Acute pain is a type of pain that typically lasts
less than 3 to 6 months, or pain that is directly
related to soft tissue damage such as a sprained
ankle or a paper cut. Acute pain is of short
duration but it gradually resolves as the injured
tissues heal.
Hyperthermia: Body temperature elevated
above normal range.
Hyperthermia is elevated body temperature due
to a break in thermoregulation that arises when a
body produces or absorbs more heat than it
dissipates. It is a sustained core temperature
beyond the normal variance, usually greater than
39° C (102.2° F). Such elevations range from
mild to extreme; body temperatures above 40 °C
(104 °F) can be life-threatening. Hyperthermia
differs from fever in that it is characterized by an
uncontrolled increase in body temperature that
exceeds the body’s ability to lose heat. The
setting of the hypothalamic thermoregulatory
center is unchanged. In contrast to fever in
infections, hyperthermia does not involve
pyrogenic molecules.
Common cases of hyperthermia result from the
combined effects of activity and salt and water
deprivation in a hot environment, such as when
athletes perform in extremely hot weather or
when older adults avoid the use of air
conditioning because of expense. Hyperthermia
may transpire more quickly in persons who have
endocrine-related problems; use alcohol; or
take diuretics; anticholinergics; or phototoxic
agents. Common forms of accidental
hyperthermia include heat stroke, heat
exhaustion, and heat cramps. Malignant
hyperthermia is a rare reaction to
common anesthetic agentssuch as halothane or
the paralytic agent succinylcholine. Those who
have this reaction, which is potentially fatal,
have a genetic predisposition.
Certain individuals, such as the elderly, infants
and young children, the obese, outdoor workers,
and those with chronic medical conditions are at
increased risk for developing a heat-related
illness. A thorough assessment of preoperative
patients is necessary for prevention.
Acute Confusion: Abrupt onset of a cluster of
global, transient changes and disturbances in
attention, cognition, psychomotor activity, level
of consciousness, or the sleep/wake cycle.
Confusion is a term nurses use often to represent
a pattern of cognitive impairments. It is a
behavior that indicates a disruption in cerebral
metabolism. Acute confusion(delirium) can
befall in any age group, which can evolve over a
period of hours to days. Factors that increase the
risk for delirium and confusional states can be
categorized into those that increase baseline
vulnerability including underlying brain disease
such as dementia, stroke, or Parkinson’s
disease and those that precipitate the disturbance
like infection, sedatives, and immobility. The
change is commonly caused by a medical
condition, substance intoxication,
or medication side effect.
A person with dementia can experience acute
confusion (delirium). Careful assessment is
indicated to determine prehospital function and
deliberate with family to perceive deterioration.
Anxiety nursing diagnosis is defined as Vague
uneasy feeling of discomfort or dread
accompanied by an autonomic response (the
source often nonspecific or unknown to the
individual); a feeling of apprehension caused by
anticipation of danger. It is an alerting signal
that warns of impending danger and enables the
individual to take measures to deal with the
threat.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental
illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in
the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of
the population, according to the National
Institute of Mental Health. In fact, anyone from
all walks of life can suffer from anxiety
disorders. It affects the poor, the rich, the young,
the old, the sick, the healthy, and more.
However, everyone experiences anxiety
differently. It can be a result of fear, uncertainty,
circular and racing thoughts, and the avoidance
of certain behaviors. It can affect our ability to
function normally, and even convince us that
we’re losing our minds. And worst, it can even
lead to related psychological conditions, like
substance abuse and personality difficulties.
The reality is that many people struggle with
anxiety. Thus, it’s important for health care
providers and the patient to understand what
anxiety he or she is suffering from and how it
affects him or her. Patients can and do overcome
anxiety if they stick with cognitive strategies and
practically apply them to their lives.
Self-Care Deficit: Impaired ability to perform
or complete activities of daily living for oneself,
such as feeding, dressing, bathing, toileting.
Activities of daily living or ADLs are defined as
“the stuff we regularly do such as feeding
ourselves, bathing, dressing, grooming, work,
homemaking, and leisure. However, there are
some that might have difficulties in
performing self-care. Self-care refers to those
activities an individual performs independently
throughout life to promote and maintain
personal well-being. On the contrary, Self-Care
Deficit is the inability of an individual to
perform self-care. The deficit may be the effect
of temporary limitations, such as those one
might experience while recovering from surgery,
or the result of gradual deterioration that erodes
the individual’s ability or willingness to perform
the activities required to care for himself or
herself. Also, patients who are suffering
from depression may not have the interest to
engage in self-care activities.
Assisting in activities of daily living are skills
required in nursing and as well as other
professions such as nursing assistants. The nurse
coordinates services to maximize the
independence of the patient and to ensure that
the environment the patient lives is safe and
supportive of his or her special needs.
concerns on health. Adult learning principles
guide the teaching-learning process.
Physicians have an important role in patient
education. However, physicians are not alone in
education patients. This is where nurses get in
the manner of offering patient education as a
way of providing nursing care to obtain the best
outcomes for their patients. Patient education
should always be made available in the
healthcare setting. A patient is considered most
effective when information is accessible
whenever it is needed.
According to Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care
Theory, the goal of nursing was to render the
patient capable of meeting self-care needs, a
process that often includes patient teaching. Yet,
many factors influence patient education,
including age, cognitive level, developmental
stage, physical limitations, the primary disease
process and comorbidities, and sociocultural
factors. Certain ethnic and religious groups hold
unique beliefs and health practices that must be
considered when designing a teaching plan.

Deficient Knowledge: Absence or deficiency of

cognitive information related to specific topic.
A lack of cognitive information or psychomotor
ability needed for health restoration,
preservation, or health promotion is identified
as Knowledge Deficit or Deficient Knowledge.
Knowledge plays an influential and significant
part of a patient’s life and recovery. It may
include any of the three domains: cognitive
domain (intellectual activities, problem-solving,
and others); affective domain (feelings, attitudes,
belief); and psychomotor domain (physical skills
or procedures). It is the duty of the nurse to
determine with the patient what to teach, when
to teach, and how to teach certain matters and