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This essay will discuss the importance of needs assessment in nursing practice. It will also identify and explore the use of appropriate tools that are required for the service user in the scenario. From the assessment tools selected, one will be priorities and applied in relation to the service user’s condition. The possible outcomes will then be discussed for future care planning for the service user. Finally, the essay will summaries what has been learnt from using the assessment tool. According to Dry. Shame (2004) asses, plan, implement and evaluate are the four stages in the nursing process. Sees is the first stage and it is the process which information is gathered about the service users health needs for example past and present health issues, this process is a continuous as the service user is always eased (Peat, 2010, p. 48). Peat (2010, p. 50) said that planning is important as this stage is when all the preparation is carried out for what the service users care are, proportioning and writing the goals of the need that needs to be achieved. Peat (2010, p. 53) suggest that implementation is carrying out the care that is set out for the service user and reassessing the services users health and wellbeing.
Peat (2010, p. 54) concludes that evaluation is looking at whether the goals has been achieved for the service user and looking at the broad spectrum of whether the service users care needs to be planned differently. Nursing assessment is the fist stage that the health care provider establishes a rapport with the service user, the importance of this stage is to identify the service users problems and they are expressed as actual and potential this will give a guide of what they plan that is put in place for the care of the service user (Glasses el, 2010, p. 65 to 66).
For the purpose of this essay the child scenario is chosen which is Luke Jackson an 8 year old boy who lives with his mother Marie and two sisters age 5. Luke has been diagnosed with asthma since he was 5 but his asthma is not well controlled. Marie is worried about losing her Job as she has taken lots of time of work due to Lake’s condition. Lake’s asthma is always worse when he comes back from his father’s house. Dan (father) lives with his partner and has two cats which Luke loves (see appendix 2 for more detailed). The Roper, Logan and Tierney model will be implemented on the care and needs of Luke. Ere are 12 activities of daily living (ODL) Breathing, Eating and Drinking, Maintaining a safe environment, Elimination, manipulation, washing and dressing, working and playing, expressing sexuality, sleeping, death and dying, controlling temperature and communication and along that there are factors that influencing these activities of living ( Roper el, 2000, p. 14). To maintaining a safe environment, Luke will need to be send for skin prick test (SPOT) to check whether he is allergic to cats. In the mean time it would be best to keep Luke away from cats as this is what seems to make his asthma condition worse. According to Cross (2007) SPOT is vital as it informs the professionals whether the patient has any allergy, this is performed to detect mucilaginous isotope antibodies. The advantages of SPOT for Luke is that this test is quick, it takes 15 to 20 minutes to get the result and it provides the information for inhaled, occupational and ingested allergies therefore Luke can go back to seeing his father and Dan can put the necessary precaution so that Luke does not get excruciation of asthma if he is allergic to the cats (Cross, 2007). According to Cross 2007) the disadvantage of SPOT is that it only be performed in hospitals as there is a risk of nonphysical shock and might need resuscitation. Berger (2002) concluded that the negative aspect of SPOT is that the result can be misinterpreted and that antihistamines and oral corticosteroids need to be stopped prior to SPOT. N regards to Luke he is reluctant to eat and drink as it makes him breathlessness, if this continuous it can lead to malnutrition therefore it is necessary to carry out Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics (STAMP) as it is easy to use in involves in asking Luke and his mother questions to identify malnutrition and given them guidelines as to what they can do to prevent it (McCarthy el, 20012). McCarthy el (2012) concluded that the disadvantages of STAMP is that the health professionals do not need a lot of training in carrying out STAMP, therefore this can lead to the wrong advice been given to the service user. N regards to Lake’s elimination matters as he is reluctant to eat and drink this can lead to constipation therefore Bristol stool chart (BBS) needs to be carried out to determine this and also to see what Lake’s owl movement is and whether there is a need for treatment (Glasses el, 2009, up. 171-190). It is easy to use very colorful but on the other hand patient can misinterpret what type of stool it was therefore it can lead to the wrong treatment been given. Expressing Sexuality this ODL does not need further assessment at this time but will reassess in the future. S Luke is finding it difficult in communicating in full sentence the Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SABA) will be used. According to Horror (2013) the SABA is a 4 part tool that gives the information f the situation, background, assessment and recommendation of the service user, for example in Lake’s situation it is very useful as it the nurse the chance to observe the situation that Luke is in currently and what can be done to improve it. In Lake’s condition his manipulation is effected as he gets breathless therefore the Humpty Dumpy pediatric fall assessment (HTH) will be carried out.
HTH is a 7 question that is related to fall’s for example the if the child has had a fall before then the score from that is collected to determine what actions and preventions to be taken pending on the score if Luke score between 7 and 11 he will be in a low risk and the nurse does not need to take any action at that moment of time in the other hand if the score is higher 11 then there is guidelines so that it can be followed and Luke can be transferred to the physiotherapist or occupational health.