Elements and Performance Criteria
- Determine the health status of client with acute and/or chronic respiratory conditions
- Apply understanding of the pathophysiology of the presenting/underlying respiratory condition
- Identify client nursing care needs commonly associated with respiratory impairment
- Initiate holistic health assessment and collect accurate client information in accordance with health unit policy
- Evaluate, interpret and communicate client respiratory function to the health care team
- Use a range of assessment tools relevant to client care requirements
- Identify significant alterations in client health status
- Ascertain possible factor(s) impacting on client health status
- Identify client (and/or identified significant other/s) knowledge regarding respiratory conditions, self management and individual treatment regime
- Contribute to multi-disciplinary health care team in caring for clients with respiratory impairment
- Interact appropriately with emergency service personnel, referring agencies and other hospital department staff
- Work with an understanding of the role of specialist nursing and medical services in the care of clients with chronic respiratory conditions
- Collaborate with multi-disciplinary team in partnership with the client (and identified significant other/s with client consent), to maintain continuity of care
- Identify factors relevant to client situation, giving consideration to the physical, psychological, social and economic impacts
- Review data collected and communicate to relevant members of the health care team
- Plan nursing care for clients with acute and/or chronic respiratory conditions
- Ensure nursing care plan reflects specific respiratory care requirements in accordance with health unit policy
- Ensure care plan reflects client's current nursing needs and nursing actions designed to maximise respiratory function and minimise potential complications
- Apply understanding of risk management principles in planning client care
- Ensure planned care and therapeutic interventions aim to assist client/s to achieve optimal health outcomes
- Identify client requirements for health promotion and education aspects of the nursing care plan in conjunction with client and significant other/s
- Regularly review plan of care and modify to reflect changes in client condition
- Perform complex nursing interventions to assist client to attain and maintain optimal respiratory health
- Prioritise nursing interventions according to client needs
- Modify nursing interventions using critical thinking and problem solving approaches, to reflect changes in client condition
- Update nursing interventions, including health promotion and/or education, to assist client and identified significant other/s to achieve expected outcomes
- Monitor nursing interventions, review those that fail to address client needs and revise in consultation/collaboration with the health care team
- Implement health teaching plans for the client experiencing respiratory problems (and identified significant other/s) with health care team support
- Ensure appropriate pre-, intra- and post-diagnostic procedures are undertaken in line with organisation policies and procedures
- Ensure medication administration is based on sound knowledge of principles of drug actions and side effects in accordance with health unit policies and procedures
- Evaluate effectiveness of nursing interventions and planned care for clients with acute and/or chronic respiratory conditions
- Evaluate responses of client and identified significant other/s to nursing interventions, and modify and document in accordance with health unit policy
- Evaluate responses of client and identified significant other/s to health promotion and education and modify and document in accordance with health unit policy
- Ensure client, and significant other/s where indicated, are aware of community resources available to them and how to access them
- Assess client understanding of their condition, medications and therapeutic regimes prior to discharge
- Evaluate client acceptance of specific health promotion initiatives prior to discharge
- Assess and review understanding of identified significant other/s in relation to current condition of client and their ongoing management