Pulmonary Disorder:
Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Definition:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a term used to describe progressive lung diseases, which include emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma. The common symptoms of COPD are progressive limitations of the airflow into and out of the lungs and shortness of breath. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are closely related and patients with COPD may have both, which affects lung function. Emphysema involves destruction of the alveoli in the lungs. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by chronic cough and mucus production.
COPD symptoms, when ignored, usually lead to hospitalization in intensive care (ICU) units.
Nursing Care:
• People with chest deformities or neurologic conditions that cause shallow breathing benefit from mechanical devices that assist breathing, such as continuous positive airway pressure, which delivers oxygen through a nose or face mask that prevent airways collapse, even at the end of a breath. Additional respiratory support can be provided with a mechanical ventilator. The primary treatment for acute massive atelectasis, a common complication in COPD, is removal of the underlying cause.
• If the blockage cannot be removed by coughing or by suctioning the airways then it should be removed by bronchoscopy.
• Oxygen administration relieves symptoms and prolongs survival.
The Essay on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 2
... the damage of the alveoli and small airways connected and pulmonary meaning ... It is called COPD or in other terms chronic bronchitis or emphysema because firstly ; Chronic means determined/continuous, Bronchitis the inflammation of the lungs (bronchi), emphysema is ...
• Careful intervention is essential because progressive pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale often leads to severe fluid retention, life threatening shortness of breath, shock, and death.
• It is important for the nurses to remain with patients during episodes of acute respiratory distress.
• Nurses have to assess patients for hypoxemia/hypoxia and administer appropriate oxygen therapy for individuals for all levels of dyspnea.
• Medications include bronchodilators, beta 2 agonists, anticholinergics and methylxanthines, corticosteroids, antibiotics, psychotropics and opioids.
Reaction:
Knowing that it is a case in ICU, for sure nurses would have to be extra careful. It’s hard to imagine that there is so much needed to be done to a patient with a severe pulmonary disease. The treatments are numerous; it’s scary to even think of a relative or loved one having such a disease. And that’s why it made me realize more that I should take care of myself and do something to help the ones that I care for who are at risk to prevent a disease like that or any other disease from happening. There are also so many precautions so being knowledgeable and alert is very important because a wrong move could cost the life of a patient. Because of this, I’d think that nurses who take care of these patients should be the ones with more experience in this field.
NephroCare is a comprehensive renal information system that enables care givers to electronically manage and report patient data. It integrates with other hospital and clinical systems as well as provides links to satellite units.
The software allows easy access at the patient’s bedside to enable point of care charting in the electronic patient record. It can also provide remote access to patient data for care givers and allow patients access to their own information through patient portal links.
This new acquisition brings about the ability for FMCC to significantly enhance levels of support and development.
Fresenius Medical Care is an integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure. Through its network of 2,509 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa.
Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE: FMS) has completed the purchase of sole Canadian development and distribution rights to the NephroCare software from Cybernius Medical.
The Essay on Evolving Practice Of Nursing And Patient Care Delivery Models
Nursing is a career that presents those in it with many opportunities. There are a variety of nurses and the field in which they choose to practice is just as varied. There are oncology nurses, school nurses, home health nurses, trauma nurses and nurse practitioners. They work in clinics, hospitals, schools, prisons, mental health hospitals, community health centers and even in law offices. The ...
NephroCare is a comprehensive renal information system that electronically manages and reports patient data.
“The NephroCare(R) software allows easy access at the patient’s bedside to enable point of care charting in the electronic patient record. It can also provide remote access to patient data for care givers and allow patients access to their own information through patient portal links,” Fresenius Medical Care stated.
Fresenius Medical Care has been distributing NephroCare in Canada for ten years.
Juan Sanchez, FMCC President stated: “Owning the NephroCare software clearly supports our vision to be first choice in renal therapies and reflects well on our on-going commitment to the Canadian renal eHealth market.”
Fresenius Medical Care is an integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure.
NURSING MANAGEMENT
The quality and quantity of nursing care that patients receive has been proven to affect outcomes including mortality rates.* Nursing care at the generalist nurse practice level is integral to the success of disease management. By collaborating with nephrologists and other members of the patient care team (including other physician specialists), the experienced nephrology nurse partners with the patient, advocates for the patient across all disciplines of care, and ensures the prescribed quality of care is delivered.
* Advanced practice nurses (APNs)–“(nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists) have been educated and specially trained to furnish primary and certain other services that have traditionally been furnished by physicians as long as the services that nonphysician practitioners furnish are medically reasonable and necessary, meet Medicare requirements, and fall within the scope of services that they are licensed to perform, the Medicare program covers the services.
The Essay on Working With Values And Beliefs When Providing Patient Care: My Nursing Philosophy
Nursing is an art and a science. The profession is an art of compassion and caring in a creative way. Creativity allows nurses to individualize nursing care. Through science, nurses obtain the skills and technology they rely on to achieve each patient’s optimal health (“Nursing”, n.d.). Florence Nightingale became a nurse because she wanted to help those less fortunate. Her ...
Nephrology nurses use the nursing process to care for patients of all ages who are experiencing, or are at risk for, kidney disease. Nephrology has been recognized as a specialty for over 35 years. In 1973, treatment for end stage kidney disease (ESRD) by hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or transplantation was funded by the federal government through the Social Security program making ESRD the only disease-caused disability and became more readily available. As a result, the role of the nephrology nurse grew in scope, practice boundaries broadened, and the number of nephrology nurses climbed steadily. Nephrology nursing involves both preventing disease and assessing the health needs of patients and families. Care spans the life cycle and involves patients who are experiencing the real or threatened impact of acute or chronic kidney disease; therefore nephrology nurses must be well-educated, highly skilled, and motivated. These nurses also deal with every organ system in the body, calling for a holistic approach to patient care that is both challenging and rewarding. Driven by technological and educational advances, nephrology nursing continues to be a dynamic field with a wide variety of career opportunities for nurses at all levels
Roles:
Nephrology nursing practice requires a common knowledge base to care for pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients with kidney disease. The roles of the nephrology nurse include the following:
* Staff nurse, hospital or outpatient settings
* Hemodialysis/peritoneal dialysis nurse
* Vascular access coordinator
* Nurse manager
* Transplant coordinator
* Organ recovery coordinator
* Office nurse
* Nurse practitioner
* Clinical nurse specialist
* Pharmaceutical representative
* Nurse researcher
* Quality management
* Nurse educator
* Corporate/sales
The Term Paper on Nurse to patient Ratios
Nurse-to-Patient Ratios The healthcare in United States deals with many internal issues that the general public used to be unaware of, until recent times. Still, upon seeing nurses going on strike, most of the people conclude that it has only to do with their demands of better wages and additional social benefits, while in fact, this matter is much more complicated. Majority of nurses demand that ...
* State or federal surveyor
Care may be extremely complex: patients may have numerous comorbid conditions including, but not limited to, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, infectious disease, bone disease, or psychiatric conditions. In addition, many face psychosocial issues. The nurse’s role is to help patients manage their lives – succeed at school or work, socialize, maintain relationships, or enjoy hobbies – while effectively dealing with their health issues. It is important to note that not all patients with kidney disease require dialysis and/or transplant; the majority of the diseases that affect the kidneys are treatable and potentially able to be arrested or even cured. Some patients may elect conservative management and palliative care. In these cases, one of the nephrology nurse’s primary roles is to educate patients about their diseases, prognoses, and treatments.
Practice Settings:
Nephrology nurses practice in dialysis clinics, hospitals, physician practices, transplant programs, and many other inpatient and outpatient settings. They work in primary, secondary, and tertiary care facilities as well as in patients’ homes – wherever individuals experiencing or at risk for kidney disease receive health care. In inpatient settings, patients are often critically ill and care is fast-paced and challenging. In outpatient settings, the nephrology nurse is an integral member of a multidisciplinary team that cares for patients with complex needs. The nurse in this setting functions as advocate, educator, consultant, care coordinator, and direct caregiver and oversees long-term care of chronically ill patients. As such, the nephrology nurse can have a positive impact on the quality of patients’ lives. Other opportunities in nephrology nursing include:
* Education
* Management
* Research
* Case management
* Advanced practice nursing
* Corporate/government
* Pediatric nephrology
Specialties:
To provide optimum care tailored to each patient’s needs, specialized areas of nephrology nursing have evolved, along with nurses’ knowledge and skills. These skills primarily relate to modalities of therapy which include:
* Hemodialysis
* Peritoneal dialysis
* Transplantation
The Term Paper on Position paper on advanced nursing practice
Before the general elections on May 2013, Senator Cynthia Villar’s statement on “room nurses” drew ire from many Filipinos, especially those associated to the nursing profession. In a senatorial debate, she stated that Filipino nursing students do not need to finish a BSN degree since they are directed to becoming room nurses or caregivers in America or other countries. The Philippine Nursing ...
* Continuous renal replacement therapy
* Conservative management
* Other extracorporeal therapies
Nephrology nursing practice overlaps the boundaries of other specialty areas. For example, transplant nurses now care for patients who receive multi-organ transplants.
Qualifications:
In addition to basic educational preparation to function as a registered professional nurse, nephrology nursing practice at the generalist level requires a specific knowledge base and demonstrated clinical expertise in kidney disease care beyond that acquired in a basic nursing program. At the advanced practice level, the nephrology nurse has a master’s degree in nursing as either a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. All nephrology nurses must have a common knowledge base relevant to all aspects of care for adult and pediatric kidney patients and their families. This knowledge base includes but is not limited to:
* Anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology
* The nursing process as applied to nephrology nursing
* Knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment for patients requiring any method of renal replacement therapy
* Pharmacology and pharmacotherapy
* Nutrition
* Growth and development
* Teaching/learning theory
* Counseling/interviewing skills
* Interdisciplinary team skills
* Research processes
* Rehabilitation principles
* Palliative care and concepts related to death and dying
The nephrology nurse functions as a coordinator of patient care collaborating with other care providers and health team members to provide required care as effectively as possible. The nephrology nurse acts as a patient teacher and advocate, assisting the patient in seeking information, assuring the patient has the opportunity for informed consent for treatment decisions, and promoting the maximal level of patient-desired independence. The nephrology nurse may also function as a nurse manager to assure the delivery of appropriate care. The nephrology nurse actively participates in professional role development activities including continuing education, quality assessment and improvement, and the review and clinical application of research findings. The nephrology nurse develops ethically sound practice and confronts ethical challenges through application of the Standards of Nephrology Nursing Practice.
The Term Paper on Law and Ethics, Patients Rights in Practice
In particular, those aspects observed by the student relating to patients privacy, confidentiality and any situations which warranted a limitation to patient privacy will be described and discussed with reference to patients rights. Situations in the hospital setting where the student nurse viewed health professionals informing patients about treatment options, encouraging patients to take action ...
Continuing Education:
Nephrology nurses are registered nurses (RNs) with specialized education and experience in caring for patients who are experiencing, or are at risk for, kidney disease. Nephrology nurses continually update their education through a variety of programs, publications, and special activities. The American Nephrology Nurses’ Association offers an annual National Symposium and a Fall Meeting for Nephrology Nurse Managers, Advanced Practice Nurses, and Clinicians by providing in-depth education sessions for nurses at all practice levels. ANNA also sponsors legislative and leadership workshops; audio conferences; distance learning courses; and numerous chapter programs. To advance their education and earning power even further, many nephrology nurses seek certification through the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission . Certification in nephrology nursing recognizes an individual’s expertise in the specialty and demonstrates advanced knowledge and experience.
