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Health Promotion Paper

Morgan Waide
Delaware Technical Community College
NUR 320-201 Health Assessment
Mrs. Lind
April 23rd, 2024
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Introduction

Over the course of the last 6 weeks we have not only looked at a patients physical health

but there overall health. Taking a holistic approach to a patients assessment has been interesting

and intriguing being able to look at a person as a whole and not in parts. For my patient being

able to sit down and use therapeutic communication, nonverbal communication through body

language and questions was I able to fully assess my patient. A holistic assessment approach is

taking a look at the whole picture (person) and truly understanding what is going on in a patients

life without a bias look. Having a holistic approach and forming a plan for your patient is a

important step in a nursing plan, it helps how you treat them and how you can support them.For

my patient her care plan was different because of she had different needs that we will explore in

this paper, but everything that is talked about is what she needs at this current time but that can

always change.

Let me introduce you to my my patient for my assignment; Mrs. M who is a 63 year old

female who is a nurse herself, she currently works as a CEO of a hospital and has been doing that

for the past 10 or so years. She is into going for walks, and yoga, she has only one medical

condition which is asthma, in the interview process I learned that she doesn’t necessarily have

outside worries but as a mom there is always some worry about the future. Overall Mrs. M is a

smart, financially and healthy patient, through the holistic assessment approach I learned this and

will be laced out throughout this paper.

Holistic Health Issue

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Let me introduce you to my patient for this assignment, Mrs. M. During the first part of

our introduction assessment I was able to ask my patient questions and have a open

communication with her. By asking her questions I was able to find certain health issues that the

patient was having. For one the patient had only one medical condition which was asthma, the

patient Mrs.M said that she had this condition most of her life, through more questions I was able

to learn that her asthma flares up during this time of season because of the pollen, she uses a

albuterol inhaler to help her when she feels like she needs it. Another issue that we discovered

through the holistic approach was her knowledge of her albuterol use, Mrs. M during her last

assessment had verbalized that she did not understand how to use a inhaler and needed further

education on the technique and proper use of the inhaler. Because the patient did not fully

understand a inhaler usage she could be at risk for going into respiratory distress from a asthma

flare up. Over all by using opened ended questions and listening to my patient I was able to

discover the patients needs from her medical issues. Those 2 are the top priority for this patient

because without proper education and understanding your illness it can lead to serious

consequences with your life.

Prioritization and Goals

After identifying Mrs.Ms health issues we needed to move on and prioritize them so that

way she can handle the illness and the medication that she would need to take. Some of the

priorities are things like chest tightness and changes in vital signs like oxygen levels and

respiratory rate. When you have asthma knowing the proper vital signs and levels of asthma are

important because according to the allergy and asthma foundation “understanding asthma

symptoms can help you know what your triggers are, and when you need quick relie “rescue”

medicines…. The swelling, clogging and muscle tightening makes your airway smaller or
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narrower, this makes it harder for air to flow easily through your airway and becomes harder to

breathe” (AAFA, 2021). When your airway is tight and not able to move air through, your chest

can become tight and cause your oxygen to drop and your respiratory rate to go up. Knowing

triggers for asthma patient like “respiratory infections, allergens and irritants, exercise and

emotions, is an important step toward controlling your asthma “(American lung Association,

2024). Mrs. M knew that during the spring the season the pollen is what can make her asthma act

up and she knows to always carry her inhaler with her in case she needs it. Knowing in advance

should be a priority at the top of anyone’s list who has a medical condition because it helps when

a medical emergency arises and know what causes it.

Some goals for my patient included being able to verbalized and understand her

mediation use, during my physical assessment through more quarions I was able to find out that

Mrs. M did not know how to properly use her inhaler. I made it a goal in her plan that she be able

to verbalize the understanding and demonstrate the proper usage and when to know to use it. To

help her I used some information that I learned in school, but I also used the CDCs information

videos on how to use one, I used the tips of breathing fully out and then breathing in the

medication, holding your breath and then repeating the process. Mrs. M verbalized the

understanding and demonstrated the teaching back, I concluded that she had met one of her

goals. Her other goal needed to be reassessed in a month so at this point her goal is still in

process. Having goals and and priorities is important for staying on top of your health and the

only way to know these things is by talking with your patient so that way there goals are

achievable.

Intervention and Evaluation

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Having interventions in place are important whether they are a medical intervention or

something else. For my patient she had 2 interventions that worked well for her, she used a

rescue inhaler and yoga to help when she feels, all of the information for that is in a chart that is

attached to this paper. The top intervention for asthma treatment is a inhaler “Treatment usually

involves learning to recognize your triggers, taking steps to avoid triggers and tracking your

breathing to make sure your medications are keeping symptoms under control. In case of an

asthma flare-up, you may need to use a quick-relief inhaler” (Mayoclinic, 2024). But in a

different way my patient likes to use yoga and meditation to one help her medically but also

mentally which has for her “been an amazing for me to relax and have something to rely on”.

According to Johns Hopkins university they did some research on how yoga can positively effect

someone “Regular yoga practice may reduce levels of stress and body-wide inflammation,

contributing to healthier hearts. Several of the factors contributing to heart disease, including

high blood pressure and excess weight, can also be addressed through yoga”. (Johns Hopkins,

2023). The article also talks about how yoga can help with stress which can be a trigger for an

asthma attack, “According to the National Institutes of Health, scientific evidence shows that

yoga supports stress management, mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, weight loss and

quality sleep” (Johns Hopkins, 2023). By using yoga as a intervention Mrs. M has been able to

keep her asthma triggers at bay and not need as much, she listens to what her mind and body

need which I believe is a foundation to a holistic approach.

Conclusion

During this assignment and talking with my patient I learned a lot through looking at

someone as whole picture. I have been able to incorporate the education and teachings into my

everyday nursing practice and try and dig deep into what is going on with a patient. By learning
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form Mrs. M I have been able to develop and a plan not only for her but other patients that I have

taken care of through, therapeutic communication, assessing my patient and then developing

goals that are achievable for them. Everyone is different and do things, learn things differently at

there own pace as nurses we need to be able to cultivate that in a positive environment where

they feel safe.

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Reference Page

9 benefits of yoga. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2021, August 8).

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-benefits-of-yoga

Association, A. L. (n.d.). Reduce asthma triggers. American Lung Association.

https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/managing-asthma/
reduce-asthma-triggers#:~:text=Common%20asthma%20triggers%20include
%20respiratory,help%20you%20identify%20your%20triggers.

Asthma symptoms. Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America. (2024, April 19).
https://aafa.org/asthma/asthma-symptoms/#:~:text=Understanding%20asthma
%20symptoms%20can%20help,are%20having%20a%20medical%20emergency.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, December 12). CDC - asthma - using an
asthma inhaler videos. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/inhaler_video/default.htm

Marope, G., Patrick, G., Allen, shronda, otu, T., Muzuva, C., Gloria, N., Himashri, Kobeee,
Ruto, Kiprutoh, & Brannen, L. (2024, January 21). 6 asthma nursing care plans.
Nurseslabs. https://nurseslabs.com/asthma-nursing-care-plans/#h-nursing-problem-
priorities

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2024, April 6). Asthma. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20369660