Home Nurse (in the making)

1.  If you are a good home nurse, what are the various home nursing techniques that you need to apply that will make the patient feel comfortable and speed up the recovery?

 -If I am a good home nurse, I will first consider the active attention I should give to the patient. I understand that the patient's moods are inconsistent. That is why I am willing to understand his/her feelings and try to cheer him/her up to alleviate the pain. This way, I can better relate with him/her, which is a helpful way for him/her recovery.

2.  Why should the home nurse monitor the vital signs of the patient?

-The patient's condition is ensured because the home nurse monitors his/her vital signs. If everything is normal, then the patient will not have any problem. However, if there is something wrong in the vital signs of the patient, then the home  urse can do something about it.

3.  How do you take the body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure of the patient?

 -There are four vital signs that a home nurse should monitor: body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure.

• Body temperature is measured using a clinical thermometer. The three ways to do this is through the mouth, rectum or armpit. Consider the fact that the normal temperature of a patient is 37^o C or 98.6^o F.
• Pulse rate is measured through the wrist, ankle, throat or temple, whereas the wrist is the most convenient one. 
• Respiratory rate is measured for the purpose of letting the home nurse know if the patient's breathing is normal. An adult's normal rate is 15-18 takes per minute. Since a person can alter his/her breathing, respiratory rate should be taken if the person is unaware.
• Blood pressure is measured through the use of sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope. Normal rate is 115/90. 

4.  What are some practices that the home nurse must follow that will promote comfort to the patient?

-Checking the vital signs of a patient from time will help a home nurse know that the patient feels comfortable or not. The home nurse can also interact with the patient for him/her not to feel uneasy and lonely. 

5.  How will you differentiate signs from symptoms of illnesses and diseases?

-Signs and symptoms are always mistaken to be the same. However, signs are what the doctor sees while symptoms are what the patient experiences. Both are ways to identify a patient's illness.

6.  If you are the doctor, what will be your basis in giving the diagnosis for your patient?
-If I am the doctor, I will base my diagnosis to my patient in many things. First, I have to consider my own instinct--the signs of illness. Nonetheless, I always have to consider the symptoms of the patient. Through this 50/50 basis, there are more chances that my diagnosis is credible and will help the patient at the end of the day.