Nurse Using Critical Thinking Skills Essay Paper
Question
You are assigned to care for Mrs. L. today. It is her second postoperative day after a left hip replacement. She had severe degeneration and fusion of her hip joint as a result of postponing surgery for more than 5 years. The surgery took longer than usual due to the extent of damage. Mrs. L. has a history of pulmonary embolism, occurring approximately 2 years ago, for which she has been on warfarin. One goal for today is to assist the patient to get up into the chair. She is obese, and you ask a co-worker for help. Approximately 15 minutes after getting Mrs. L. into the chair, she complains of midsternal chest heaviness and becomes extremely anxious. She shows signs of diaphoresis and dyspnea. Her blood pressure is 98/60 mm Hg with a pulse rate of 108 beats per minute and a respiratory rate of 28 breaths per minute. Discuss and identify what a nurse using critical thinking skills might do in this situation.