V VAGAL MANEUVERS When a patient suffers sinus, atrial, or junctional tachyarrhythmias, vagal maneuvers—Valsalva’s maneuver and carotid sinus massage—can slow his heart rate. These maneuvers work by stimulating nerve endings,…
P PACEMAKER, CARE OF PERMANENT A pacemaker is implanted when the heart’s natural pacemaker fails to work properly. It provides electrical impulses to the cardiac muscle as a means to…
U UNDERSTAFFING Understaffing occurs when the facility administration fails to provide enough professionally trained personnel to meet the patient population’s needs. Determining whether your unit has too few nurses or…
T TERMINATION OF LIFE SUPPORT According to the right-to-die laws of most states, a patient has the right to refuse extraordinary life-supporting measures if he has no hope of recovery….
S SECLUSION During seclusion, a patient is separated from others in a safe, secure, and contained environment with close nursing supervision to protect himself, other patients, and staff members from…
R RAPE-TRAUMA SYNDROME The term “rape” refers to nonconsensual sexual intercourse. Rape inflicts varying degrees of physical and psychological trauma. Rape-trauma syndrome typically occurs during the period following the rape…
Q QUALITY OF CARE, FAMILY QUESTIONS ABOUT At times, the family of a patient may have questions about the quality of care that a family member is receiving. These concerns…
D DEATH OF A PATIENT After a patient dies, care includes preparing him for family viewing, arranging transportation to the morgue or funeral home, and determining the disposition of the…
O ORGAN DONATION A federal requirement enacted in 1998 requires facilities to report deaths to the regional organ procurement organization (OPO). This regulation was enacted so that no potential donor…
N NASOGASTRIC TUBE CARE Providing effective nasogastric (NG) tube care requires meticulous monitoring of the patient and the equipment. Monitoring the patient involves checking drainage from the NG tube and…
