Medical Nursing Care Plan Topics
The objective of each medical nursing assignment is to assess a patient’s condition and provide appropriate nursing care. The assignment content varies from nurse to nurse but the ultimate aim is always the same: provide the best possible medical care to patients. A medical nursing care plan sets out what nurses should do, from start to finish, during each assigned period of time. There are several basic topics that are covered in every medical nursing assignment.
One of the first topics that any medical nursing care plan will address is that of disease diagnosis. In this topic nurses should perform a physical examination on the patient, take a detailed medical history, note vital signs, and conduct a thorough interview. The purpose of these procedures is to establish a strong basis for establishing a comprehensive medical history and to prepare the patient for various anticipated medical treatments. During the course of the nursing care, nurses should also identify any potential health problems, evaluate the progress of the patient’s disease, review medical documentation, and collect any pertinent information. When organizing a medical nursing care plan, make sure to include the topics of discussion in order to ensure that the objectives of the plan are met.
Another of the many important topics covered in any medical nursing assignments is that of surgical options. Surgical nursing assignments typically focus on providing treatment for a particular illness or condition. Within the course of the assignment, nurses should document the date of surgery, list any medication the patient is taking, list any tests that were conducted during the week prior to surgery, and describe the surgical site on which the procedure was performed. The detailed account of surgical nursing assignments is an invaluable means of communication between nurses and the patient.
Before a surgical assignment can be begun, the appropriate medical nursing care plan must be written. This care plan is a document that details the entire process of the surgical procedure and explains what nurses and/or nursing assistants will be doing during the procedure. Within the document, nurses should note the name of the surgical site, medical conditions of the patient, and any prescribed treatments. Additional information that may be useful within a medical nursing care plan is the name of the surgical department, surgeon’s name, and the medical code number for the surgical site.
During the surgical process, it is not uncommon for complications to arise. These complications may range from blood clots, infection, lung bleeding, hemorrhage, or even death. In order to minimize complications, the entire medical nursing care plan should be documented. Any changes that may occur in the surgical process should also be noted. As previously mentioned, the key objective of any medical nursing care plan is to minimize complications while providing quality medical care to the patient.
A final topic that is often overlooked when it comes to writing a medical nursing care plan is recovery. Recovering from a surgical operation, or any type of surgery for that matter, takes time. Regardless of whether or not the surgical operation was successful, there will likely be soreness and discomfort involved after the surgery is performed. It is important that the nursing staff is aware of these feelings and that they report them immediately. Without detailed reports, the entire staff is left guessing how to best care for the patient, and recovery can take longer than needed.
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of any medical nursing care plan is to follow through on scheduled checkups. The importance of ensuring that a patient is visiting his or her physician on a regular basis go cannot be overstated. If a patient does not regularly visit his or her doctor, the chances of developing complications greatly increase. As with any type of nursing care plan, checking with the patient’s primary physician for his or her approval of scheduled checkups is always the best course of action.
Medical nursing care plans are just like any other nursing care plan; they must be planned carefully and precisely. However, many of the issues that arise within nursing homes stem from lack of communication between the staff. Because medical nursing care plans focus on the overall health and well being of the patient, it is important that nursing staff stay in close contact with their patients to ensure that everything is progressing as intended. Patients trust that their nurses will be honest and truthful with them, and they rely on them to provide them with the highest level of care possible. By taking the time to properly plan out each aspect of a medical nursing care plan, the effect can be very positive for everyone concerned.