panic

ok ok .. now I am scared

we have a huge exam coming in two weeks and it is constructed this way

they give us 6 patient cases and then we will have an oral examination on

pathology

symtoms

medications ( effect on symtoms, pathology, side-effects)

evaluation ( of the pat. what to observe and why)

care plans (demands and resources, taking into account age, sex, illnesses and other factors)

specific nuring interventions

also what legal aspects are to be concidered

and we are not allowed to bring any notes or so forth.. all in your head

we received our cases yesterday and they are so vague .. this thing is HUGE .. it counts for 13 weeks credit..

sorry guys .. thanks for listening

I am gonna get back to the books now ..

[Jennerizer, ASN, RN]

Wow.......sounds difficult but I'm sure you'll do well. Good luck!!!

[Diana in Sweden]

thanks Jen

what threw me is that the cases are just so vague

85 yr old with suspected DVT....slight shortness of breath.. ..

hummm

could be many things .. I suppose that is the point .. things are seldom clear in real life but I would have liked a few more details...

thanks again for the encouragement

I appreciate it no end :-)

[Katnip, RN]

That's all they give you?

I guess I'd just start by looking for PEs in that.

I sure wish you the best of luck Diana.

[Diana in Sweden]

what is a PE? ... doen't use english in the workplace so I sometimes missunderstand nursing jargon

ok there are a few more details but not much at all to go on...

thanks for the luck .. I need all I can get

[essarge]

Just follow your nursing skills:

Assess the patient

Give nursing diagnosis

Plan

Intervention

evaluation

If you follow this outline you should be fine

[Diana in Sweden]

thanks essarge .. I really just have to calm down .. I know my stuff.. well I think I do anyway .. lol

[kimtab]

PE=Pulmonary Embolism. That's what I would think of too if all I had to go on was suspect DVT and SOB

Kim

[Diana in Sweden]

yes thank you .. I was thinking of that .. or that the patient might have a long term cor. incomp that increases the risk of DVT. We are going to get barraged with questions and have to be prepared to show all relationships between illnesses.

thanks again

[New CCU RN]

Good luck.... i would also lean towards PE if the patient also had DVT and SOB

[Diana in Sweden]

thanks everyone

yes PE is my first choice too....

btw I am not fishing for answers... just needed to vent about how the exam was set up and how huge it is ..

that said ...I am gratefull for any and all help

[kimtab]

It does sound hard but you know what, it sounds like you will definitely learn a lot preparing for it and hopefully it will be an accurate measure of your knowledge. Good luck!