Clinical pathways are used in managed care settings to: a. ...

[dalyningkenk]

Clinical pathways are used in managed care settings to:
 
  a. stabilize aggressive patients.
  b. identify obstacles to effective care.
  c. relieve nurses of planning responsibilities.
  d. streamline the care process and save money.

Question 2

A depressed patient repeatedly tells staff that he's evil and that his insides are rotting because God is punishing him. What would the priority nursing diagnosis for this patient be?
 
  a. Spiritual distress
  b. Disturbed thought process
  c. Situational low self-esteem
  d. Ineffective health maintenance

[millet]

Answer to Question 1

D
Clinical pathways provide guidelines for assessments, interventions, treatments, and outcomes as well as a designated timeline for accomplishment. Deviations from the timeline must be reported and investigated. Clinical pathways streamline the care process and save money. Care pathways do not identify obstacles or stabilize aggressive patients. Staff are responsible for the necessary interventions. Care pathways do not relieve nurses of the responsibility of planning; pathways may, however, make the task easier.

Answer to Question 2

B
The patient is demonstrating delusional thinking suggestive of worthlessness and guilt. The delusional thinking indicates significant cognitive disorganization, potentially placing the patient at risk due to impaired judgment. The cognitive disorganization also interferes with patient learning and understanding and would make it more difficult for the patient to respond to interpersonal therapies. If the issue of impaired thought process is not addressed, the patient will have more difficulty responding to other forms of treatment and may experience harm. Therefore, disturbed thought process is the priority concern in this situation. The other diagnoses do not involve issues of risk and thus are lower priorities.

[dalyningkenk]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[amit]

TYSM