Sepsis Essay: Nursing Management of Pain and Anxiety in Patients

This essay examines the critical aspects of managing sepsis, a life-threatening condition, with a focus on nursing interventions for pain and anxiety. The essay highlights the case of a patient experiencing severe pain and anxiety due to sepsis, emphasizing the importance of addressing both physical and psychological needs. The essay explores the use of various strategies, including pharmacological interventions, cognitive behavioral techniques, and supportive care, to alleviate pain and reduce anxiety. It stresses the significance of regular pain assessment, the implementation of relaxation exercises, and the provision of emotional support to improve patient outcomes. The essay also references relevant research to support the recommended approaches, providing a comprehensive overview of effective nursing care for patients with sepsis. The essay underscores the importance of the nurse's role in providing holistic care, including physical comfort, emotional support, and medication management to improve the patient’s quality of life.

Running Head: SEPSIS
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SEPSIS
essay
student
5/10/2019

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Sepsis
As discussed in the case study Mr Fred has been experiencing sepsis of unknown origin,
he is having high pain and afraid he might die before his son arrived. The two-main nursing
priorities in case of Fred are his pain and anxiety.
Sepsis is the life-threatening health issue which is caused by the body’s reaction to an
infection, it occurs when the response is out of control, stimulating some changes that impairs
multiple organs systems, even leads to death (Umberger, Callen, & Brown, 2015). The pain
associated with this condition is more problematic in case of Fred. He is also facing
psychological issues due to this pain and he thinks he will not be survived. In this situation
anxiety may worsen patient's condition, therefore, it needs to be addressed.
The pain related issues can be resolved by following the prescribed medication. The pain
should be assessed at regular intervals and must be reported to the doctor if increased. Nurse
must observe any adverse effects of medicine. Cognitive behavioural strategies can be used to
address the pain. Some of the tactics like imagery, distraction activities, biofeedback, relaxation
exercises, performing breathing activities, and music therapy can be used (Clifford, et al., 2016).
The anxiety related issues must also be resolved by providing comfort, counselling to the
patient. At the end of life situation patient commonly feel alone and afraid, therefore nurses must
be available all the time for the patient to provide psychological care. Encouraging the
conversations related to feeling can help nurses to reduce Fred’s anxiety. The usual act of
physical contact such as holding his hand, a touch, or a gentle massage can also be used to
address his anxiety issues. Nurses can also implement anti-anxiety medication such as buspirone,
and relaxium according to the physician’s recommendation (Stein, & Craske, 2017).

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References
Clifford, K. M., Dy-Boarman, E. A., Haase, K. K., Maxvill, K., Pass, S. E., & Alvarez, C. A.
(2016). Challenges with diagnosing and managing sepsis in older adults. Expert review of
anti-infective therapy, 14(2), 231-241.
Stein, M. B., & Craske, M. G. (2017). Treating anxiety in 2017: optimizing care to improve
outcomes. Jama, 318(3), 235-236.
Umberger, R., Callen, B., & Brown, M. L. (2015). Severe sepsis in older adults. Critical care
nursing quarterly, 38(3), 259-270.