Notes for Student Nurses

Terminal Illness Definition : It is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of patient with a short period of time. A patient who has such illness may be referred as terminal patient or terminally ill patient : often a patient is considered terminally ill when their estimated life expectancy is six months or less. Stages of Terminally Illness: Different patients react to the news that they have a terminal illness in different ways. In general , almost all patients go through various stages of acceptance when disease like cancer has been diagnosed. A) First stage : The first stage is disbelief. There is extreme anxiety  especially about unknown. Shock , despair and anger are common in this phase . The patient may also experience guilt about feeling angry and this can increase the feeling of anger . This phase usually lasts from few days to few months .  B ) Second stage : The second s...

        Nursing Management  Fig. Patient having pain due to trigeminal neuralgia  1. Nursing Assessment : Detailed history and physical examination : it should include detailed patient history , medical past   history , chief complaints of sudden unilateral , severe , stabbing , paroxysmal and recurrent pain. Physical examination of ear , mouth , teeth and temporal mandibular joint. Look thoroughly for SWEET criteria.  Assessment of nutritional status and dehydration Assess patient's anxiety and depression  2. Nursing Diagnosis and Interventions : a) Chronic pain related to activation of trigger zones along the nerve pathways .  Assess current pain management strategies and effectiveness .It is done for measuring the      effectiveness of new pain strategies.   Assess patient's knowledge of specific trigger activities for pain.This is done to identify factors that can be manipula...