Description
Priority Setting and respond to the following:
If you were the nurse in this situation, which client should you see first? Identify the priority framework you are using and the rationale for your selection.
Your paper should be 2 pages
You are required to use and cite one academic source.
Use current APA Style.
Include a title page and a reference page listing the source(s) you used.
Original paper
Time is a valuable resource for nurses and the order of nursing actions effect the patient’s outcome. Nursing judgment is a vital skill in nursing and management of care relies on this. Priority setting is an essential nursing skill and a knowledge deficiency can have profound effects on the patients. This is a skill that can be difficult for newly graduated nurses. This is a skill that is perfected with experience and opportunities. “Priority setting can be defined as the ordering of nursing problems using notions of urgency and/or importance, in order to establish a preferential order for nursing actions (Hendry,2014)”.
If I were the nurse in this situation, the client I would see first is Lenny Williams in room 6307. The signs and symptoms that Laura the assistive personal is describing may be related to a possible deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of his right calf. Deep vein thrombosis can be very dangerous as blood clots will break loose into the arteries, migrate through the bloodstream and lodge in the patient’s lungs, obstructing blood flow causing a pulmonary embolism which could be deadly. Life-threatening concerns also include ABCs Clients at risk of instability are of higher priority than secure clients. I would go into this patient’s room and due a focused assessment and gather more information before I call the provider to relay the new findings. I would then anticipate the provider would want to order a venous doppler to determine if indeed the patient has a DVT. While imaging is performing the ultrasound, I could give then pain medication that was requested a 7 am and start the IV on the patient that has the antibiotic due at 8 am.
Priority care goes to acute or chronic and urgent or non-urgent needs, I feel like Lenny's symptoms are urgent acute needs that could alter his life if care is delated. Urgent needs pose a greater threat to patients' needs are important when it comes to an intervention necessary within a specified time. When caring for a group of patients, first attend to the patient with the most critical need. Lenny has the most urgent need, Laura the personal care assistant is not able to do a patient assessment and is only able to relay information to the nurse. As a nurse having the knowledge of what lost symptoms might be and the potential complications, not going to the patient first would be harmful to the patient and This is not good nursing care. It is particularly important for patients with deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism to receive the care they need in a timely manner.