Clinical Reasoning Cycle for a Patient with Severe Depression

Running head: CLINICAL REASONING CYCLE
Clinical Reasoning Cycle
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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CLINICAL REASONING CYCLE
Introduction
According to the professional code of conduct of the Shahriari et al. (2013), it is the
duty of the nurse to practice in a reflective manner. The following essay is based on the case
study of Mr. John Gray, a 28-year-old man with severe depression and a tendency of self-
harm. In order to analyze the case study of Mr. Gray, the essay will use Levett Jones Clinical
Reasoning cycle for the perspective of a professional nurse who has come to procure care for
Mr. Gray in the afternoon shift. The clinical reasoning cycle will mostly highlight the current
patient situation and will analyze the area where specific care plan is mandate based on
collection of cues and processing of information (Levett-Jones, 2018). At the end, the essay
will highlight three main nursing interventions that will be best suited for Mr. John Gray.
Patient situation
John Gray is a patient of severe depression who has attempted suicide, which is
evident from his rope burn mark on his neck. He has broken skin over his arms and legs due
to subsequent falls with no serious injuries. The broken area of the skin is covered with non-
adherent dressing. While I went to introduce myself, John was reluctant to engage in
conversation and mainly responded with grunts and no eye contact. He had confined himself
in his rooms with covers pulled up high.
His vital signs include
 Blood pressure 125/75
 Temperature 36.3 degree C
 Pulse rate: 66
 Respiration rate: 18

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CLINICAL REASONING CYCLE
Patient is unwilling to consume food and had reluctantly gone for nurse only because he
was compelled but almost ate nothing. His current medication include
 Venlafaxine 75 mg bd
 Multivitamin once daily
 Vitamin B once daily
Collection of cues
Mr. John Gray, 28-year-old male encountered an episode of self-harm. John’s father
is a grazier from a farming community of north Brisbane and John is supposed to take over
his family farm. The farm has been severely affected by longstanding drought conditions in
the district. I think his peer family pressure of taking the entire responsibility of the entire
family and financial unrest due to prolong drought in their district might have been the main
source behind John’s severe depression. According to Radfar, Ahmadi and Fallahi
Khoshknab (2014) turbulent life and peer family pressure increases stress and thereby
influencing young adults to pass onto depression. His vital signs, blood pressure, temperature,
pulse and respiratory rate was found to be normal. This is the reason for which I feel that her
state of mind of current condition is mostly mental and do not have any significant
underlying pathological influence. His prescribed medication mainly contains anti-depressive
pill (Venlafaxine) and vitamin supplements. Thus, further highlights that there is no potential
pathological influence behind his current condition. Butcher, Mineka and Hooley (2013)
highlighted that development of depression is mainly from the unstable mental condition and
do not have any significant physiological pathology.