Expected outcome for patients with shingles

[cris81]

Hi everyone,

I just finished my nursing process paper and I'm using Impaired skin integrity related to viral infection secondary to shingles as a nursing diagnosis. My expected outcome is: the client will demonstrate progressive healing of dermal lesions, but my teacher said this is not right because it the outcome has to be SMART and measurable. Does anyone have any idea how I can change this expected outcome, I searched my books and I could not find anything other than what I already have.Any tips you have will be great.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

we can't heal anything. the body heals itself and we can only provide the conditions for that to occur. i'm surprised your instructor allowed you to have "viral infection" as a related factor for impaired skin integrity. infection is a medical diagnosis. it is actually the inflammatory response that is causing all the skin destruction and not the infection. healing occurs in 3 phases. this is a physiologic principle.

1. inflammatory phase
   
2. proliferative phase
   
3. remodeling (maturational) phase

descriptions of what goes on in each phase can be found on these web links:

• http://www.medicaledu.com/phases.htm
  
• http://www.medicalmoment.org/_conten...p05/352254.asp
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wound_healing
  
• http://www.emedicine.com/plastic/topic457.htm - wound healing, growth factors

read up on healing and then adjust your outcome and interventions accordingly.