Explain strategies used in nursing practice to effectively communicate with other members of your team and with your patients
For this assignment, describe two strategies that you use in your nursing practice to effectively communicate with other members of your team, and with your patients
Expository Text: To protect residents from the chemicals released by the train derailment, the Rondo community and later the Ruby Lake neighborhood are evacuated. Eventually over 1,000 residents will be temporarily relocated to the Red Cross emergency shelters at Beck University. In the general needs shelter, Pilar Mendez, a resident of Ruby Lake, begins to experience dizziness and a severe headache. She seeks out a public health nurse for assistance.
Instructional Text: In this mission, the emergency highlights the influence of social, ethnic, and cultural factors on the effectiveness of medical treatment plans. As you move through the mission, consider the role of cultural competence in improving patient outcomes.
Characters in this Mission:
Carole Bartlett, RN – Public Health Nurse
Edith Duff, RN – Caring Hand Clinic
Grace Fowler, RN – Public Health Nurse, Caring Hands Clinic
Kimberley Fuller – Student Nurse, Caring Hands Clinic
Martin Lewis – HIV/AIDs Counselor
Ronnie Maxwell, RN – Manager, Caring Hands Clinic
Pilar Mendez – Riverbend City Resident
Father Yuni – Catholic Priest
Scene 1: Temporary Shelter, General Needs Area
Expository Text: In the general needs shelter, Pilar Mendez, a resident of Ruby Lake, begins to experience dizziness and a severe headache. She seeks out a public health nurse for assistance.
Conversation 1: Ruby Lake resident Pilar Mendez seeks help from Grace Fowler.
PILAR:
Excuse me, but I need some help, please.
GRACE:
Of course. What seems to be the problem?
PILAR:
I don’t know… I feel no good. Like I might pass out or something.
GRACE:
Well, we don’t want that! Go ahead and sit down here.
PILAR:
Gracias
GRACE:
Your skin feels a little damp. Do you feel sweaty or warm?
PILAR:
Not warm, not. Chilly, but I’m all sweaty. It’s not right.
GRACE:
Okay… Mrs…
PILAR:
Mendez. My name is Pilar Mendez.
GRACE:
Okay, Mrs. Mendez. I’d like to check your blood pressure. Sue… Go find Carole for me and ask her to come give me a hand here. Alright, Mrs. Mendez, let’s see what we’ve got going on here. Okay… 142-over-94. That’s considered high blood pressure. Are you taking medication for high blood pressure?
PILAR:
Si, but I thought it was getting better.
GRACE:
Well, a day like today can certainly have an effect on your blood pressure, but I think we should let you rest here and we’ll check it again in a little while.
Carole… thanks. Carole, this is Mrs. Mendez. She has been experiencing dizziness, chills and sweating. I just checked her blood pressure and it’s 142-over-94. I’d like you to finish taking her history while I call over to the special needs shelter and see if they can help us get her straightened out.
Mrs. Mendez, this is Carole. She’s also a nurse and she’s going to finish checking you over to see what’s going on.
PILAR:
Okay… good.
Conversation 2: Carole continues taking Mrs. Mendez’s history and begins to realize that there is a larger problem than the immediate crisis.
CAROLE:
Alright, Mrs. Mendez, can you tell me what medications you take?
PILAR:
I don’t know the names … I take two pills and sometimes insulin.
CAROLE:
Sometimes..?
PILAR:
I don’t have a lot of money and insulin is expensive. The pills, they aren’t so expensive, so I make sure I take them like the doctor said.
CAROLE:
Can you tell me what the pills are?
PILAR:
I’m sorry… no. I think one is for the blood pressure and one is for the diabetes. Oh… wait. I have one of the bottles with me. Here it is.
CAROLE:
Okay … that’s a help. Where do you go for medical care?
PILAR:
The clinic on Newton Street.
CAROLE:
The walk-in clinic?
PILAR:
Si.
CAROLE:
I’ve worked there.So… you’d see Dr. Crighton?
PILAR:
Si, or the nurses.
CAROLE:
Can you tell me how long you’ve had diabetes?
PILAR:
I’m not really sure. They tell me for a long time I need to go on a diet, but what can I do? I cook for my family and I can’t make them eat little diet food dinners. My husband and my grandson like to eat. It’s too hard to make food just for me.
CAROLE:
I understand that it’s difficult. Let’s move on to today. Can you tell me how your symptoms started? The dizziness and the sweating?
PILAR:
Okay … let me think…
CAROLE:
Sometimes when your blood sugar gets too low, you can go into what’s called hypoglycemia. Certain medications that help you manage your diabetes can cause hypoglycemia – particularly if you didn’t eat a meal after taking them. (scene ends as they continue to take history).
