Nursing Decision Making Paper

Decision-making is an imperative part of nursing. In order to make a decision many factors have to be evaluated for a conclusion to be made. This process is involved in every aspect of patient care and a higher level of thinking is necessary when carried out by a nurse. Critical thinking involves examining the data, weighing its evidence, and selecting a decision based on the best rational criteria. This is important because decision-making by nurses has a direct effect on the care they deliver to patients. Critical thinking enables nurses to carry out the best interventions based on the current information available. In clinical I have had to use critical thinking to back up my decision-making. In this paper I will analyze my decision in advocating
This includes patients with dementia, people who are intubated or unconscious, and even infants and preverbal toddlers. Pain can be assessed just by observation. Grimacing, wincing, moaning, or frowning can indicate pain. Furrowed brows and pressed lips can be also be observed in patients who are experiencing pain. Muscle tone and increased rigidity or physical movements are other signs. Behaviors of distress such as anxiety, fear, and crying are other indications of pain.

I gathered all the information and worked on finding the source of her pain in discomfort. She was fidgety, her heart rate was elevated, and her skin was sweaty. I did not see any facial cues or crying so decided to ask her if she was feeling anxious or nervous. Her symptoms seemed to indicate anxiety more than it did pain, so I asked if an anti-anxiety medication would help. She agreed and after confirming her status I decided to ask for Ativan for my patient. The nurse agreed this could be a beneficial intervention and got an order from the
No tests exists that allow us to measure a person’s pain, so we have to rely on self-reporting. In patients who are drug seeking their self-reporting can be exaggerated in hopes of attaining more medication. This makes it difficult for providers to evaluate someone’s true level of pain. It also forces nurses to rely on their clinical expertise to make a decision on whether to administer more mediation.

My first interaction with this type of patient was initially rocky. The patient told me she was in pain so my first reaction was to get pain medication. The nurse made me second-guess my assessment and led me to dive deeper and reflect on my decision. I gathered data, weighed the evidence, and found the appropriate intervention. It was a trial and error, but I think after reassessment the patient and I found mutual grounds and a therapeutic response was achieved.

After this experience I realized this was a common situation I would be encountering as a nurse. Pain management is paramount in the care we deliver. A big part of our job is to make patients comfortable by identifying the cause of pain and resolving it. Because addiction has become prominent in our communities it has become a barrier to pain management. This barrier can cause nurses to become apprehensive in administering narcotics to diverge from creating dependence. I hope to develop competence in identifying true seeking behavior and combat this drug crisis, while also not letting