OB Case Study

NURS 333: Clinical Management of the Growing Family

Purpose of the Assignment: The purpose of this paper is for the student to conduct an in-depth assessment of a childbearing woman and her family in order to plan nursing care specific to that client, based on nursing research and AWHONN Standards of Care. The assessment will include the appropriate physiological, psychological, social, cultural, and environmental influences pertaining to the client and her family as it relates to preconception, conception, antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and neonatal care

Student Approach to Assignment: I approached this assignment by gathering information about one of the patients I encountered during my obstetrics clinical rotation. This information includes assessment in all stages (prepartum, intrapartum, and antepartum), and  psychological, social, and cultural factors that may have influenced nursing care and research chosen. Upon completion of this assignment I learned the importance of performing an assessment based on all outside factors (social, cultural, psychological, etc.) to provide the most holistic care for the patient.

Reason for Inclusion of the Assignment in the Portfolio: The inclusion of this assignment in my portfolio is important because it showcases my ability to gather necessary assessment data and provide patient-centered nursing care, supported by research. 

• Domains 2, 3: Person-Centered Care, Population Health Descriptor
  • (8) Applies appropriate knowledge of major health problems to guide nursing practice.
    • In this assignment, I chose the top three priority nursing diagnoses for the patient based on the assessment data gathered. One of the nursing diagnoses I chose was Grief evidenced by her verbalization of missing and grieving her son. Interventions included assessing the patient’s coping mechanisms and support system and encouraging the patient to follow up with a psychiatrist following hospital discharge to assist in her grieving process.
  • (18) Educate individuals and families regarding self-care for health promotion, illness prevention, and illness management.
    • In this assignment, I educated the patient and support systems on the importance of smoking cessation, side effects of newly prescribed medication and when to report them, and encouraged mental health follow ups.
  • (6) Communicate effectively with individuals
    • In this assignment,  I educated my patient on the purpose of my assignment and included rationale prior to performing any assessment. I educated her on the importance of early ambulation postpartum to prevent further complications and reduce pain.
• Domain 4: Scholarship for the Nursing Discipline
  • (27) Evaluates research that focuses on the efficacy and effectiveness of nursing interventions
    • I included research material identifying the importance of early ambulation in relation to pain management post cesarean section. I then used this research to identify and provide nursing interventions that could be beneficial to the patient, and was able to evaluate its effectiveness.
• Domain 7: Systems-Based Practice
  • (4) Recognize the impact of health disparities and social determinants of health on care outcomes.
    • In this assignment, I hightlited the impacts of health disparities and social determinants of health such as low resources, limited prenatal care, and the patients struggle with substance use and mental health issues. Identifying the impacts of SDOH and health disparities helped me develop appropriate nursing interventions and guide my nursing care.
  • (36) Understands the effect of legal and regulatory processes on nursing practice and healthcare delivery.
    • While performing my interviews and directly caring for the patient in this assignment, I abided by HIPPA laws, practiced skills within the scope of pactice of an RN, and followed protocols provided by the hospital and my instutition.
• Domain 8: Informatics and Healthcare Technologies
  • (38) Uses informatics to enhance one’s own knowledge base to provide patient centered care and support teaching.
    • For this assignment, I was able to utilize electronic medical records to gather information about the patient prior and during her hospital stay. I was also able to view the patients prescribed medication and educate the patient on side effects that should be reported to healthcare staff. This enhanced my knowledge on the major psychological side effects that this patient would need to be educated on to provide optimal patient care.