Reflective Reflection In Nursing

Register to read the introduction… Mrs P is a 79 year old widow who has been paralysed for over ten years following a stroke. She has partial movements. She is fully aware that she has been admitted into hospital because of her diabetes and for dehydration. She has been on this particular ward previously for chest infections and is familiar with the surroundings. According to (Walsh, 2002) physiological emotions may also be impacting on her eating and drinking patterns. Mrs P’s carers advise that she is a very strong willed lady who gets upset and frustrated due to communication difficulties. It is also established that one of her carers gives her extra cakes and buns as a treat or sometimes when she is being difficult, which could be construed as a control mechanism. A solution to her communication problem has been discussed earlier. For many years she was dependent on her husband following her stroke but now relies on six carers and social services for all her care needs. She is capable of eating and drinking independently and has been provided with modified cutlery, cups and plates at home but prefers to be fed. (Hughes, 2004) suggests that according to (Davies et al, 1997) Mrs P’s dependency may be linked to the desire to have companionship rather than the need for care. Biologically it is vital to determine how long Mrs P has deviated from her normal pattern of eating and drinking (Holland et al., 2003). Apart from suffering from diabetes she suffered from right-sided weakness due to paralysis from her stroke and having had a mastectomy. Her carers also advised that she had been suffering lately from constipation and no laxatives had been prescribed. Because she is bedridden she is also incontinent of urine but recently not as often. The issues with communication were also causing problems. During her initial assessment on admittance into hospital blood and urine samples were taken for analysis. The results showed that she had a urine infection that could be treated with medication. Her previous vital signs were noted from her medical records and it was decided to take her observations regularly in order to get a better impression of her normal readings and any deterioration (Holland et al., 2003). Psychologically it had been established that Mrs P has suffered from depression since her stroke and the death of her husband. She is fully aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and of not eating too much sugar. Informed choices concerning her dietary needs tend to be made by her carers’ as she is unable to do her own shopping or prepare meals (Holland et al., 2003). From a sociocultural, environmental and politicoeconomic point of view, Mrs P does not have any visitors or social stimulation due to being bedridden. She only has contact with her carers and meals on wheels. None of her neighbours or friends visit her anymore following her stroke and mood swings caused by her depression. She is able to sit in a chair and can mobilise with a wheelchair but refuses. Her daughter lives abroad and visits once a year. She has no known food allergies and eats everything …show more content…
Nursing processes guide the care and understanding needed to assist in the recovery of a patient. From a novice point of view, initially the processes have no meaning but once they are put into practice it can be seen that they assist with gaining an insight into a persons life in order to formulate an overall treatment plan for the individual. I was fortunate to be able to observe the involvement of other professions during Mrs P’s recovery and follow her treatment pathway until she returned home. With practice in admitting patients and completing care plans I will myself be able to construct a picture of an individuals life based on collated information. To conclude, it is difficult to separate the activities of daily living as each individual is treated as a whole and illness is not confined to just one area of life but interacts with other aspects of living. As can be seen from this essay Mrs P was admitted with hyperglycaemia and dehydration but her home life was taken into account along with communication, eating and drinking, eliminating and mobility. By drawing on a number of areas allows for a full holistic picture to be created of an individuals