Clinical Scenario
P.T. is a 25-year-old women who has been diagnosed with breast cancer with metastasis to her brain. She was recently readmitted to the hospital for pain management. She has two young daughters, who are 3 and 5. P.T. cannot care for herself, but is very aware that she will die. The nurse assists her in her daily needs: bedpan, flushing of implanted central venous access device (port), bathing, emotional support, vital signs, and pain management. Her appetite is poor and needs encouraged to eat; she also has been diagnoses with depression since her diagnosis with breast cancer. She has become progressively weak and is a fall risk. Her family visits daily; the nurse also talks with them about the care of P.T., and provides emotional support to them. P.T. often becomes angry with the nurses. She throws items and yells during care. She becomes upset when the nurse cannot hear her blood pressure; the nurse reassures patient and listens to P.T.’s concerns of dying and leaving her small children behind. P.T. reports she enjoys music; the nurse offers music theory for the patients comfort. P.T. is regularly turned for skin integrity and
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Relief is the state of having a discomfort alleviated, such as: pain in P.T.’s case (Kolcaba, 2005, p. 188). Let us start with her physical experiences. In the scenario she had pain, lack of mobility, fall risk, and poor appetite. She had initially came to the hospital for pain control and medication management to help in her comfort levels. These can be measureable by using the pain scale and nonverbal cues of pain (such as holding body parts, crying, or grimacing), intake and output of fluids, and any falls that occur; also known as ease; the state of calm or contentment (Kolcaba, 2005, p. 188). P.T. can now feel that her pain is under control, she is able to get assistance with mobility, decreasing her fall risk (use of bed alarm, and staff) and increase in calorie intake with use of