Essay Purpose
The purpose of this assessment is to promote both problem solving and nursing care provision, related to a selected clinical scenario.
Essay Structure
Plan your essay
Introduction: 175 words approx.
Body: 1400 words approx.
700 words per nursing care priority.
Conclusion: 175 words approx.
References: 12 -15 references approx.
Please note the words per section are only provided as a guide - the student can set out the essay however they wish and apportion words depending on how they decide to structure the essay.
- The body of your essay will have several paragraphs amounting to 1,400 words approx.
- You will split the word allowance up into paragraphs. Each paragraph may have anywhere between 200-250 words per paragraph approximately- this depends on what you decide to talk about.
- Each paragraph should progressively describe the care plan you would implement for the client.
- Make sure your essay flows and you use linking sentences to link each paragraph.
Plan your essay
Introduction - Clearly state what you are going to discuss and how you plan to discuss it e.g. This essay is a discussion of
The Conclusion
In two -three sentences summarise what you have discussed. - THIS IS NOT A REPEAT of what you have written previously.
Then provide overarching statements that provide the reader with the most important take home messages regarding the care plan for your client.
Assessment Task - Care planning
Care priorities identified from the scenario of assessment task one: written assignment fr Medication assessment and management
- Increased falls and injury risk
- Increased risk of social isolation
- Potential impact on ADL performance
- Altered nutritional levels
Please choose two care priorities from the list above to discuss in your essay with justification. Please refer to the assessment guide placed on your LEO.
Assignment Requirements
Miller's Functional Consequences Framework
- In Assessment Task, you are developing goals and nursing interventions/strategies that will assist in alleviating the negative consequences and promoting positive consequences (wellness outcomes). Thus, improving the client's quality of life, functioning and safety, leading to better health overall.
- To achieve the above, you will focus on person-centred care principles, holistic care (focus on the whole person, their environment and their mind, body, spirit).
Assignment Requirements -
Promoting Person Centred Care
- Evidence of how the dignity of the patient is maintained through the care planning and provision process is a part of this assessment. In addition, the cultural background of the client needs to be considered.
- In your essay, you need to demonstrate how person centered care, client dignity and choice are integrated throughout your essay.
- Consider how you will do this when developing a nursing care plan. Some ideas:
- the client should have a voice and should participate actively as a care provision team member.
- think about client consent
- how will you evaluate the strategies you have developed? As well as objective evaluation, remember to ask the client!!
Assignment Requirements (from unit outline)
- Students are required to focus the discussion on the care priorities identifiable in the provided case scenario. Five priorities of care will be identified from the scenario. The student is required to choose two of the identified priorities of care from the provided list. The discussion of care will be based on the processes identified in the Levett-Jones Clinical Reasoning Framework. Evidence of how the dignity of the patient is maintained through the care planning and provision process is a part of this assessment.
In addition, the cultural background of the client needs to be considered.
- For this assessment task, students must use Miller's Functional Consequences Theory of Healthy Ageing as a theoretical framework and Levett-Jones' Clinical Reasoning Model to guide nursing care planning, interventions and evaluation of care.
Scenario - Client with Parkinson 's disease
Johann Silvermann is a 77 year old widower diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years ago. He was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism four years ago - this is now controlled on medication.
The Silvermanns moved from Germany in 1946. Johann lives in his own two-storey home where he has lived with his wife, Gertrude, until she died twelve years ago. Johann has remained independent since then. Gertrude and Johann did not have children, thus Johann has no immediate family. However, he has a brother, Hugo and his family, living close by. Johann does not want to involve them in his daily life as he does not want to be a bother to them.
Johann has a small income from his self-managed superannuation and is careful with his money. This allows him some measure of financial independence, however, because of reduced investment returns; finances are now only just covering his expenses. He tries to go on a holiday once a year, but was unable to this year due to his altered mobility.
Johann has a slight tremor in both hands which is becoming worse. This is making tasks such as cooking, making a cup of tea and doing up buttons and shoe laces difficult. Because Johann perceives that his disease process is worsening, he is starting to wonder how he can face the uncertainty of his future.
Current Medications
- Thyroxine 100 micrograms daily
- Carbidopa/Levodopa 25/100 q8h
- Entacapone 200 mg q8h
Johann's GP has referred him to the community health centre where you work and you are the community nurse assigned to manage Johann's care in his home.
Students are required to focus the discussion on the care priorities identifiable in the provided case scenario. Five priorities of care will be identified from the scenario. The student is required to choose two of the identified priorities of care from the provided list. The discussion of care will be based on the processes identified in the Levett-Jones Clinical Reasoning Framework. Evidence of how the dignity of the patient is maintained through the care planning and provision process is a part of this assessment. In addition, the cultural background of the client needs to be considered.