Critical Care Case Study

NURS 451 Adult Health III Critical Care Clinical

Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this case study it to integrate knowledge from the humanities and
sciences, including nursing research and theory, to plan, provide, and evaluate holistic care
provided to a client selected during this clinical rotation.
Student Approach to Assignment
In this paper, I present the case of a patient who was admitted for worsening shortness of
breath, weight gain, and leg swelling with a pertinent past medical history of COPD, heart
failure, hypertension, obesity, asthma, bronchitis and a former smoker of 40 years. The patient
was transferred to the ICU mechanically vented when he went into acute lung failure.
Reason for Inclusion of the Assignment in the Portfolio
This assignment is included in the portfolio because it highlights providing care at a population
and individual level and demonstrates integration of a wide variety of end of program behaviors.
Nursing Practice
Implements traditional nursing practices as appropriate to provide holistic health care to
diverse populations across the lifespan.
Example: Specific interventions are listed under each nursing diagnosis for this
patient. Interventions I provided include: continuous O2 saturation monitoring,
elevation of head of bed and cluster care.
Communication
Expresses oneself and communicates effectively with diverse groups and disciplines using
a variety of media in a variety of contexts
Example: Special communication techniques (blinking for yes or no questions)
were used so that communication could occur with this patient despite the
endotracheal tube. Because the patient was conscious, I used communication to
decrease anxiety with him.