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Hypernatremia
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| Welcome! | |
Welcome back to our free evidence-based Nursing Reference Center Update. We will periodically send news on the latest evidence in nursing. Please share this with your colleagues, students, practitioners and others who would appreciate awareness of this information.
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| Nursing Reference Center in Daily Practice | |
Acute Appendicitis
The nurse is assigned to Andrea, an otherwise healthy 19-year-old college student, who developed severe abdominal pain in the right lower quadrant and abdominal tenderness and diarrhea over the past 24 hours.
Before introducing herself to Andrea, the nurse consults Nursing Reference Center, searching for acute appendicitis and locates the Quick Lesson, "Appendicitis, Acute." The nurse reviews the signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis and key elements of physical assessment to identify acute appendicitis.
The nurse assesses for rebound tenderness and for tenderness at McBurney's point, halfway between the umbilicus and anterior superior iliac spine. She tests for Rovsing's sign by palpating the left lower quadrant to identify increased pain in the right lower quadrant.
The nurse's physical assessment is suggestive of acute appendicitis and she documents her findings in the patient's medical record. Blood tests are ordered and antibiotics are prescribed. In the next hour, Andrea is prepared for surgery.
After surgery the nurse assesses and treats Andrea's pain, monitors her vital signs, and encourages early ambulation to prevent postsurgical complications.
Note: The above referenced Quick Lesson is freely accessible to all readers of the Nursing Reference Center Update.
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| Quick Overview | |
Daily Management of Diabetes Mellitus: Blood Sugar Checking
One consequence of the obesity epidemic is the growing number of individuals who develop diabetes mellitus and require routine blood sugar testing. Blood sugar testing involves puncturing the finger with a small needle, or lancet, to obtain a drop of blood which is collected onto a test strip and inserted into a glucometer to determine the blood glucose level in the blood.
When testing blood sugar, the nurse makes certain that the puncture site is rotated to prevent skin damage. The nurse refers to Nursing Reference Center Nursing Practice & Skill article, "Blood Sugar, Checking," and learns to avoid puncture sites that are cold, cyanotic, or swollen. Glucometer results indicate whether the patient's blood sugar is normal, hypo- or hyperglycemic.
Checking blood sugar is a very common procedure that is completed inpatient, outpatient, and in home environments. The nurse is certain to educate her patients with DM2 on how to check their own blood sugar and how to analyze the results of the test. The nurse emphasizes the importance of cleansing the puncture site with soap and warm water to prevent infection.
Nurses are in a unique position to support patients with DM2 by encouraging them to routinely check their blood sugar and to analyze the results. Patients who are hypoglycemic require food and/drinks that contain sugar to elevate the blood sugar to a normal level. Patients who are hyperglycemic need to titrate their oral hypoglycemic medication or insulin doses and/or consult with the treating clinician to lower blood sugar to a normal level.
Please login to your Nursing Reference Center subscription to read the Nursing Practice & Skill on "Blood Sugar, Checking."
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Evidence-based Content Update | |
The Nursing Reference Center (NRC) is continuing its effort to provide nurses with free continuing education (CE) modules based on Quick Lessons, Evidence-based Care Sheets, and Nursing Practice & Skill papers. There are nearly 700 CE modules available, that provide one contact hour of continuing education credit, when successfully completed.
The CE modules contain an abstract and interactive review that helps prepare the nurse for the competency test. The competency test typically includes 15 multiple choice and/or true/false questions. The entire module is intended to be completed in one hour.
To date, over 71,000 CE module tests have been taken by nurses around the world. The NRC CE modules are a convenient, interesting, and fun way to keep current with ongoing licensure CE requirements.
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