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Patient Education

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Patient education is a HUGE role for a nurse and is also, in my opinion, one of the most important roles. With the right patient education you as a nurse are giving the patient knowledge to care for themselves and to get better. Without the knowledge and resources to manage a chronic illness or care for a new life style (such as a new colostomy bag or new medication that needs to be taken a certain way everyday like insulin) the patient is not going to be able to be successful with their treatment. The patient is the primary care for themselves once they go home, most likely, so it is so important to educate them correctly. The best methods to educate your patient I believe is to talk to them about it, give them pamphlets, demonstrate, and then have the patient explain what you just taught and demonstrate as well.

Ostomy Care

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In an article featured on Americannursetoday.com talks about patient education regarding ostomy care. Some of the topics covered include types of ostomies and stomas, finding the right ostomy pouch system, complications, nutritional considerations, and drug therapy.

The types of ostomies mentioned are the colostomy, ileostomy, and urostomy, and what is included is which organ will be affected, the location of the surgical opening, the consistency of the stool for each ostomy, and whether it is permanent or not. Regarding stomas, the type of stoma is picked based on the disease process, how much of the intestine is functioning, and the patient’s condition. The type of stomas that may be used are a double-barrel stoma, end stoma, or loop stoma.

In terms of pouch systems, there is a variety of options available nowadays. They may range from being one-piece systems or two-piece systems which consist of a barrier that may be precut or cut-to-fit and a pouch that is opaque or transparent.

Complications that should be reported involve fever, increased pain, dehydration, diarrhea, and infection of the surgical site. Also, the patient should note whether if there is no discharge coming from the stoma within 24 hours.

Nutritional considerations the patient should abide to are to start with clear liquids and to slowly introduce new foods to figure how well it may be tolerated. Also, the patient should make sure to stay hydration in order to prevent dehydration. The recommended fluid intake is 64 ounces per day for ileostomy patients.

Certain drugs should not be taken such as laxatives by ileostomy patients as dehydration may occur. It is important to contact your physician before taking any new drugs.

Through teaching patients about ostomy care and equipment, patients will hopefully be able to find the confidence and skill to gain independence and a better quality of life.

You can read the full article here.

References:

Bak, G. P. (2008). Teaching ostomy patients to regain their independence. American Nurse Today, 3(3). Retrieved from http://www.americannursetoday.com/teaching-ostomy-patients-to-regain-their-independence/

 

Care for a patient with Cholecystectomy

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Today I was fortunate to care for a patient who was post op laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patient presented to the ED with sharp pains, ultrasound and ct presented gallstones, murphys sign present. Patient decided to go home and take pain meds to let it pass but pain became excruciating to point of limited function. Patient then had urgent surgery in which laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed. One of the gallstones was the size of a golfball! Priority of care was pain management. Patient was tolerating clear liquids.

This website contains further information on the surgical procedure

http://www.surgery.usc.edu/divisions/tumor/pancreasdiseases/web%20pages/BILIARY%20SYSTEM/laparoscopic%20chole.html

Patient Education on GERD

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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is the backwards flow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus. This happens because the valve this prevents the acid from flowing up into the esophagus does not close properly.

Some common symptoms that may be experienced include indigestion, regurgitation, pain on swallowing, and excess production of saliva

Before taking medication, less invasive measures should be initiated to help with the s/s. Nutrition plays an important role. There are certain foods that may make the symptoms worse. Foods to avoid include chocolate, caffeinated beverages, spicy foods, mints, and acidic foods like tomatoes, lime etc. Eating smaller meals throughout the day instead on three large meals is best. Try to avoid eating or drinking 2 hours before bedtime/lie down. Elevating the head of the bed on 6-8 inch blocks may help if the symptoms occur at night. Avoid tight fitting clothes and if weight needs to be lost, 5-10 lbs may help. Smoking can make GERD worse, so cessation is important.

GERD can be treated at home by buying OTC meds. For indigestion, antacids like Tums can help. Meds that reduce acid, such as Pepcid are also helpful **before buying, consult doctor to make sure they are not contraindicated with other meds that are being taken**

Caring for a G-Tube After Discharge

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This website provides a place for patients to go, after being discharged, for information on how to care for their G-tube. There is a brief description of what a G-tube is, how to properly use it, and gives step-by-step instructions on how to do feedings through the G-tube.

http://www.fairview.org/healthlibrary/Article/86493

Brochure: Understanding colon cancer screening

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http://www.asge.org/patients/patients.aspx?id=8074

Protected: GI Disorders Resources

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Patient Education

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Many patients who undergo surgical procedures are unaware of what exactly happens. Many misconceptions can be cleared by going over the procedure with the patient and answering questions they might have. Many hospitals now have educational tools that patients can utilize before the surgery is performed. An informed patient makes recovery easier on the patient and the medical team. Below is a link of what UCLA is doing  to educate their patients before surgery.

 

http://gastro.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=181

 

 

345G2 2015-10-07 01:49:49

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On the article about the basic facts about children in poverty, it surprised me that there was a difference in the percentage of children in poverty from different age groups. What I did not find surprising was that parents’ nativity contributed to the percentage of children in low-income families.

In the article “Poverty’s Poor Show in the Media,” what struck me the most was the whole idea of how news stations only report on violence and celebrities. “If it bleeds, it leads.” The sad part is that poverty is worse than bleeding. It’s a side that people do not want to see because it is not as easy to fix as a bleeding arm. The other article about the misrepresentation of the poor in media coincides with this one. Even when news stations do report stories about the poor, it is always negative and unrealistic perspectives of them.

As for Sternheimer, I found it interesting that technology is not having such a negative impact on children as we might have thought. I mean I am not saying that watching tv all day long is good for children, but I feel like society might be overreacting to this issue. Let’s face it. We are moving more and more into a world that is completely immersed in technology.

What’s Dumbing Down America/4 Problems Media Depicts Poor People

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While reading the chapter in our textbook, I found it interesting that adults consume more TV than teens and children.  The author also states how Sesame Street is technically a bad show for children to watch, due to the fact it makes them tired or hyper.  Although, kids look away from the TV 40-60% of the time.  As a result, they are not watching a show continuously since numerous children have short attention spans.  I don’t think that TV is “dumbing down America,” since kids are using different forms of media for entertainment.  For instance, texting has become main stream in the past years.  However, the average texting age is 38.  I found that age to be immensely higher than I thought it would be.  Ultimately, it seems that adults are having more difficulty with TV usage as well as texting.

The 4 problems with the way media depicts poor people stood out to me.  I didn’t realize that TV shows and news programs rarely mention the poor at all.  They are the ones who are struggling the most, and the media is trying to hide it.  Many individuals are born into poverty; as a result, it is difficult to come out of.  I think if the media puts out stories of helping the poor, than people may have a more positive outlook about them.  To sum up, the media is misrepresenting the poor by making them out to be horrible people who choose to live that lifestyle.