Author Question: The hospital policy states that when starting an intravenous (IV) catheter, the nurse must first ... (Read 54 times)

Chloeellawright · **on:** Jul 22, 2018

The hospital policy states that when starting an intravenous (IV) catheter, the nurse must first prepare the potential IV site with alcohol and dress it using a gauze dressing.

The nurse has done a literature review and believes that evidence-based practice dictates the use of a transparent dressing to prevent catheter dislodgment. What should the nurse do? a. Begin to use transparent dressing instead of gauze dressings.
b. Bring findings to the policy and procedure committee.
c. Use transparent dressings on half of her IV starts and gauze on the other.
d. Continue following hospital policy without saying anything.

Question 2

When the nurse demonstrates exhaustion and feels helpless and frustrated with the demands of her job, which of the following is she probably experiencing?

a. Burnout
b. Fight-or-flight response
c. Ineffective coping
d. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

medine · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

B
As a result of her finding, the nurse should meet with the policy and procedure committee to recommend routine use of transparent dressings. However, until the policy is changed, or the nurse receives approval to conduct a pilot study, the nurse is obligated to follow hospital procedure. If the nurse has information that can lead to better patient care, he or she has an obligation (moral and professional) to bring it to the attention of policy makers.

Answer to Question 2

A
Burnout occurs as a result of chronic stress; it is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, deperson-alization of others, and perceptions of reduced personal accomplishment, resulting from intense involvement with people in a caregiving environment.
The fight-or-flight response has been expanded on and is described as part of the general adapta-tion syndrome.
Ineffective coping is defined as an inability to form a valid appraisal of the stressors, inadequate choices of practised responses, and/or inability to use available resources; this is not what the nurse is experiencing.
Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs when a trauma's effects last well after the traumatizing event ends; this is not what the nurse is experiencing.