Week 1 Discussion

The home care nurse is seeing a 68-year-old Vietnamese woman for an initial visit. The patient was discharged from the hospital with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF). The home health nurse notices the patient’s blood pressure is elevated, and the patient has a productive cough. The patient speaks very little English. However, the patient’s daughter is present and able to interpret. The nurse completes a full health assessment, including a review of medications, and notes that the patient was prescribed a diuretic and a beta-blocker to regulate blood pressure. The daughter shares with the nurse that her mother does not like taking medications and chooses to take herbal remedies instead. Upon assessment, the patient’s vital signs are T 98.6 P 76 R 20 BP 160/80, 02 saturation 94%. The patient’s lungs are positive for scattered rhonchi in the upper bases, clear in the lower bases, rhonchi clears with cough. The patient’s heart rate is regular with no audible mummers, +2 edema bilateral in the lower extremities. The patient denies pain.

Question 1

Based on the information presented by the patient’s daughter, what is the most likely cause of the elevated blood pressure, edema, and rhonchi?

Answers may vary.

Question 2

What interventions should the nurse incorporate into the plan of care for this patient?

Question 3

What steps does the nurse need to take to become culturally competent?

Question 4

What interventions can the nurse include to provide care that reflects an acceptance of the patient’s health and illness beliefs and practices?

**Please be sure to include 2 references  in APA format within the last 5 years and respond to at least 2 participating classmates, with a substantial descriptive answer.**