Palliative Care Approach: Case Study

This essay critically analyzes the case study of Mrs. Brown, who is suffering from COPD, and focuses on the need for palliative care. It discusses evidence-based nursing strategies to manage her illness and highlights the importance of physical and psychological care. The essay concludes that palliative care is an effective means of providing care to patients with long-term illnesses.

Running head: PALLIATIVE CARE APPROACH
PALLIATIVE CARE APPROACH: CASE STUDY
Name of Student:
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Author’s Note:

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Introduction
The aim of the project is to critically analyse the case study of Mrs Brown who is
suffering from the serious illness which is known as COPD. The essay intends to focus on
palliative care the need to be administered for wellness of the Mrs Brown. Further, the essay is
highlighted with two most important strategies opted by the community nurse to assist the patient
with COPD. Palliative approach deals with giving effective care and help the patient with
progressive sickness or to those who are end of their life (Grubbs et al., 2014). The care given
generally include psychological support to the person and their families to cope with the disease
and manage it efficiently (Holloway at al., 2014). Additionally, the palliative approach also
involves to provide scientific knowledge regarding the disease of the patient and concept of
death and dying. Furthermore, it also focusses on to relieve the pain and stress of the patient
(Barnett, Williams & Tucker, 2016).
Evidence based nursing strategies to manage the illness of Mrs Brown
Nurses and health care professional are the one who effectively take part in care of
patients. They give different type of care to patient according to the patient situation which also
include palliative care approach that deals with lethal diseases. However, some nurse faces
problem to deal with the family of patient and with patient itself, as because it requires
confidence to communicate with them. Mrs Brown is old lady of 62 years of age who has huge
responsibility for his family. she was having issue in breathing in past, but with time her
condition deteriorated, due to which she was hospitalized three time and got identified with
COPD illness. Her health falls drastically, where she consulted with her general practitioner
about her illness and problem. General practitioner advised her to take palliative care by the

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community nurse as she was also having history of depression and anxiety. The current situation
of Mrs Brown left her with intense coughing and breathlessness. Hence, she requires palliative
care through which she will be assisted both physically and psychologically (Kelley & Morrison,
2015).
In order to deal with the problem of Mrs Brown, palliative care approach is employed
holistically to help her which involves physical, psychological and emotional care and support.
Research say that patient who have COPD need to be treated on basis of physical symptoms and
mental behaviour (Miravitlles et al., 2017). Moreover, in palliative care nurse emphasis on
enlightening the quality of life of patient and their family (Ageing, 2018). The situation of Mrs
Brown demands palliative care, as because her health is deteriorating day by day, and nurse need
to focus on her current situation try best to assist her.
It is evident from the case study that she her role is being badly affected by because of
COPD, continuous breathlessness and depression. To manage the symptoms of COPD like
breathless, nurse analyse the current situation that she had also had anxiety attack suffers from
depression. Palliative approach provided to her completely depends on assessing her symptoms
and every day situation. Therefore, after analysing her environment, nurse can plan a proper
palliative approach of care that can improve her health condition.
The first nursing strategy that need to be employed is to manage the issue of
breathlessness and cough by administration of proper medication and therapy in consultation
with the general practitioner. Firstly, effective communication with Mrs Brown about her
situation will provide an insight about her health. Nurse need to make a record of it for proper
evaluation. Nurse communicate with her about the treatment will be given to her and the future
outcome of it. Nurse explained about the end-life theory to Mrs Brown that will make her

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emotionally strong and can better cope with the condition. It is necessary for Mrs Brown to have
knowledge about the type of care that will be administered as because she can also give her
respective view regarding it.
Palliative approach tends to focus on effective management of her symptoms and sign
and pain that patient feel (WHO, 2014). In order to imitate nurse need to have skill and
knowledge about the disease and its way for management. Nurse need to record her daily vital
sign related to blood pressure, temperature, CVP, heart rate and respiratory rate to evaluate the
complication of COPD illness like heart blockage and stroke. Nurse also need to monitor oxygen
saturation level to check the functioning of lung. In order to help her with short breath, oxygen
therapy was employed with effective medication that was administered on consultation with the
general practitioner (Lellouche et al., 2016). The nurse then need to communicate the issue and
current status of her heath to the concerned physician.
Second nursing palliative strategies given to Mrs Brown reflects on managing her
psychological thoughts, depression and anxiety. Nurse can provide effective education and
counselling to about the patient. For this nurse need to have good communication skill for
effective management of disease (Adams, Mannix & Harrington, 2017). Person like Mrs Brown
who is having a continuous illness tend to develop irresistible thought that they would not be
able to get cured which ultimately outcome with depression and anxiety. To deal with the patient
nurse need to be skill in managing the situation psychologically. Through good quality of
conversation with the family and patient, can make them calm and relax. This method also
enhances the quality of life of patient and their family member.
On analysing the case of Mrs Brown with more depth, nurse gave some recommendation
to manage her disease and keep her psychologically fit. Nurse suggested her to keep herself in

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clean and pollution free environment and whenever she feel anxiety, she should use salbutamol
inhaler that will help to keep her breathe in control. Nurse explained her that she needs to cope
with her disease so that she become healthy both mentally and psychologically. Further, nurse
suggested her to execute breathing exercise daily morning, because if her disease is under control
she would be more fit mentally. Nurse also prepared a proper diet plan for Mrs Brown so that she
can become healthy and able to perform her daily life activities. Giving palliative care to Mrs
Brown has also provided a healthy experience for nurse to manage the disease of COPD.
Research on palliative care states that nurse having ability of critical thinking, will make more
professional and responsible (Martyn et al., 2014).
Conclusion
Lastly, from above discussion of palliative care of Mrs Brown who is suffering from
COPD, anxiety and depression, it can be concluded that palliative approach is effective mean of
care given to patient who have long illness, pain and complains of having anxiety and
depression. This approach helps to manage both patient and their family by effective
communication, care, support and medication. Therefore, palliative care also advances the
quality of life of patient as well as their family. Nurse who undertake palliative care of patient
develop good technical skill, critical thinking ability and communication skill. After handling the
case of Mrs Brown, nurse may feel a sense of confidence in themselves and their theoretical
knowledge also gets improved. Therefore, irrespective of health of situation, nurse should handle
the patient in professional way.

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