Geriatric Patient Care
Describe your clinical experience for this week with a geriatric patient 65 years or older
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Geriatric Patient Care
- Did you face any challenges, any success? If so, what were they?
- Describe the assessment of a patient, detailing the signs and symptoms (S&S), assessment, plan of care, and at least 3 possible differential diagnosis with rationales.
- Mention the health promotion intervention for this patient.
- What did you learn from this week’s clinical experience that can beneficial for you as an advanced practice nurse?
- Support your plan of care with the current peer-reviewed research guideline.
Submission Instructions:
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources within5 years 2020-2025
Clinical Experience with a Geriatric Patient
This week, I had the opportunity to provide care for a 72-year-old female patient presenting with complaints of fatigue, shortness of breath on exertion, and occasional dizziness. The patient has a history of hypertension and osteoarthritis. My clinical experience highlighted both challenges and successes in managing the complex needs of an older adult.
Challenges and Successes
One of the challenges I faced was conducting a comprehensive assessment while ensuring effective communication, given the patient’s mild hearing impairment and some cognitive slowing. I addressed this by speaking slowly, using clear language, and confirming understanding frequently. A success was my ability to build rapport, which encouraged the patient to openly discuss her symptoms and concerns, allowing for a more accurate assessment.
Assessment
Upon assessment, the patient exhibited pallor, a slightly elevated respiratory rate of 22 breaths per minute, and a blood pressure of 140/85 mmHg. Auscultation revealed mild bilateral basal crackles. Pulse oximetry showed an oxygen saturation of 92% on room air. The patient reported progressive fatigue over two weeks, shortness of breath when climbing stairs, and occasional lightheadedness when standing up quickly.
Plan of Care
The initial plan of care included ordering a complete blood count (CBC), chest X-ray, and ECG to evaluate for possible anemia, cardiac issues, or pulmonary conditions. I advised monitoring vital signs and oxygen saturation regularly and recommended a gradual increase in activity as tolerated……………….
