Signs of domestic violence and abuse for all patients should be assessed by the nurses for various reasons, including ensuring safety, legal and ethical responsibility, and support and intervention. Identification of abuse assists in ensuring patient safety since abuse may lead to psychological and physical impacts (Dheensa et al., 2023). The populations that fall under high risk of abuse are adolescents and children, older adults, and mentally ill or people with disabilities (Dheensa et al., 2023).
Ways the nurse can make the assessment of a patient safe and confidential
There are various ways a nurse can make the assessment of a patient safe and confidential. The first one is through ensuring privacy. The evaluation should be done in a private environment, which ensures the safety and comfort of the patient when sharing information, thus optimizing confidentiality. Patients’ data should be kept confidential and shared only with relevant authorities and people. Another way is through developing with the patients. The nurse should build a rapport with patients to establish trust, ensuring that they are able to reveal sensitive data. In addition, nurses can ensure safe and confidential assessments using non-judgmental language. Questions should be framed in a supportive and non-judgmental way to enable patients to open their minds and feelings.
Vital signs, why they are considered vital, and what can each tell in regard to the physiological stability of the patient
Areia et al. (2022) suggest that the vital signs are temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and pain level. Body temperature measures the metabolic activity of the body. Heart rate measures the efficiency of heart pumping. The respiratory rate measures the accuracy and functioning of breathing. Blood pressure measures the force of blood against the walls of the arteries. Oxygen saturation measures the quantity of oxygen in the blood of the patient. Pain level determines the overall well-being and comfortability of the patient. The signs are vital as they offer useful information about patients’ physiological stability, assisting the nurse in assessing response to treatment and overall well-being.
Difference between objective and subjective data
According to Voukelatou et al. (2021), objective data refers to factual information that can be measured and observed, such as vital signs and results from the laboratory. Subjective data refers to the information that the patient reports, such as the level of pain and nausea. Objective data is more reliable generally because it is based on observations that can be measured. One example where objective information is useful and guides care plans is when the patient has chest pain. The nurse can utilize objective data like elevated heart rate to assist in planning care and initiate urgent interventions, such as administering antipyretic medication. Another example where subjective information is useful is when a patient reports feeling anxious. The nurse can use this information to develop a plan of care, such as appropriate interventions, counseling, and medication.
Importance of understanding the nutritional status of the patient
According to Raposeiras Roubin et al. (2020), it is crucial to understand the nutritional status of the patient for various reasons, including disease prevention, medical efficacy, and optimal healing. For patients with injuries and illnesses, enough nutrition promotes recovery and repair of the tissues. Proper and adequate nutrition assists in minimizing the risks of infection and preventing complications. In addition, specific medications need some nutrition to be considered to ensure effectiveness.
References
Areia, C., King, E., Ede, J., Young, L., Tarassenko, L., Watkinson, P., & Vollam, S. (2022). Experiences of current vital signs monitoring practices and views of wearable monitoring: A qualitative study in patients and nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78(3), 810-822. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/jan.15055
Dheensa, S., McLindon, E., Spencer, C., Pereira, S., Shrestha, S., Emsley, E., & Gregory, A. (2023). Healthcare professionals’ own experiences of domestic violence and abuse: a meta-analysis of prevalence and systematic review of risk markers and consequences. Trauma, violence, & abuse, 24(3), 1282-1299. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/15248380211061771
Raposeiras Roubin, S., Abu Assi, E., Cespon Fernandez, M., Barreiro Pardal, C., Lizancos Castro, A., Parada, J. A., … & Iniguez Romo, A. (2020). Prevalence and prognostic significance of malnutrition in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 76(7), 828-840. https://www.jacc.org/doi/full/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.06.058
Voukelatou, V., Gabrielli, L., Miliou, I., Cresci, S., Sharma, R., Tesconi, M., & Pappalardo, L. (2021). Measuring objective and subjective wellbeing: dimensions and data sources. International Journal of Data Science and Analytics, 11, 279-309. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41060-020-00224-2
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