KT4000 | Health Promotion | Promoting Health in Extended Care
Ms. Agatha Costas is a 42-year old woman, diagnosed with right sided metastatic breast cancer. She has lymphatic metastases in the right axilla and metastases in her liver and both lungs. The primary lesion was surgically removed as a lumpectomy three years ago but was identified as a particularly aggressive form of cancer related to the BRCA1 gene. Two months ago, Agatha began experiencing increased respiratory distress, fatigue, abdominal pain, chest heaviness and some confusion.
Agatha is divorced and has one child. Alec is 12 years old and is autistic. Agatha’s ex- husband moved back to Greece before Alec was born, where he has remarried and started a new family. There has been no contact for 12 years.
Prior to developing the metastases causing respiratory distress and confusion, Agatha worked as a part time patient care attendant (PCA) in a local nursing home, and has been the sole caregiver of Alec. Two months ago she decided to resign from work, to care for her son and herself with the assistance of her sister Irene. Agatha receives support from the local Greek community and Church in the form of meals and general house duties.
Current symptoms Agatha is experiencing include:
· itchy skin
· swollen abdomen
· shortness of breath on exertion (after ambulating for four/five metres)
· dry, persistent cough
· reduced appetite
· dry mouth
· oral thrush
· fatigue
· confusion and forgetfulness
Her current medications include:
· Nystatin oral solution 1ml four times a day pc
· Metoclopramide 10 mg three times a day 30 minutes before meals
· Salbutamol inhaler 2 puffs four times a day.
· Spironolactone 100 mg daily
· Prednisolone 10 mg twice a day
· Targin 10mg/5mg BD
· Endone 5mg PRN
Although Agatha has been educated about the prognosis of her condition, as a Greek Orthodox she believes that there is possibility of a miracle and is spending a lot of her time in Church, fasting when she can. Her Church community is continuing to cook and pray for her although they cannot get her to eat well and are very worried about her. Agatha is taking her medications intermittently when she remembers, focusing any spare time on her son Alec.
You are the community nurse and have been seeing Agatha at her home for three weeks.
Answer:
Introduction
The case that has been selected for the paper is “Client diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer”. This case study includes the matter of patient whose name is Ms Agatha Costas who is 42 years old women and was diagnosed with the right-sided metastatic breast cancer. The patient is dealing with the lymphatic metastases in the right axilla and in the liver with both lungs. She had the
treatment which includes surgical removal of lumpectomy 3 years ago but determines an as aggressive form of cancer that is linked to the BRCA1 gene. Being the community nurse, I found that she is dealing with some issues which include Nutrition in eating, not taking medications, no job, Care for son and Symptoms management.
Explanation of two issues
The 5 major issues that are highlighted reflect that patients are dealing with these issues. Out of these issues, two issues are selected which include: -
- Symptoms management
- Care for son.
Symptoms management
Agatha Nursing Issue: - Agatha is dealing with some of the symptoms which are affecting their lifestyle. The symptoms which are faced by her include itchy skin, swollen abdomen, dry and persistent cough, shortness of breath on exertion, dry mouth, reduced appetite, fatigue, oral thrush, forgetfulness and confusion.
Complications of patient: - In metastatic breast cancer, this has been found that patient is majorly facing fatigue issue and shortness of breath on exertion.
Priorities of Nurse: - It becomes the priority of nurse to reduce the level of fatigue and to improve shortness of breath on exertion so that she can interact with her son and maintain self-care.
Nurse Intervention: -
- The nurse plays vital in managing the symptoms faced by the metastatic breast cancer patients who include starting a gradual exercise program in which the patient needs to walk so that they can gain the strength and energy level. This is the way through which they can improve the blood flow which reduces the blood clots (Cancer Care, 2018).
- The nurse should help the patients in taking the proper medication like morphine which will control the problem of shortness of breath (Eldribge, 2018).
Care for son
Agatha Nursing Issue: - Agatha is a divorced lady with one child whose name is Alec, he is 12 years old and is autistic which means he deals with the verbal and non-verbal communication. Agatha is not in contact with his husband since last 12 years as he moved to Greece before Alec born. This remain Agatha will issue that who will look after his son as she is undergoing with the treatment of Cancer.
Complications of patient: - In metastatic breast cancer, the patient will deal with the pain, Cachexia and many others. The major complications can be related to the brain metastases, liver metastases, lung Metastases and others (Eldribge, 2018). All these complications lead to psychological stress for patient because they are not able to manage their child.
Nursing priorities: - The priority of the nurse is to look after health of the patients to improve the condition. Along with this, the child remains alone due to which it become the responsible to look after child.
Nurse Intervention: -
- Nurse intervention is to perform therapy which includes physical therapy, acupuncture, and massage that which will help them in managing the symptoms (Keeney & Head, 2011).
- The nurse should apply their practice that helps in managing the autistic child which include being consistent with them, acting with good behaviour, finding the nonverbal clues for communicating and many others (Irvin, Muss & Mayer, 2011).
References
Cancer Care. (2018). Metastatic Breast Cancer: Pain and Symptom Management. Retrieved from: https://www.cancercare.org/publications/347-metastatic_breast_cancer_pain_and_symptom_management
Eldribge, L. (2018) Complications of Advanced (Metastatic) Breast Cancer. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellhealth.com/complications-of-advanced-metastatic-breast-cancer-4159828
Irvin, W., Muss, H. B., & Mayer, D. K. (2011). Symptom management in metastatic breast cancer. The oncologist, theoncologist, 6(9): 1203–1214.
Keeney, C. E., & Head, B. A. (2011). Palliative nursing care of the patient with cancer-related fatigue. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 13(5), 270-278.
Buy KT4000 | Health Promotion | Promoting Health in Extended Care Answers Online
Talk to our expert to get the help with KT4000 | Health Promotion | Promoting Health in Extended Care Answers to complete your assessment on time and boost your grades now
The main aim/motive of the management assignment help services is to get connect with a greater number of students, and effectively help, and support them in getting completing their assignments the students also get find this a wonderful opportunity where they could effectively learn more about their topics, as the experts also have the best team members with them in which all the members effectively support each other to get complete their diploma assignments. They complete the assessments of the students in an appropriate manner and deliver them back to the students before the due date of the assignment so that the students could timely submit this, and can score higher marks. The experts of the assignment help services at urgenthomework.com are so much skilled, capable, talented, and experienced in their field of programming homework help writing assignments, so, for this, they can effectively write the best economics assignment help services.
