Nursing Diagnosis Help

[StephAnnE93]

I'm completly at a loss. I can usually make my complete care plans when I have all my information in front of me. I'm a terrible abstract thinker so maybe yall can give me ideas and point me in the right direction. Here's the assignment given.

Develop a care plan for a patient recently diagnosed with colon cancer, receiving their first round of Avastin who develops thrombocytopenia.

And of course there are guidelines for the instructors care plans which makes me become lost.

- no medical diagnosis (diarrhea, constipation, etc)

- can't use pain

- no risk for or potential for Dx

I'm stuck. Ideas? I need 2 Dx and 2 goals for each. I also have to make up supporting data.

A classmate mentioned Decreased Cardiac Output, so I guess I'll think of something for that. But anyone have any other ideas?

[Cherylthewoundnurse]

Your instructor is challenging you to think like a cancer patient. Think about how this person feels. Fear is huge with cancer patients. Fear of death, fear of disfigurement due to ostomy, scarring, distortion of self image, fear that spouse or family will see them differently, fear that they will be unable to respond sexually to a spouse or may repulsive to their spouse, fear that they may be unable to leave the house (if the patient has an ostomy), fear that his appliance will leak, fear that he will smell, difficulty accepting the ostomy (especially if temporary), difficulty accepting new image, difficulty learning self care (of the ostomy), fear of eating (as it will produce stool, and then the bag will leak). The list goes on and on. Why not sit down with the patient and encourage her / him to share their feelings? You may be surprised. Good Luck!

[StephAnnE93]

Cherylthewoundnurse said:

Your instructor is challenging you to think like a cancer patient. Think about how this person feels. Fear is huge with cancer patients. Fear of death, fear of disfigurement due to ostomy, scarring, distortion of self image, fear that spouse or family will see them differently, fear that they will be unable to respond sexually to a spouse or may repulsive to their spouse, fear that they may be unable to leave the house (if the patient has an ostomy), fear that his appliance will leak, fear that he will smell, difficulty accepting the ostomy (especially if temporary), difficulty accepting new image, difficulty learning self care (of the ostomy), fear of eating (as it will produce stool, and then the bag will leak). The list goes on and on. Why not sit down with the patient and encourage her / him to share their feelings? You may be surprised. Good Luck!

Well the only thing is....this wasn't a real pt. Only some words for an assignment and I had to create a fictitious pt with only a small amount of info. It's completely different when I have a physical pt in front of me. I have no problems with that. But fear would have been a good one to use in that situation. Thanks!