Case Study: Old Man with Dimentia

Case Study
Student’s Name:
Student’s Number:
Institution:
Introduction
Student nurses have numerous responsibilities. To achieve all of them, they ought to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills that are required for clinical competence. The skills that they learn in class are as significant as the ones they obtain from the field. It is pertinent that student nurses demonstrate progression toward holistic nursing care. This essay uses two case studies to analyze knowledge and critical thinking and effective communication and interpersonal skills. The first case study is a situation about a 75-year-old male who was diagnosed with dementia. The second example evaluates the communication between a patient with type-2 diabetes and a nurse about potential risk factors of cardiovascular disease.
Criterion 1: Demonstrates knowledge and application of critical thinking within the clinical setting.
Situation
A 75-year-old male was diagnosed with dementia. The person had started showing signs of having difficulties with several mental functions. He showed problems with memory and learning, could not speak well and fluently, and had issues with social cognition. As an adult, typically, he has had several liabilities (Finkel et al., 2016). Since the symptoms of dementia are progressive, as a nurse student, I chose to provide an early diagnosis to allow him to benefit from available treatments. In addition to providing a course of action for the patient, I assessed any symptoms of the association between dementia and urinary tract infections. Urinary tract infections can significantly affect the normal functioning of a patient with Alzheimer's disease or any other kind of dementia.
Task
Firstly, I read extensively about the condition, educated myself, and maintained a positive and realistic attitude towards the disease. Also, I accepted support in caregiving and chose to empathize with the patient actively. The purpose of this was to gain additional insight into the problem, converse with people who have dealt with the issue and retain a strong relationship with the patient (Sachs et al., 2004). Some of the tips that I induced in the process were maintaining my sense of humor, responding with affection and reassurance, checking his behavior with the doctor, controlling agitation. There were numerous obstacles that I had to overcome when providing help. Some of these challenges include anxiety and aggression, having to put up with repetitive speech and actions, wandering and restlessness (Agata et al., 2013). The patient also had a problem of sleeplessness, he refused to eat, refused to bathe, had hallucinations, and started choking on food and liquids.
Action
In the first steps of the diagnosis of dementia, I had to perform a medical history assessment where I asked typical questions about his history with medications, family health history, and whether the disease run in the family (Abbott et al., 2004). Also, I asked him when the symptoms began, changes in behavior and personality, and if he was under any treatment. Other assessments included a physical exam and a neurological test where I examined balance, sensory response, reflexes, and other cognitive functions. Furthermore, I conducted neuropsychological tests on the individual. Professional healthcare personnel use the criteria to assess memory, problem-solving, language and math skills, and other abilities (Yoshita et al., 2015). I did this correctly to examine the presence of a urinary tract infection because a person with dementia, who has developed a UTI, experiences specific behavioral changes. I checked for an increased number of falls, increased aggression, anger, changes in appetite, more or less sleep than usual, and many others.
Results
The medical and family health history assessment showed that Alzheimer's disease runs in the family. His maternal grandmother and his father had it. Also, he showed all the signs of the development of a UTI. The situation, and the actions that followed, has had a significant impact in the workplace. The information aided the professionals in managing the disease. The facility has supported and implemented extensive research into a condition or a disease before its actual diagnosis. One of the lessons that I learned from the event is that it is crucial to follow the clinical practice guidelines and principles of care for any disease because it contains all the information on the topic. Apart from the evaluations and tests, I will perform brain scans and psychiatric evaluations in the future. I will learn how to do computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging as well as positron emission tomography. Some of the recommendations that I would use to improve future care practice for a similar situation include the need for cognitive assessment and new measures for assessing the quality of patient care.
Criterion 2: Demonstrates effective communication and interpersonal skills
Situation
I had a conversation with a patient suffering from type-2 diabetes about the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. The patient was a 53-year-old female. I constructed commun...