Problem: You are a nurse preparing to receive a new patient, fresh from surgery, to your unit. The patient is a 71-year-old man who underwent a surgical repair of a fractured femur. As you receive a report from the postanesthesia recovery unit, you learn that his medical history includes hypertension, 40 pack-years of smoking, and COPD. His surgical repair was successful but complicated by excessive bleeding, and he is receiving IV fluids to compensate. He is widowed, and his three children are scattered throughout the United States. He lives alone, receives Meals on Wheels, and pays a cleaning service to keep his home clean. (Learning Objectives 3, 4, and 8)
a. What general priorities would you expect to establish from this information?
b. What might you identify as expected patient outcomes in this case?
c. What information would be included in evidence-based nursing interventions?
d. How would you evaluate the outcome of your interventions in this case?
e. What are the challenges related to developing a formal care plan?