A Patient/Family Care Study on Gastritis

Abstract

Although the origins of nursing predate the mid-19th century, the history of professional nursing traditionally begins with Florence Nightingale. Nightingale, the well-educated daughter of wealthy British parents, defied social conventions and decided to become a nurse. The nursing of strangers, either in hospitals or in their homes, was not then seen as a respectable career for well-bred ladies, who, if they wished to nurse, were expected to do so only for sick family and intimate friends. In a radical departure from these views, Nightingale believed that well-educated women, using scientific principles and informed education about healthy lifestyles, could dramatically improve the care of sick patients. Moreover, she believed that nursing provided an ideal independent calling full of intellectual and social freedom for women, who at that time had few other career options. Nursing care has evolved from just caring for the sick and the dying, to an era of assisting people who seek health guidance and counselling, as well as promoting the health of individuals, their families and the entire community. There has also been an extension of care to the sick person’s family and community, at large, in all aspects of health care. Nursing in the past four decades have brought emphasis on nursing research and the use of scientific data at the bedside. Nursing care has broadened from care of the sick to care of the people both in sickness and health and also extend to the patient’s family and community at large in all aspects regardless of the background. The Patient/ family care study is a detailed account of nursing care rendered to the Patient and family to meet their needs. The study is designed to give a comprehensive nursing care to both patient and family from the time of admission till when patient is finally discharged to go home, as well as follow-ups or home visits for continuity of care. The study provides a systematic way of collecting data, analysing information, and reporting the results of nursing care. This Patient/Family care study is based on holistic care, taking into account all factors impinging on the health of the patient. The Patient/Family care study forms an integral part of the curriculum for educating nursing students hence a prerequisite for completing the nursing course and also a partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of professional license by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana. Using the nursing process in caring for a patient, emphasis is based on health promotion, maintenance and restoration or enhancing a peaceful death depending on the patient’s condition. The nursing process is a series of organized steps designed for nurses to provide excellent care. This involves five phases, including assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing and evaluating. The purpose of nursing process is that, it offers a framework for thinking through problems and provides some organization to nurse’s critical thinking skills. It’s important to point out that this process is flexible and not rigid. It is a tool to use in nursing care, but one that should allow for creativity and thinking outside the box. The study is carried out to enable the student nurse put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired from the three-year training period in school to ascertain how best the theoretical knowledge would be used to nurse patients who will come under his or her care in the near future. Initials were used instead of the patient’s full name to maintain confidentiality. The study serves as a reference paper for other student nurses and qualified health personnel who may be interested in its content.