.
Introduction
A nursing care plan for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) provides direction on the type of nursing care that should be provided to patients who have suffered a heart attack. AMI is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, yet through knowledgeable and skillful nursing intervention, many lives can be saved.
Assessment
The nurse should assess for cardiac status, which includes the patient's vital signs, cardiovascular and pulmonary functions, mental health status, and level of comfort or pain relief. The following medical history might be obtained: current medications, family history, personal habits such as smoking, dietary habits, and activity level.
Nursing Diagnosis
A skilled nurse will identify potential nursing diagnoses related to the patient's condition and develop an appropriate plan of care. The most common nursing diagnosis associated with an AMI patient is acute pain. Other possible nursing diagnoses may include risk for reduced cardiac output, ineffective coping, impaired physical mobility, impaired tissue integrity, risk for infection, and risk for imbalance nutrition.
Outcomes
The primary goals of a nursing care plan for acute myocardial infarction are to provide comfort, promote healing of existing injuries, prevent further injury, and reduce the risk of recurrence. Outcomes may vary in accordance with the individual patient's situation but typically include improvement of symptom management, improved physical functioning, improved quality of life, improved adherence to medication regimes, and decreased risk of reoccurrence.
Interventions
Interventions focus on relieving discomfort, encouraging rest, promoting tissue and myocardial healing, educating the patient about the disease process, providing emotional support, assessing for complications, and preventing further injury. Examples of interventions for patients with an AMI include monitoring vital signs and intake and output accurately, administering medications as prescribed, providing oxygen therapy as indicated, monitoring the ECG, and providing emotional support.
Rationales
It is important to understand the rationale behind each intervention. For example, monitoring vital signs helps the nurse to determine how the patient is responding to treatment, administer medications as prescribed prevents further harm by ensuring that the proper dosage of the drug is given and oxygen therapy promotes tissue and myocardial healing by providing adequate oxygenation.
Evaluation
Evaluation is an important part of every nursing care plan. The nurse can evaluate the effectiveness of the care plan by assessing changes in the patient's condition, such as improved vital sign readings, or decreased pain or discomfort. The nurse should also assess the patient's response to interventions, such as whether the patient is able to follow recommended activities of daily living, participate in rehabilitation exercises, or adhere to medication regimes.
Conclusion
The nursing care plan for acute myocardial infarction guides the nurse in providing the optimal care for this patient population. An effective care plan begins with assessment, moves onto nursing diagnosis and outcome-focused interventions, and then concludes with evaluation.
FAQs
- What is the goal of a nursing care plan for an AMI?
The primary goals of a nursing care plan for acute myocardial infarction are to provide comfort, promote healing of existing injuries, prevent further injury, and reduce the risk of recurrence. - What are some interventions for patients with an AMI?
Examples of interventions for patients with an AMI include monitoring vital signs and intake and output accurately, administering medications as prescribed, providing oxygen therapy as indicated, monitoring the ECG, and providing emotional support. - Why should the nurse evaluate the effectiveness of the care plan?
It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the care plan by assessing changes in the patient's condition, such as improved vital sign readings, or decreased pain or discomfort. - What type of assessments should the nurse make during an AMI nursing care plan?
The nurse should assess for cardiac status, which includes the patient’s vital signs, cardiovascular and pulmonary functions, mental health status, and level of comfort or pain relief. - What types of nursing diagnoses might be identified in a patient with an AMI?
The most common nursing diagnosis associated with an AMI patient is acute pain. Other possible nursing diagnoses may include risk for reduced cardiac output, ineffective coping, impaired physical mobility, impaired tissue integrity, risk for infection, and risk for imbalance nutrition.
Leave a Reply