Running head: NURSING PROCESS 1

Nursing Process

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Nursing Process

1. What are the key nursing interventions for impaired liver function?

Nursing care planning for patients with liver cirrhosis includes promoting rest, providing

adequate nutrition, skincare, reducing risk for injury, and monitoring and managing

complications (Vera, 2019). Promotion of rest is done by encouraging patients to increase their

activities gradually and plan rest accordingly. Additionally, they can position their beds to ensure

maximal respiratory efficiency and provide oxygen if needed (Belleza, 2017). Secondly, ensuring

that the patient has improved nutrition is a nursing intervention that is important in planning care

for patients. By ensuring that the patient has reduced intake of protein when their condition

worsens and reducing sodium intake allows for proper management o the disease.

Third, monitoring and management of complications are crucial. Monitoring for

bleeding, reduced cardiovascular and respiratory status, weight changes and urine amount

changes and managing them is an important intervention. Lastly, nursing intervention has to

involve the home management of patients. This is through educating caregivers on the rest

schedules, monitoring of symptoms, and ensuring patients are referred to a home care nurse (RN

Pedia, 2020).

2. What is included in the management and monitoring of complications that may occur in the

patient with acute pancreatitis?

The most common complications of acute pancreatitis include acute necrotic collections,

acute peri-pancreatic fluid collection (APFC), pancreatic pseudocyst (PP), and walled-off

necrosis (Zerem, 2014). Monitoring and management of AP require assessment and diagnosis.

This can be done by CT scans that can valuate and diagnose AP and its associated complications

(Carroll, Herrick, Gipson, & Lee, 2007). Acute necrotic collections are managed through
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invasive procedures like surgeries and radiology. Medications and antibiotics manage AFPC, but

it normally clears by itself. PP is managed by surgical procedures, endoscopic and percutaneous

drainage (Gurusamy, Pallari, Hawkins, & et al., 2016). Walled-off necrosis is managed through

endoscopic, percutaneous and surgical drainage (Moon, 2019).

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References

Belleza, R. N. (2017). Hepatic Cirrhosis. Medical-Surgical Nursing.

Carroll, J. K., Herrick, B. m., Gipson, T. m., & Lee, S. P. (2007). Acute Pancreatitis: Diagnosis,

Prognosis, and Treatment. Am Fam Physician, 1513-1520.

Gurusamy, K. m., Pallari, E. m., Hawkins, N. m., & et al. (2016). Treatment methods for people

with pancreatic pseudocysts (fluid collections around the pancreas). Cochrane.

Moon, S. H. (2019). Drainage Procedures for the Treatment of Walled-Off Pancreatic Necrosis:

Is More Refinement Necessary? Gut Liver, 135–137.

RN Pedia. (2020). Liver Cirrhosis Nursing Care Plan & Management. RN Pedia.

Vera, M. (2019). 8 Liver Cirrhosis Nursing Care Plans. Nurses lab.

Zerem, E. (2014). Treatment of severe acute pancreatitis and its complications. World J

Gastroenterol, 13879–13892.