Description
Please respond to discussion below using current APA edition and 2 scholarly references. Must be 150 words.
Clinical experience is one of the academic requirements and qualifications for becoming a professional advanced nurse practitioner. ANP must attend clinical rotations and engage in clinical practice and patient assessment in the clinical facilities. This week’s clinical experience was challenging and insightful at the same time. I managed to interact with and handle different patient cases. I actively participated in patient assessments and coming up with accurate diagnosis and treatment plans for different patient cases. This week was a success since I was able to apply the knowledge I have learned and acquired in my course in handling patient assessments. I gained experience in different clinical practices and handling different clinical cases, which enriched my expertise and competency. However, I encountered challenges handling patients from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. I learned that patients have other preferences when it comes to medical care, and I was able to understand them and respect their decisions.
Patient Assessment
Rose, a 28-year-old female patient, presented to the clinic with severe abdominal. The patient stated that she had never had such an occurrence and reported that it was the first time she had such an experience. She has never been admitted to the hospital before and has not been on medication in the last six months. The patient, however, has various symptoms, including high blood pressure, high body temperature and fever, nausea, and vomiting (Cesur et al., 2023).
The assessment was conducted by first assessing the scale of pain the patient is experiencing. On a scale of 1 to 10, the patient rated the pain at 8. She states that the pain is severe and occurs after five to ten minutes. The first plan of care administered to the patient was pain management to help relieve and reduce the intensity of pain she was experiencing (Yang et al., 2023). Afterward, physical assessment and diagnosis were conducted. The patient’s abdominal region was assessed for any palpitations. The patient was also requested to point or locate where the pain was originating from. The body temperature and blood pressure were both assessed. The bowel sounds were assessed and found to be normal.
Differential Diagnosis
A differential diagnosis was conducted to come up with an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient. The differential diagnosis for this patient case was appendicitis or gallstones, pyelonephritis, and nephrolithiasis. To come up with an accurate diagnosis, several laboratory tests were ordered. The first test ordered was a pregnancy test to help determine whether the patient was pregnant to avoid X-rays (Cesur et al., 2023). A urinalysis test was also ordered to help in finding out whether the cause of the pain was due to renal malfunctions. The urinalysis was normal, and therefore, this was an indication of normal functioning kidneys. Complete blood tests and imaging of the pelvic region were ordered. The white blood cell count was high, indicating the presence of illness or inflammation in the body. The ultrasound indicated a swollen appendix; the patient was diagnosed with appendicitis (Monsonis et al., 2020).
Health Promotion Intervention
The health promotion intervention for this patient was first managing the pain by administering painkillers. The patient was also scheduled for appendectomy or appendectomy surgery to remove it (Yang et al., 2023). The patient was educated on living a healthy lifestyle by eating plenty of fiber and a healthy diet. The patient was encouraged to take vegetables and fruits and eat foods rich in minerals and vitamins. During this week, I learned the importance of conducting differential diagnoses while handling patient cases to help in coming up with an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for patient cases.
