three doses of nebulised salbutamol.  Her symptoms worsened in ED to the point that she was intubated and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

Jessica is largely unaware of the events of the last 4 days. She has been heavily sedated for two days and then moderately sedated until last night. She had a central venous catheter (CVC) inserted in her left subclavian (SC) vein which has remained functional since insertion. She had an arterial line in the right radial artery but this became non-functional this morning so it was removed.

The most recent Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) indicates Jessica has improved substantially since her intubation and her chest x-ray is much improved. She is likely to be extubated this morning once reviewed by the Intensive Care Specialist (Doctor). Jessica’s sedation has been weaned overnight so she is now completely awake and aware of what is happening to her.

  Task

The emphasis of this subject is the connection between theory and practice so you need to ensure that theory and evidence underpin all areas of your response.

Answer the questions below. Throughout this case analysis, your responses need to be supported by current (less than 7 years), peer-reviewed, scholarly sources. Separate your responses to the 3 questions in your essay separately.

Assignment requires introduction, body and conclusion. You can use headings.

*Recommend separating your responses to the 3 questions separately*

Question 1.

Identify the systematic health assessment framework you would use to assess this patient. Apply this framework to your chosen case to identify the information that is present in the case and the assessments that you would need to perform to complete your assessment.

Question 2.

Identify the evidence for the safe administration of all the medications, intravenous fluids and blood products (as applicable) that have been ordered for this patient to support appropriate nursing care of the patient.

Question 3.

Identify the legal, ethical and professional issues with this case and discuss the nurse’s role in addressing these issues.

Rationale

This assessment will allow students to demonstrate the following learning outcomes

Demonstrate a broad foundational knowledge of the legal, ethical and professional knowledge required for safe and accountable practice

Conduct and document a comprehensive health assessment and physical assessment

Access health information and research, and critically evaluate its application to address complex problems in the clinical setting

Apply theoretical knowledge to the safely administer and monitor the effects of medications, intravenous fluids and blood products

 Health Assessment:

Systematic health assessment framework applied to identify all relevant information provided in the case and addresses all relevant information that needs to be assessed.

• Safe Administration of Medications / Fluids

Best available evidence regarding safe administration of all medications and intravenous fluids relevant to case has been identified

• Legal, ethical professional issues

Identifies all relevant legal, ethical and professional issues involved in the case chosen

Discussion includes the role of the nurse in addressing the issues with clear, detailed and insightful examples

• Utilisation of health information and research

Extensive range of current (less than 7 years), peer-reviewed, scholarly sources of health information and research synthesised and consistently used to support all discussions

• APA 6th edition referencing style and