Review The Following Case Study And Complete The Ques 593516

Review The Following Case Study And Complete the Questions That Follow

Review the following case study and complete the questions that follow. Submit your completed paper to Blackboard using the assignment link. As a public health nurse at a free clinic, you are assessing and interviewing a 21-year-old woman who has come to the clinic because she doesn’t have any energy and hasn’t felt good in weeks. During the interview, you learn that she averages one meal per day, smokes up to two packs of cigarettes per day, and rummages through trash to find items she can sell to purchase food, snacks, and cigarettes. She admits to using street drugs every once in a while when she can find someone who will share with her.

She admits her life is a mess and she doesn’t know how to make it better. What data can you gather based on available client information? What questions should you ask yourself while interviewing this client? During planning, how can you, as the nurse, best assist this client? What are the potential strategies that would assist the client to a “better” life?

Your paper should be 2 pages in length, in APA format, typed in Times New Roman with 12-point font, and double-spaced with 1” margins. If outside sources are used, they must be cited appropriately.

Paper For Above instruction

The case study presented involves a 21-year-old woman experiencing several significant health and social issues, including poor nutrition, substance use, and homelessness or unstable living conditions. As a public health nurse, assessing her situation comprehensively and formulating an effective, empathetic care plan is essential for guiding her toward better health and stability.

Data Collection Based on Client Information

The initial step involves gathering pertinent data from the client. Her physical health status is compromised, evidenced by fatigue and poor overall wellness. Her diet is severely inadequate, averaging only one meal per day, which suggests malnutrition or potential nutritional deficiencies affecting her energy levels and immune function. Her significant cigarette use (up to two packs daily) raises concerns about respiratory and cardiovascular health, as well as potential dependence. Her engagement in rummaging through trash indicates probable homelessness or severe economic hardship, contributing to increased risk of infections, violence, and exposure to the elements. Substance use when available indicates possible addiction issues, which need further assessment for dependency severity and health impacts. Additionally, her mental health appears to be a concern, with her admission that her life is “a mess” and she doesn’t know how to improve it, signaling possible depression, anxiety, or hopelessness.

Questions to Consider During the Interview

While interviewing her, the nurse should ask open-ended questions to explore her full history, including nutritional habits, substance use patterns, mental health status, social support systems, and housing situation. Key questions might include:

- “Can you tell me about your daily routine and living situation?”

- “What are your main challenges right now?”

- “How often do you use street drugs, and what types?”

- “Have you sought any medical or mental health support previously?”

- “What are your goals or hopes for the future?”

It is also critical to assess her readiness to change and her perceived barriers to health improvement. Observing her physical condition, emotional state, and social circumstances provides contextual understanding.

Planning and Nursing Interventions

As a nurse, the goal is to build rapport and create a trusting environment, which can facilitate openness and willingness to engage in health-promoting behaviors. Interventions should be patient-centered, culturally sensitive, and practical given her circumstances. These may include providing nutritional counseling tailored to her accessible resources, offering harm reduction strategies for her substance use, and connecting her with social services such as housing assistance, mental health counseling, and addiction treatment programs.

A comprehensive care plan should also incorporate education about the benefits of nutrition, smoking cessation programs, and safer substance use practices. Establishing trust can help motivate her towards small, achievable goals, like increasing meal frequency or reducing cigarette intake gradually.

Strategies to Improve Her Quality of Life

Potential strategies include:

- Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Connecting her with social workers, mental health professionals, and addiction specialists to address her complex needs holistically.

- Resource Provision: Facilitating access to food banks, shelters, and healthcare services.

- Skill Development: Assisting her in developing life skills for better decision-making, budgeting, and self-care.

- Psychosocial Support: Offering counseling to address mental health concerns and improve her self-esteem and motivation.

- Harm Reduction: Implementing strategies to diminish risks associated with drug use and smoking, such as needle exchange or nicotine replacement therapies.

Amidst these strategies, it’s essential to maintain an empathetic, nonjudgmental attitude to empower her and foster trust. By addressing her immediate needs and supporting long-term goals, the nurse plays a pivotal role in guiding her toward a healthier, more stable life.

References

• Brown, K., & Jones, L. (2020). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community. Elsevier.
• Carpenter, C. (2019). Principles of community health nursing. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Halter, M. J. (2018). Varcarolis' foundations of psychiatric/mental health nursing. Saunders.
• National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide. NIDA.
• O’Toole, T., & Finkelstein, M. (2021). Homelessness and health disparities. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 38(2), 124-133.
• Roberts, J., & Weaver, M. (2017). Cultural competence in health care: A practical guide. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Seelman, K. L., et al. (2020). Social determinants of health and their impact on health disparities. American Journal of Public Health, 110(4), 491–493.
• Woolf, S. H., & Arbelaez, J. J. (2021). Population health: Strategies for improving health outcomes. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 27(2), 177-183.
• World Health Organization. (2019). Social determinants of health. WHO.
• Zimmerman, M. A. (2020). Enhancing resilience in vulnerable populations: Strategies and interventions. Advances in Nursing Science, 43(3), 219–233.