Caring for a dying patient is one of the most challenging and emotionally demanding aspects of the Nursing profession. We often stay with the patients from the time they were born to their final days which can leave a toll on our mental and emotional well-being. However, with a compassionate and well-informed approach, Nurses can help ensure that the dying patients and their families receive the best possible care during this difficult time. Below is a typical Nursing care plan of a dying patient.
Step 1: Assessment
Gather a thorough understanding of the patient’s medical history, including the underlying cause of their terminal illness
Assess the patient’s current physical and emotional status, including any pain or symptoms they may be experiencing
Engage in open and honest communication with the patient and their family to understand their wishes and concerns
Step 2: Diagnosis
Identify the patient’s main nursing diagnoses based on the assessment findings. Examples of common diagnoses for a dying patient include “Ineffective Airway Clearance,” “Impaired Comfort,” and “Ineffective Coping.”
Step 3: Planning
Establish specific, measurable goals for the patient’s care, taking into account their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. For example, “The patient will remain free from pain and discomfort and will be able to maintain clear airway passages.”
Step 4: Implementation
Develop an individualized plan of care to meet the patient’s needs. This may include:
Administering pain and symptom management medications as prescribed
Providing physical and emotional comfort measures, such as positioning, massage, or music therapy
Encouraging the patient to maintain their preferred level of activity and independence
Providing support to the patient and their family, including counseling and referrals to other healthcare professionals as needed
Step 5: Evaluation
Continuously monitor the patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being and adjust the care plan as needed
Provide emotional support to the patient and their family, acknowledging their grief and loss
Document the patient’s progress and communicate any changes to the healthcare team
Caring for a dying patient requires a compassionate and holistic approach that takes into account the patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. By focusing on quality of life and providing comfort and support, you can help the patient and their family navigate this difficult time with dignity and respect.
Pain can be described as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, It is a complex and subjective phenomenon that can be described as a combination of physical and emotional sensations. Pain can be acute (lasting few minutes to days) or chronic (lasting more than six months) and can range from mild, moderate to severe. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including injury, surgery, disease, or other underlying medical conditions. The experience of pain can impact an individual’s daily activities and quality of life, making effective pain management an important aspect of patient care. In this article I am going to discuss the Nursing care plan for a patient experiencing pain.
Step 1: Assessment
Gather a thorough history of the patient’s pain, including location, intensity, and duration
Assess the patient’s vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate
Evaluate the patient’s pain using a pain assessment tool, such as a numerical rating scale or visual analogue scale
Identify any underlying causes of the pain, such as an injury or illness.
Step 2: Diagnosis
Identify the patient’s main nursing diagnosis based on the assessment findings. Examples of common pain-related nursing diagnoses include “Acute Pain related to…as evidenced by…” and “Chronic Pain related to… as evidenced by.”
Step 3: Planning
Establish specific, measurable goals for the patient’s pain management. For example, “The patient will report a decrease in pain from an 8/10 to a 4/10 on a numerical rating scale within the next 24 hours of Nursing intervention.”
Step 4: Implementation
Develop an individualized plan of care to meet the patient’s needs. This may include:
Administering pain medication as prescribed
Encouraging the patient to participate in physical therapy or other forms of rehabilitation
Teaching the patient relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation
Providing comfort measures, such as positioning and repositioning the patient, using heat or cold therapy, or offering massage
Step 5: Evaluation
Continuously monitor the patient’s pain level and adjust the care plan as needed
Reassess the patient’s response to the pain management interventions and make any necessary modifications
Document the patient’s progress and communicate any changes to the healthcare team.
Pain management is a crucial aspect of patient care, and the nursing care plan plays an important role in ensuring that the patient receives effective and individualized care. By following a systematic and evidence-based approach, nurses can help alleviate the patient’s pain and improve their quality of life.
A Registered Nurse, Femi Ogunrombi aka Papa Ajasco has passed on. Papa Ajasco was an actor, singer, highlifist and trained nurse.
Femi Ogunrombi started his career as a trained and registered nurse before he left to for music and later acting.
Nurse Femi Ogunrombi aka Papa Ajasco trained as a Nurse in 1975 and practised at the Accident and Emergency unit of the General Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos,. This enabled him to switch to industrial medical practices; he later worked with Atlantic Textiles Mills as a medical officer.
The Board of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has approved the wearing of shoulder-length hijab for nurses while on duty.
The approval came at an emergency meeting convened on December 20, 2022, according to a circular released by the body.
In a circular issued by its Secretary-General/Registrar, Faruk Umar Abubakar PhD, the Council noted that the development is a validation of the Circular N&MCN/CMF/721/1/3 of 11th February, 2002 on Nurses Uniform.
According to him, the circular stated that female nurses should wear either a nurse cap or a shoulder-length hijab.
There have, however, been series of harassment and violations recorded against nurses and nursing students over the hijab.
In this new circular, the board established approval for the use of hijab by nurses.
“Heads of health facilities are hereby advised to abide by the Board’s decision for allowing female nurses to wear shoulder-length hijab on their uniform while on duty,” the circular read.
Abubakar concluded: “Thank you for your cooperation with the Council in promoting and maintaining excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Education and Practice in Nigeria in line with global best practices.”
An angry man on Tuesday attacked a medical doctor and a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, following the death of his wife.
The man and his son had descended heavily on the medical practitioners around 2am on Tuesday, shortly after they were informed of the 53-year-old woman’s death at the emergency ward of the FMC.
Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Ogun State, Dr Kunle Ashimi, condemned the attack in a chat with newsmen, saying the woman died of heart failure.
Ashimi identified the assaulted Doctor as Pelumi Somorin, adding that the identity of the nurse was yet to be ascertained.
According to him, the father and son slapped the doctor when the death of their family member was announced to them.
Ashimi said the 53-year-old woman was presented to the hospital with a severe form of heart failure, which in itself, he said, showed that it would take more than a miracle for the woman to survive.
“In other words, she was at the end stage of heart failure. This was explained to the relatives when she was brought to the facility but, notwithstanding, we also believe in miracles and we feel that we should do our best to see what can happen,” he said.
”Unfortunately, this particular patient gave up the ghost around 2 am and the husband and son of the deceased descended on the doctor that had been taking care of the patient when the news of her death was announced.
“The doctor received a slap from each of them and subsequently they descended on her and she was only saved by people around.
”A nurse was also assaulted by these people,” he said.
The NMA Chairman stated that police were alerted, but despite their presence the son continued with the assault.
He informed that the DPO of Kemta Police Station, who led the police team to the scene, had eventually taken the duo to the station, where their statements were taken.
Meanwhile, Ashimi has warned Nigerians to desist from assaulting healthcare givers, vowing that anyone found guilty would be brought to book.
“We have decided that this will be the last and we will not stop at pleadings. We have decided to take the case to the court and we shall be in the court tomorrow.
“Every legal proceeding has been commenced and we shall take this case to the court.
“We want to make an appeal and as well as a warning to all those who use hospital services in Ogun state that the Nigerian Medical Association as well as its affiliates and each individual doctor will not henceforth accept the term ‘we are sorry’ from anybody who assaults any of our members.
“We will go to any length to prosecute such persons and we will not accept the pleading of anybody no matter how highly placed the person is,” he warned.
The Police Public Relations Officer Ogun, Abimbola Oyeyemi, could not be reached for comments.
Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti (FETHI) School of Nursing has been upgraded to a degree awarding institution.
The chief medical director of the tertiary health institution, Prof. Adekunle Ajayi disclosed that the move followed a partnership between FETHI and the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).
The CMD spoke in Ido Ekiti at the weekend during the 2nd Convocation and Award Ceremony of the 2013 – 2019 Sets of the Nursing School.
Ajayi said, “The school has stopped admitting students for Registered Nurse programme owing to directive from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria; henceforth, students will be admitted for Bachelor of Nursing programme as a result of a collaborative arrangement with FUOYE’s Nursing Department”.
He said the clarification becomes necessary due to the rumours in some quarters that the school is folding about up, adding that the upgrade will be in the best interest of the institution and Ido-Ekiti community.
The CMD admonished the graduands to be patriotic and reciprocate the Government kind gesture who had heavily subsidized the cost of their education by staying back in the country to save the lives of Nigerians through their services.
In a bid to address labour shortages and bump up the economy post Covid, New Zealand announced that nurses and midwives will now be eligible for immediate residency in the country.
Announcing a slew of changes, Immigration Minister Michael Wood said the country is expanding its Green List settings to include more professions and provide greater certainty to businesses as they recover from the pandemic.
Migrants working in the Green List roles have a clear pathway to residence in New Zealand.
While doctors were eligible for the straight-to-residency pathway, nurses and midwives were not.
“From Thursday (December 15), registered nurses and midwives will have an immediate pathway to the residence, including those already in New Zealand,” Wood said.
“Since the pandemic 3,474 nurses have arrived in the country, but it’s clear we need to do more to encourage nurses to choose New Zealand. Adding these roles will further build on the attractiveness of New Zealand to those looking to set themselves and their families up long term,” Wood said in a statement.
The minister added that from March 2023, the work to residence pathway will be further expanded to include all teachers, and will add in additional roles such as drain layers, motor mechanics, and skilled civil machine operators.
The Green List is a list of occupations that qualify for a fast-track to residence or have access to a work to residence pathway.
A range of jobs are on the list, including health workers, vets, engineers and ICT specialists.There are around 100 hard-to-fill roles included on the Green List, including roles in construction, engineering, trades, health, and tech.The Green List of New Zealand has been under review for quite some time now and it will continue being reviewed in mid-2023.
The Director of Clinical Services and Training, Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Dr. Titus Oyedele, has expressed concern over the issue of brain drain in Nigeria, saying already about 50 of its doctors and 90 of its nurses have resigned to seek greener pastures abroad.
Oyedele, who disclosed this at the weekend, while taking journalists on a tour of the institution’s facilities, blamed the issue of brain drain popularly known now as ‘Japa’, on leadership failure and having people in position who do not believe in the system.
He said retaining the best hands in the hospital has been challenging as it has to pay so much just to get competent and qualified personnel.
According to him, “At times, we have to source for highly skilled personnel even at a very high cost. For instance, in a system, you can have 10 people and many institutions struggling to get them. It has become the highest bidder, but the university has been trying its best to ensure that no matter what it costs, we have to ensure that the system is running.
“God has been helping us; we have been trying to attract the best hands in the country.”
Asked how the hospital copes with the number of patients in hospital, he said: “We try to survive. It’s difficult really especially when you have personnel who are just getting used to the system, and the next minute they are leaving.”
The director, however, said the university does not have a problem replacing staff who are out of the system, adding that it replaces them immediately and even attract personnel from outside the country.
According to him, “As I speak, we need a radiologist, so the university just sent out a letter to somebody that will be coming from outside the country so that we can ensure quality services. It is challenging but we have to survive.”
He emphasised on some of the successful surgeries it had carried out, saying the result it had gotten so far is enough to tell anybody traveling out to seek healthcare that they can actually get quality treatment at the hospital.
On Monday, October 10th, 2022, Seventh-day Adventist Church members in Northern Nigeria gathered to pray for the take-off of the Adventist College of Nursing Sciences Jengre, Plateau State.
Held at Seventh-day Adventist Church Hospital, Jengre, the special prayer session had in attendance, Mrs. Ladi Zhu, Director, Plateau State Nursing Services as well as clerics from other denominations such as Evangelical Church of Winning All.
Leaders and members of Seventh-day Adventist in Northern Nigeria were full of gratitude to God for the birth of College of Nursing Sciences Jengre.
Dr. Barnabas Mandong, professor of pathology, University of Jos, the guest speaker at the special prayer session, noted that health education remains an integral part of Christian education, which the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide has never undermined.
The former commissioner for Health, Plateau State is optimistic that Adventist College of Nursing Sciences Jengre will reflect Christ, promote good health as well as develop character and nurture the students emotionally, socially and physically.
Dr. Mandong is quoted as saying that: “Health education is a part of God’s plan of redemption and restoration to a saving relationship with our Saviour”.
On his part, Pastor Yohanna Harry, President, Northern Nigeria Union Conference, ably represented by the Union Executive Secretary, Pastor Istifanus Ishaya, reaffirmed the commitment of the church in Northern Nigeria to health education and ministry of healing.
He said: “The establishment of Adventist College of Nursing Sciences Jengre is a pointer that Adventist church is keen to help the teeming youth in Northern Nigeria towards developing career paths that will blend with their spiritual growth and satisfaction especially in field of Nursing Sciences
Mrs. Jerisha Kakwi, Chairperson Technical Committee, Adventist College of Nursing Sciences Jengre, is confident that the serenity of the college environment will greatly enhance teaching and learning. “The existence of this college is a historic milestone for the Church in Northern Nigeria and we are grateful to God for His providence, wisdom and guidance“, Mrs. Kakwi added.
Adventist College of Nursing Sciences Jengre is situated within the premises of the Seventh-day Adventist Hospital Jengre, Plateau State along Jos-Zaria road. The college has 4 lecture halls. Each hall has a minimum of 50 seating capacity.
Ghana is about signing a nurse-for-cash agreement with the government of the United Kingdom.
Each nurse Ghana sends to the UK, once the deal is done, is likely to fetch the West African country £1,000, Health Minister Kweku Agyeman-Manu announced on the floor of parliament on Monday, 5 December 2022 during a debate of the 2023 budget.
Already, Ghanaian nurses are being sent to Barbados per an earlier agreement signed between the two countries.
“Mr Speaker, as you are aware, we’ve started sending our nurses outside on a bilateral basis and the agreement we signed with Barbados has sent the second cohort of nurses to Barbados. Mr Speaker, why would they come for both? Now, in Barbados, what we hear is the fact that patients are requesting Ghanaian nurses to be on their bedside and I think that is a plus for us”, Mr Agyeman-Manu said.
“We are engaging with the government of the United Kingdom and we are just about signing a memorandum of understanding after Cabinet approval to begin to send nurses, even certificate nurses to go for training and work there and come back home after three years”, he told the house.
“And, out of these nurses, Ghana is going to benefit from some little monies that the UK government will pass on”, he noted, explaining: “For every single nurse that goes away – when we finish the agreement – it’s likely we’ll get a £1,000 to come back to support our health system”.
Ninety-five Ghanaian nurses (49 women and 46 men) on Thursday, 30 July 2020 arrived in Barbados on an Azores Airlines chartered flight for a two-year contract.
They were to help the Caribbean country’s healthcare system.
In March 2022, the Prime Minister of the Island nation, Mia Motley, said during Ghana’s 65th independence anniversary in the Central Region, at which she was the special guest of honour, that: “I stand here on your Independence Day to thank the people of Ghana for being able to support us in our need for nurses, with the first 95 nurses having gone to Barbados in July 2020.”
“We thank you, the government of the people of Ghana, for that most generous gesture, and we are heartened that they have made a huge difference to our public healthcare system; so much so that we have completed an interview for another 200 nurses to come to Barbados in the near future,” she added.
In November 2019, the Foreign Ministers of Ghana and Barbados, on behalf of the governments and peoples of their respective countries, signed an agreement for the recruitment of a total of 120 nurses from Ghana to complement the staffing needs of the island nation.
The agreement was signed on Friday, 15 November 2019 at Ghana’s Jubilee House, when the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, paid a courtesy call on the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as part of her official visit.
The objective of the agreement is to provide the framework for the provision of nurses by the Republic of Ghana to Barbados, taking cognisance of the existing commitment of Barbados to accepted international workforce policies and practices, as well as the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Code of Ethics for nurses.
The scope of services and responsibilities include Ghana providing registered nurses to Barbados with a level of expertise as agreed to by both countries, with Barbados providing Ghanaian nurses safe and secure working conditions for professional practice, and medical treatment where needed.
Remuneration is commensurate with the terms and conditions of Barbadian local registered nurses. Barbados is also to provide professional support to Ghanaian nurses to comply with the guidelines and rules of the Nursing Council of Barbados.
A total of 150 short-listed candidates underwent interviews, out of which 120 were to have been chosen.
The qualified nurses possess a minimum of three years of experience, with specialities in the following areas: critical care, cardiac catheterisation, emergency room, operating theatre, and ophthalmology.
It will be recalled that on 15 June 2019, during an official visit to Barbados, as part of activities to promote the declaration of 2019 as the Year of Return, President Akufo-Addo, in principle, agreed to a request by Prime Minister Mottley to send some nurses to work in a number of medical facilities in Barbados.
Addressing a press conference in the aftermath of the bilateral discussions, and with Barbados facing an acute nursing shortage, the Barbadian Prime Minister stated that “we have indicated that we are searching for just under 400 nurses, so it is not a small number, and we really do believe that this is a wonderful opportunity of co-operation between our two countries.”
In addition, she noted that there was also an initial promise to secure the nurses and provide joint education programmes going forward, all in an attempt to secure Barbados’ healthcare sector.
For his part, President Akufo-Addo indicated that “we have a surplus of nurses in Ghana, and placing them all in our public health system is one of my headaches. There have been a lot (of nurses) produced, which, for several years, we have not been able to do anything with.”
He continued, “So, I am going back. I will be back in Accra on Monday, and, the week after, the Prime Minister will hear from me on this matter of nurses.”
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