Published Sep 26, 2007
ljbutler
27 Posts
I am a first semester nursing student. We are required to fill out a cluster sheet on a client that has two columns. One is signs/symptoms and the other is risk factors. I am having a hard time distinguishing between the two. Can anyone help on this?
APBT mom, LPN, RN
717 Posts
Ok I don't know what a cluster sheet is but we use something like what you're describing for our nursing diagnoses. Signs and symptoms you'll put anything that the patient says or you can see lab values and radiology exams count. Risk factors would be anything that they can catch or have from their signs and symptoms.
EX. wound on left leg=risk for infection
low RBC=risk for anemia
vomiting=risk for dehydration
Hope this helps.
Daytonite, BSN, RN
1 Article; 14,604 Posts
Do you have a good college dictionary? If you don't understand what something means, look it's definition up. This is the definition of "risk":
Basically, you are wanting to list the complications, injuries, damages or losses that can occur that are related to the patient's medical diagnoses or symptoms they are having. This presumes that you understand the pathophysiology of the disease process going on underlying each of the symptoms. Again, if you don't, you need to use a pathophysiology book for reference.
Thanks!
Do you have a good college dictionary? If you don't understand what something means, look it's definition up. This is the definition of "risk":"the chance of injury, damage, or loss; dangerous chance; hazard; the degree of probability of loss." Webster's New World Dictionary, College Edition, The World Publishing Company, 1966.Basically, you are wanting to list the complications, injuries, damages or losses that can occur that are related to the patient's medical diagnoses or symptoms they are having. This presumes that you understand the pathophysiology of the disease process going on underlying each of the symptoms. Again, if you don't, you need to use a pathophysiology book for reference.