Bandaging & Dressing and Signs & Symptoms of Illnesses & Diseases

1. How do you cover an injured part of the patient's body?

Here are the steps in applying a bandage: First, hold the bandage with the roll uppermost and start to roll around the wound upwards. For every turn, use a firm even pressure. Finally, with each turn, cover two-thirds of the width of the previous one. Avoid covering the tips of the fingers and toes. Fasten the bandage with a small safety pin or a bandage clip.

2. What are the bandaging patterns to follow depending on which part of the body is to be bandaged? Explain each patterns. 

a. Simple spiral - This is used when the part of the body to be bandaged is of uniform size like a finger or forearm. 

b. Figure eight - A roller bandage is applied starting below the wound and progressing up and encircling the limb in a figure of "8" pattern. 

c. Figure eight spiral - This is a variation of figure eight which is used for a flexed joint like a knee or an elbow. 

d. Triangular bandage for hand injuries - Fold a square cloth to make a triangular bandage. Insert the hand between the folds in perpendicular position to the crease, alternately wing the end corners of the bandage over the hands; thus, securing the two folds. Tie the ends.

e. Triangular bandage for chest and back injuries - Place the triangular bandage over the injury. Bring the two base ends around the back and tie together. Bring the long end up and tie it to the upper end of the bandage. 

f. Triangular bandage fr upper limb injuries - Use a sling to support and protect the upper limb. 

3. Where are we gonna use the adhesive plaster? 

It is used for areas of the body, which are often exposed to water, such as the hands.

4.  What is the difference of signs from symptoms? 

Sings are what a doctor sees while the symptoms are what the patient experiences. 

5. What will you do if you are experiencing any symptoms? 

I will seek medical attention immediately so that the doctor will think on what I stated in my history. And so that he/she can give me any prescriptions for my illness or disease. 

6. What is the translated form of "OPPQRST"?
This translates into: Objective, Palliative, Provocative, Quality, Radiating, Subjective and Timing. 

Making the Bed & Bathing the Patient

Making a Bed

1. Why do we need to know how to make an unoccupied and occupied bed?
- We do need to know on how to make an unoccupied and occupied bed so that the patient will feel comfortable, and speed up the recovery.

2. How does making a bed help in the fast recovery of our patient?
-Making a bed help in the fast recovery of our patient so as to put the patient in comfortable position. It also avoids the patient from irritation.

3. As a good home nurse, how will you be able to render your services to your patient through bed making?-As a good home nurse, I will render my services to my patient through bed making by way of tucking the bottom  and top sheets properly, make mitered lines, put the two pillows. That's all I can say, thank you! =)) 

Bathing the Patient

1. Why do you need to give a bath to the patient?
- I need to give a bath to the patient in order to cleanse, to refresh, and to relax the patient, to stimulate the circulation of blood in the body, to serve as a form of exercise, and to aid in the elimination of certain wastes in the body.

2. What are the materials needed for bed bath or sponge bath?
-These are the materials that are needed for bed bath or sponge bath: 2 big towels, 2 small towels, rubber sheet, a basin with warm water, soap, and a light blanket.


3. What’s the importance of using a urinal or bedpan?
-It is important if the patient is expected to remain bedridden for a long period of time.

4. What do you mean by back rub?
-A back rub is given to refresh the patient. It is also a massage of the back. 

5. How do you differentiate cold compress from hot compress?
-The difference of cold compress from hot compress is that cold compress is an absorbent cloth is dipped into a cold water, wrung out and applied to a body part to relieve pain or reduce inflammation or used as a comfort measure. While the hot compress is the application of heat to a small area with hot gauze or hot compress cloth. Hot compress increases circulation locally. It relieves pain and congestion.

Home Nursing Techniques; Signs & Symptoms of Illnesses & Diseases

1.  If you are a good home nurse, what are the various home nursing techniques that you need to apply that will make the patient feel comfortable and speed up the recovery?

-The various home nursing techniques that I need to apply is to make or ready an unoccupied bed for the patient. Taking his/her vital signs is also necessary so that I will know if the patient's condition became stable or worst so as to take an appropriate intervention. I will also give the patient health teachings on what diet is appropriate for him/her.

2.  Why should the home nurse monitor the vital signs of the patient?

-The home nurse should monitor the vital signs of the patient so that she will know if there are changes in any of the vital signs and if there are, she will take necessary interventions to prevent complications. The home care nurse should also take a baseline vital signs of the patient so that she will know if there will be sudden high or low fluctuations of the vital signs, it may be the respiratory rate, pulse rate, temperature and even the blood pressure so as to avoid complications.

3.  How do you take the body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure of the patient?

-In taking the body temperature, there are many ways to take it; through the Mouth, through the Rectum, and through the Armpit or Axillia. I will just take sure if the thermometer is clean and the skin is dry. Place the thermometer at the site and will take the temperature. In taking the pulse rate, locate and feel the pulse in the wrist and count the beat for 1 minute and record. In taking the respiratory rate, I will take note the patient's rise and fall of the chest, count each expirations for 1 minute and record it. In taking the blood pressure, I will let the patient sit in comfortable position (usually seated), wrap the BP cuff around the patient's arm and I will make sure that it is at the level of the heart to obtain accurate results and record it. 

4.  What are some practices that the home nurse must follow that will promote comfort to the patient?

-She must know what the patient feels so that she will take necessary nursing interventions for the complaints of the patient. To promote comfort to the patient, she can always place the patient in a comfortable position. She may place the bed in a 30 degree angle to provide comfort for the patient. Like being cheerful and being patient to the patient that she/he is caring for.

5.  How will you differentiate signs from symptoms of illnesses and diseases?

-The signs are the objective cues. It means what the doctor and nurses sees to the patient. An example of signs are rash, weight lose, fever, body malaise and etc. On the other hand, symptoms are those that are subjective. It means what the patient really feels and experience. An example of a symptoms are headache, vertigo, itchiness, pain and etc.

6.  If you are the doctor, what will be your basis in giving the diagnosis for your patient?

-In diagnosing the patient, the I should first fully assess the patient and know his signs and symptoms so that I can give a correct medical diagnosis. Furthermore, I can always let the patient take a laboratory examination related to his signs and symptoms that he is experiencing so that I will be able to detect which part of his body is affected and from there, I can formulate the diagnosis of my patient.

Administering of Medicines to the Patient

               What I learned  in administering medicines to the patient is that it is a common, but an important clinical procedure. We take it when we are sick. We even prescribe our own selves medications when we have any discomfort or illness. I learned that in administering medications to to the patient, you should know what medicines to give and not to give. You should give the right medicine to the patient, as well as right dose, its frequency, its side effects and even the route of administration. In doing this, this can help for the recovery of the patient. If in one instance you gave the wrong medication or the wrong dose for the patient, his or her illness might become worst and it will cause further injury to the patient.

                In administering medications, it will help the patient be free from any discomfort and pain. It will improve his or her health as well. It might relieve the patients' anxiety because of his or her illness. When administering it, we should also know certain medicines that will counteract with the other medication. When this happen, the patient's condition might get worst and another problem might occur.

    We need to learn about Administering of Medicines to the Patient because it can help to our lives. We need to know the importance and procedures on how to take a temperature and other ways to take care of a patient.