Nursing Care Study

This assignment will present a nursing care study of a patient on a cardiac ward. The patient will be referred to as Ann to maintain confidentiality (NMC, 2008). Ann’s consent was gained prior to starting this care study. The care study will be developed using the Nursing process and the Roper, Logan and Tierney model. These will both be outlined. The assignment will focus on the assessment process and one problem identified during the assessment and the nursing care which followed this.
I was placed on a cardiac ward within the Trust for my phase four placement. The ward deals with patients who have acute cardiac conditions including myocardial infarction. The ward also accommodates those with chronic cardiac conditions such as congestive cardiac failure, pulmonary oedema and triple vessel disease. Patients awaiting cardiac surgery may have to wait quite a while on the ward. There are both male and female patients on this ward and the ages range from sixteen to very elderly.
A sixty three year old lady named Ann was admitted to the ward on my first week on this placement. She was admitted to the ward via Accident and Emergency. Ann had taken ill at home previously that day and her husband had called for an ambulance. Ann presented with chest pain radiating down her left arm, shortness of breath, nauseated, fatigue and weakness. Investigations later showed that Ann had experienced an Acute Myocardial Infarction. Acute Myocardial Infarction, also known as heart attack, is characterised by the ischemic death of myocardial tissue (Porth, 2005). Diagnosis of an Acute Myocardial Infarction is based on the presenting signs and symptoms, Electrocardiogram changes and serum cardiac markers (Porth, 2005). Whilst Ann is on the ward she will be monitored continuously via Electrocardiogram.
I chose Ann for my care because I was on duty when she was admitted to the ward and I assisted with her admission. As this was my first week I knew I would have a six week opportunity