Question

A 62-year-old female is admitted to the general medical unit upon recommendation from her oncologist because of "low blood counts." She has had multiple recent hospital admissions for this same condition resulting from Myelodysplastic Syndrome in which the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy cells. She also has had recent valve surgery for aortic stenosis. During this admission, she received Neupogen, a protein to stimulate her bone marrow and white blood counts, with no success. The patient has expressed the wish to die.

She was then transferred to the Psychiatric Unit for close observation and evaluation for the possible diagnosis of Major Depression. On the psychiatric unit, the nurses notice that she has one cousin who comes to visit, but no other visitors have been seen. The patient has verbalized that she is "tired of all the admissions and sometimes wishes she would just die." You as the nurse come in to assess the patient and find her lying in bed staring at the ceiling. The patient looks at you when spoken to but there is no verbal response. The morning shift nurse tells you that the patient refused to eat breakfast and would not get out of bed to get cleaned up. Vital signs: BP 118/62, HR 62-regular, RR 14, Temp 98.6.

Question:

Which screening tool would you use to assess this patient and why? and Describe 4 nursing interventions for this patient. (Two interventions should be pharmacological and two should be non-pharmacological).

Answer 1

I Geriatric Depression seale should be need franch thes patient because as the womali is 62 year old and the is not willing to communicate with flee neime do this took coulcino Pis items, which ihoso gieestions elict only 'yes' or 'no' respouses , maling compre- shencion canilo emprepared to the mess." 0 l point for a no answer on the first In question or a 'yon anawer for the remaining questions A score of > 2 is a positive screen. For depression 1.2) 4 nursing, interveultows for this patient are - i) Pharmaelo logical interventions . → Antidepressants should be given to the patient I as per physician's order as they are the doug for of choice for depressive episodes. And the nurse should monitor & report the little anticholinergic side effects. & Antipsy choties are important adjunct in the treatment of delusional depression, so they are adeniuistered according to doctor's order i) Nou - Pharmacological interventions Nurse should envolve the patient into various short-term modalities such as social skills traènèng , self-couhool therapy I decision making Accliniqleis ? The nurse should monitor the patient closely & look for any signs of suicidal ideation. Any harm. ful items skoried be kept away from the paillent Scanned with Cam Scanners