Apply the nursing process in the provision of direct and indirect care of individuals, families, and communities in a variety of settings and across diverse populations.
Working in a Variety of Settings with People of Diverse Backgrounds
Application of the nursing process has been a
common theme among my three nursing classes this semester (Nursing 260, 270 and
280). In Professional Foundations I,
Health Assessment and Health promotion we have dissected the nursing process
and have applied it in relation to specific course content. Pathophysiology
does not specifically address the nursing process, but it introduces us to
disease processes, manifested signs and symptoms, diagnoses and treatment, which
correlate with assessment of a client, diagnosis, planning which treatment
route to take, implementing the treatment and evaluating the effects treatment
or lack thereof have on infected individuals. In retrospect, the nursing
process could have been applied to my clinical experience on the dementia wing
at Tacoma Lutheran, but this particular clinical experience focused on
demonstrating learned skills and introducing us to clinical care. This semester
I have been introduced to a new care setting through Health Promotion. We have
been working in collaboration with Multicare to provide heart failure clients
with resources, knowledge and support to help them meet their goals and adapt
their lifestyles to a more “heart-healthy” way of living. This experience has
allowed us to look at a client’s health status, medical assessments and
diagnoses, make our own assessments and diagnoses and then work with the client
to plan for short-term and long-term outcomes, come up with creative ways to
implement these interventions and evaluate progress on a weekly basis. The
first home visit was a chance to assess my client and plan some measurable
goals for her to work toward. From this point on, I call my client each week to
assess her progress toward her goals and to see if she has any concerns or
questions that I can help her with. I was just recently matched up with my
client, so I’m not far into the nursing process with her yet, but because I
will be working with her for the next two years of nursing school, I look
forward to applying my increasing knowledge and experience with the nursing
process to her goal achievement.
Future Exploration of the Nursing Process
The courses I am registered for next semester as
well as the courses I will be taking for the remaining three semesters of
nursing school will provide me with a variety of settings to work in and
diverse populations to work with as I expand my knowledge of and experience
with the nursing process.
