Case Study: Timothy Smith – Medical Surgical

Read the case study below. Evaluate the information and formulate a conclusion based on your evaluation. Complete the critical thinking table and submit the completed template to the assignment dropbox.
It is necessary for an RN-BSN-prepared nurse to demonstrate an enhanced understanding of the complex management of disease, the clinical manifestations and associated treatment protocols, and how they impact patients across the life span.
PART I: Health History and Medical Information
Evaluate the health history and medical information for Timothy Smith, presented below.
Upon arrival to the medical-surgical unit, you are assigned as Mr. Smith’s primary care nurse. It has been reported that the patient started confusing his days and nights and becoming restless. Once his family was identified in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), his mother was an active visitor and helped with care decisions. She notified his care team that Timothy was an active military service member with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, which have led to smoking and recreational drug use. Two days prior to arrival to the med-surg unit, Mr. Smith was extubated from the ventilator and has been weaned down to a 2L nasal cannula. Three days prior his EVD was removed. The focus has been shifted to strengthening him to walk and healing abrasions from the accident. Tube feeding was continued from the ICU while awaiting clearance to begin swallowing on his own. Dressing changes are ordered from the open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) and for any third-degree abrasions from the accident.

  1. Oxygen – 2L Nasal Cannula, FaO2: 21-24%; Hypoventilation (splinting, coughing, deep breathing)
  2. Physical therapy
  3. Respiratory therapy
  4. Hairline fracture of 3 left ribs
  5. Wound care for ORIF and abrasions
  6. Psychosocial needs (PTSD, depression, ICU psychosis)
  7. Pain control
    Laboratory Tests, Results, and Vitals:
  8. Skin assessments
  9. Protein level
  10. Follow-up x-rays of ribs show healing and no punctures, tube feeding catheter tip located in the upper stomach
  11. GCS: 14 (deficit for confusion at times)
  12. Respiratory rate – 16
  13. SpO2 94%
  14. Blood pressure – 118/68
  15. A psychiatric nurse practitioner has begun visiting and noticed he is showing signs of depression and is struggling to cope with the accident.
  16. CT scan of the head
  17. Pain assessment score of 6 out of 10, with the patient reporting his leg is the worst source of pain, also experiencing pain with deep breaths, and mild headache

PART II: Critical Thinking Activity
Use the findings from your evaluation to complete the following:
Plan of Care
When assuming care of this patient, you were told that the plan for Mr. Smith is to be discharged home tomorrow. This was not the plan when you took care of Mr. Smith yesterday.
Part 1: Evaluate Outcomes of Care

  1. Evaluate Mr. Smith’s readiness for discharge based on the information provided in the case study. Based on your findings, evaluate health goals for this patient. Discuss how you would modify the plan of care. Your response should be a minimum of 200 words.
  2. Based on your assessment, how would you recommend modifying the plan of care to meet Mr. Smith’s needs? Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    Part 2: Protocol
    What protocol would you use to implement your recommendations for Mr. Smith’s updated plan of care? Your response should be a minimum of 200 words.
    Recovery and Response to Treatment
    Consider Mr. Smith’s history of PTSD and depression.
    Discuss the impact his PTSD and depression history might have on his recovery and response to treatment. Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    Complications
    Consider Mr. Smith’s history of PTSD and depression in addressing the following questions.
    Discuss the overall complications that may affect Mr. Smith’s motivation, compliance, and psychological well-being. Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    Put together an interdisciplinary team to support all areas of his recovery, including mental health support. Provide rationale for your response by referencing his assessment findings. Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    Smoking and Drug Use
    Consider Mr. Smith’s history of smoking and recreational drug use.
    History of Smoking
    How might his history of smoking impact healing of the bones? Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    Cessation of Smoking
  3. Discuss how you would integrate smoking cessation and rehabilitation experts into Mr. Smith’s recovery team. Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
  4. How might Mr. Smith’s past usage of recreational drugs impact his pain management? Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    Balancing
    Discuss how the nurse would balance promoting smoking cessation for Mr. Smith while respecting his self-determination in his health care decisions. Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    Psychosocial and Spiritual Considerations
    Providing holistic nursing care for patients with complex conditions requires that the nurse takes into account the patient’s psychosocial and spiritual needs.
    Given the patient’s current situation, discuss ways in which the nurse can take into account and address the patient’s psychosocial and spiritual needs. Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    Care Planning and Insurance
    Nurses have to have an awareness of the socioeconomic impact of care delivery, especially when planning care for patients with complex needs.
    Who would you need to involve if you discover that the patient is uninsured? Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    How would this impact the socioeconomic aspect of Mr. Smith’s care planning moving forward? Your response should be a minimum of 150 words.
    References (Please include working hyperlinks)
find the cost of your paper

Sample Answer

 

 

 

 

Critical Thinking Table: Timothy Smith Case Study

 

Patient: Timothy Smith


 

Part 1: Health History and Medical Information Evaluation

 

Summary of Key Findings:

Mr. Smith is a young active military service member recovering from a significant accident. He has a history of PTSD and depression, which has led to smoking and recreational drug use. He was recently extubated and had an EVD removed, indicating a severe neurological injury. He is currently on 2L NC, with healing rib fractures and abrasions, and an ORIF wound. He is confused at times (GCS 14), experiencing pain (6/10), and struggling with psychosocial issues (PTSD, depression, ICU psychosis). He is on tube feedings awaiting swallow clearance. His mother is an active participant in his care.


 

Part II: Critical Thinking Activity

 

 

Part 1: Evaluate Outcomes of Care

 

1. Evaluate Mr. Smith’s readiness for discharge based on the information provided. Based on your findings, evaluate health goals for this patient. Discuss how you would modify the plan of care. (Minimum 200 words)

Based on the information provided, Mr. Smith is not ready for discharge tomorrow. Several critical issues remain unaddressed, posing significant risks to his safety and recovery if discharged prematurely. His ongoing confusion (GCS 14 with reported deficits at times), pain level of 6/10 with multiple sources (leg, deep breaths, headache), and continued need for tube feeding awaiting swallow clearance are major red flags. He also requires ongoing wound care for his ORIF and third-degree abrasions, which suggests complex dressing changes may still be needed. Furthermore, his reported “struggling to cope with the accident” and ongoing signs of depression and ICU psychosis, compounded by his pre-existing PTSD and depression, indicate significant unmet psychosocial needs. Discharging him without addressing these foundational physical and mental health issues would be negligent and likely lead to re-hospitalization or deterioration.

Full Answer Section

 

 

 

 

 

Modified Health Goals:

  • Short-Term:
    • Achieve a pain level of with stable pain management plan.
    • Clearance for oral intake and successful progression to solid foods.
    • Improved cognitive status to baseline, or a clear understanding of residual deficits and compensatory strategies.
    • Stable wound healing with the patient/family demonstrating competence in wound care.
    • Initiate formal mental health intervention for PTSD, depression, and coping strategies.
    • Consistent participation in PT/RT without increased confusion or pain.
  • Long-Term (Post-Discharge):
    • Full recovery of mobility and strength, with independence in ADLs.
    • Sustained engagement in mental health therapy.
    • Smoking cessation and management of recreational drug use.
    • Successful reintegration into daily life and, eventually, military service if feasible.

Modifying the Plan of Care:

The immediate plan of care must be modified to prevent discharge tomorrow. This involves a collaborative interdisciplinary meeting with the medical team, social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy (especially for ADLs and cognitive assessment), speech-language pathology (for swallow evaluation), and the psychiatric nurse practitioner. The nurse’s role is critical in advocating for Mr. Smith by clearly articulating the unaddressed needs and risks. A formal re-evaluation of discharge readiness must be performed, highlighting the patient’s current functional and cognitive deficits, pain management challenges, and unaddressed psychosocial distress. The focus should shift from immediate discharge to establishing concrete, measurable goals for discharge readiness that address all his current needs, including a comprehensive discharge plan for continued care.

2. Based on your assessment, how would you recommend modifying the plan of care to meet Mr. Smith’s needs? (Minimum 150 words)

To meet Mr. Smith’s needs, the plan of care requires significant modification and a holistic approach. Firstly, pain management needs optimization. A pain specialist consult could explore multimodal analgesia to target both his somatic (leg, ribs) and neuropathic (if applicable) pain, allowing better participation in therapies. Secondly, nutrition and swallowing safety are paramount. A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) must conduct a thorough swallow evaluation, and if cleared, a gradual progression to oral intake with aspiration precautions. Thirdly, cognitive and psychological support must be prioritized. The psychiatric nurse practitioner’s visits need to be formalized and potentially augmented with a full psychiatric evaluation. Occupational therapy can assist with cognitive retraining strategies. Fourthly, physical rehabilitation needs to be intensified but adapted to his pain and confusion levels, with clear communication between PT/OT and nursing regarding his progress and limitations. Fifthly, wound care education for both Mr. Smith and his mother is crucial, ensuring they are competent in managing the ORIF and abrasion dressings prior to discharge. Finally, discharge planning needs to be deferred until these critical milestones are met, focusing instead on setting realistic short-term goals for his inpatient stay.

 

Part 2: Protocol

 

What protocol would you use to implement your recommendations for Mr. Smith’s updated plan of care? (Minimum 200 words)

To implement the recommended modifications, I would initiate a multidisciplinary care conference as a matter of urgency. The protocol would involve the following steps:

  1. Immediate Communication with Attending Physician and Charge Nurse: Express concerns about the premature discharge plan, citing specific patient assessment findings (GCS 14, pain 6/10, tube feeds, unaddressed mental health, complex wound care). Advocate for a delay in discharge.
  2. Request for Multidisciplinary Care Conference: Formally request a meeting involving the attending physician, psychiatric nurse practitioner/psychiatrist, social worker, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, wound care specialist, and nutrition support. Mr. Smith’s mother should also be invited to participate.
  3. Presentation of Comprehensive Assessment: During the conference, I would present a detailed overview of Mr. Smith’s current physical and psychosocial status, emphasizing his continued needs:
    • Neurological status: GCS 14 with confusion, potential for post-traumatic cognitive deficits, ICU psychosis.
    • Pain management: Inadequate control, multiple pain sources.
    • Nutritional status: Dependence on tube feeds, awaiting swallow evaluation.

This question has been answered.

Get Answer