Nursing Care Of The Sick At Home
Nursing care should be planned around the needs of
the patient. Such factors as age, sex, the presence of
physical handicaps, and the patient’s attitudes and
feelings about his illness will affect the amount and
kind of nursing care he needs. However, of primary
consideration are the diagnosis and the severity of the
illness as well as the general physical condition of the
patient at the time he became ill. Any nursing care plan
must be flexible so that it can be adjusted to meet
changing circumstances that inevitably occur. The
patient’s condition may change from day to day,
resulting in the need for different treatment, diet, or
nursing care. Or, emergencies may occur that make it
necessary for the home nurse to modify house hold
routines that affect the care of the patient. The
ability to adjust to events and to meet change with
calmness and resourcefulness is important responsibility
of the home nurse.
No two illnesses are exactly alike, and nursing care
must be given differently in different situations. There
are, however, several nursing fundamentals that should
be observed in the care of any ill person. The first of
these is safety, and this essential applies to the home
nurse and the family as well as to the patient. Safety
is of primary importance in the prevention of disease.
The knowledge of how to handle soiled articles, how to
dispose of discharges from the nose and the throat, and
when how to wash the hands properly hands are all
safeguards for the protection of the patient and of the
people about him. The necessity for safety in the
administering of any drug and in the carrying out of
treatments is implicit.
A second nursing fundamental is comfort. The comfort
of a patient is directly related to the nursing care he
receives and is to be strived for because it promotes
his recovery and feeling of wellbeing. Proper body
posture is an important ingredient for comfort whether
the patient is in bed, in chair, or up and about. Good
posture is equally important for the home nurse. If she
uses proper body mechanics in her work, she is more
comfortable, exerts less strain on joints and muscles,
and will be less fatigued.
A dry, clean, well made bed and the support of
pillows contribute to the patient comfort and are
essential to the necessary rest and sleep. Comfort that
fosters the patient’s remaining in one position for too
long can, however, the harmful. Unless forbidden by the
doctor, sick people should move about in bed, because
moving helps them to maintain muscle tone, to get needed
exercise, and to avoid deformities and contractures of
the joints. It is important in the rehabilitation and
recovery of the patient, particularly the elderly
person, to let him do as much for himself as he possibly
can.
Another essential of nursing care is effectiveness.
As with other tasks, there is more than one way to
perform the nursing skill. The test of nay method is its
effectiveness. The home nurse should ask, “Does it work?
Is there a better way that is safe for the patient and
for me? Will it save time, money, and equipment?
Finally to be considered are order and appearance. A
disorderly room can be an annoyance to both the patient
and the home nurse. The patient’s room should be
uncluttered, with the furniture placed to make it easier
to care for the patient. There is no need to strip the
room of the personal belongings and decorations that
lend it charm and attractiveness.
Appearance and grooming are directly related to the
personal hygiene of the patient. To be freshly bathed
and be clothed in clean and attractive garments and to
have one’s hair combed and brushed and cosmetics wisely
applied not only result in greater comfort for the
patient but help to builds his or her morale.
Closely related to the nursing fundamentals, and
probably the most important ingredients of patient care
are common sense and good judgment, when illness occurs
in any family, living arrangements usually have to
adjust to the new circumstances. Frequently, this
readjustment calls for an appraisal of household tasks
to see which can be eliminated or streamlined in order
to find added time for the care of the patient and
assure that no one person has too much to do. The home
nurse who includes each family member in helping to keep
the household on an even keel is not only practicing
good management but using good psychology as well.
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