The purpose of this assignment is to provide the students an opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of a specific disease process.
Assignment Details:
Perform the following tasks:
Students will select a specific disease process from one of the units of study. The paper should have three parts. The first should be an in-depth discussion of the disease process including the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations. The second part is an analysis of a case study. The third part is the flow diagram. The specific case can be actual or imagined. The case study analysis should include a description of the case, signs and symptoms, diagnostic tests utilized, treatment, nursing care plan, potential outcomes, evaluation, and flow diagram. The paper should be 10-15 typed pages in length. This does not include the title page or reference page. The paper is to be in APA format and grammatically correct.
Flow Diagram
The flow diagram is designed to assist the student to apply physiological and pathophysiological concepts in identifying the underlying mechanisms that result in the signs and symptoms (clinical manifestations) of illness. This understanding serves as part of the knowledge base that will assist students to apply the nursing process in the care of patients.
What is a Flow Diagram?
A flow diagram is a simple method of showing relationships. Through the use of arrows and sequencing of events, the student can identify the source (risk factors), pathophysiologic changes occurring in the body resulting in the patient’s typical signs and symptoms as we know them today. As knowledge changes, the student is then able to modify his thinking based upon new information. Usually a medical diagnosis is used as the topic to diagram, although this can be done with normal homeodynamic mechanisms or such events as tissue trauma related to a surgical procedure.
Why use Flow Diagrams (instead of written text)?
A Flow Diagram emphasizes causal relationships. Each arrow indicates a cause. What causes the organ damage? How did the injury cause the specific clinical manifestation(s)? What signs or symptoms were caused by adaptive responses? Diagramming will enhance memory links and conceptual understanding of the sequencing of events. This technique will be useful to you as a lifelong learner.
Outline of Flow Diagram
Top of Page: Title of Flow Diagram such as is the disease process “Angina Pectoris.” Students may use the same topic used in the Case Study Analysis.
Antecedents: Risk factors that lead to the development of the disease (etiology). Use arrows from antecedents to actions to patient’s signs and symptoms.
Actions: The body’s response to the pathology or stimulation of adaptive responses. Include cellular level. Include appropriate terms related to anatomy and physiology.
Clinical Manifestations: The subjective and objective data you would expect to observe in a patient with this condition. At this point, you should be able to explain visually why your patient has chest pain. Include abnormal lab findings if appropriate.
Three Nursing Diagnoses: Identify three Nursing Diagnoses that could be developed based upon the flow diagram. Arrow(s) should go from the sign and symptom(s) to the Nursing Diagnosis.
Grading:
Disease Process (30 points)
Pathophysiology 20 points
Clinical Manifestations 10 points
Case Study (45 points)
Description of case including signs and symptoms, diagnostic tests 10 points
Treatment 10 points
Nursing Care Plan (include all areas) 15 points
Potential Outcomes 10 points
