Developing Critical Thinking Questions NR 536 Concept to be presented: Protection and Movement: Infection Type of learner: A staff nurse working in a healthcare facility with three years of experience in a private hospital setting
| Problem Recognition: | |||
| Pathophysiology | Physical Assessment | Pharmacology | |
| During community diagnosis, a nurse encounters a family that has been self-medicating as a way of managing their health problems. The nurse provides health education on the risks of self-medications and importance of medical care by health professional. | Question: What do you think are the risks of self-medication on the management of bacterial infections?
Answer: Self-medication is associated with a number of risks. They include the risk for adverse reactions, development of drug resistant strains of bacteria and elevated risk of drug dependence and abuse (John & Keleher, 2020). |
Question: What could be some of the areas that the nurse has to explore to ensure effectiveness in health education?
Answer: Evaluating the effectiveness of health education can be done by assessing the understanding of the family about the risks of self-medication. The nurse can ask the family to provide responses to questions asked about the interventions taught to them. Outcome interventions such as changes in health-seeking habits can also be used. |
Question: In your view, how does ineffective use of antibiotics result in development of drug resistant infections?
Answer: antibiotics are effective in killing some but not all bacteria. The bacteria that are not killed develop some resistance to the drug by DNA replication. The new strains of bacteria that are produced have enhanced resistance to the drug, thereby, the development of bacteria resistant to some drugs (Giddens, 2017). |
| Clinical Decision Making: | |||
| Pathophysiology | Physical Assessment | Pharmacology | |
| A patient presents to the clinic with history of productive cough, night sweats and loss of body weight. Results of diagnostic investigations show that the patient has tuberculosis. | Question: what do you think led to the development of the symptoms?
Answer: A bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis once established in the lungs in patients with compromised immunity. The bacterium proliferates in the alveolar macrophages destroying the cells. The body responds by producing inflammatory mediators. Progression leads to formation of pus field nodular structures that burst on coughing leading to production of bloodstained sputum and chest pain (Chin, 2020). |
Question: how would you go about assessing this client?
Answer: Comprehensive assessment of the patient should be used. The assessment should begin with history taking, physical assessment and use of diagnostic investigations to confirm diagnoses (Giddens, 2017). |
Question: What in your opinion would be the best pharmacological treatment of the disease?
Answer: The patient should be administered with antibiotics. Antibiotics such as isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol should be prescribed to inhibit further proliferation of the disease causing bacteria (Chin, 2020). |
| Prioritization: | |||
| A patient with history of diarrhea for the last four days comes to the clinic for assistance. The patient appears weak with dry skin. | Question: how would you explain the causes of dry skin and weakness to the patient in this scenario?
Answer: Diarrhea occurs due to infection by microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter. The infection by these microorganisms impairs the reabsorption of water and electrolytes leading to excessive loss through diarrhea and vomiting. Excessive loss of water and electrolytes lead to loss of skin turgor and general body weakness due to dehydration (John & Keleher, 2020). |
Question: In your view, what would be the top three nursing diagnoses for this patient?
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