Nursing care plan for asthma

Introduction to Nursing Care Plan for Asthma

Asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses among children, impacting around 4 million children in the US, and causing around 200,000 emergency room visits every year. Nurses play a critical role in managing asthma symptoms and providing support and education to patients and their families. The nursing care plan is an important component of this management.

Asthma Assessment

The assessment phase when nurses are developing an asthma care plan includes gathering information on the patient's past medical history, including any medications taken, allergies, breathing techniques, and triggers including environmental factors, occupational and social issues as well as assessing symptoms now present.

Nursing Diagnoses

Nursing Diagnoses, based on the assessment findings, may include airway clearance, chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety, and ineffective management of therapy, and these diagnoses may be used to develop goals and interventions that address the issues identified.

Outcomes

Outcomes should be measurable, realistic, and achievable. These goals typically include improving patient’s quality of life, as well as improvement in signs and symptoms, such as improved lung function, decreased levels of oxygen, better control of asthma symptoms, and reduction of exacerbations.

Interventions

Interventions should be designed to meet the individual needs of the patient. This may include teaching deep breathing and relaxation techniques, the proper use of inhalers, and the importance of avoiding triggers such as pollen and pet dander. Additionally, medications, such as corticosteroids, bronchodilators, and anti-inflammatories, may be prescribed to reduce inflammation in the airways.

Rationales

Rationales for nursing interventions should be based on research and evidence in order to be effective. For example, teaching a patient about avoiding triggers and using medication correctly can help to reduce the number of asthma flare-ups, while encouraging exercise can help to improve lung function.

Evaluation

The evaluation phase involves assessing whether the interventions used have been effective in meeting the desired outcomes. Evaluation should consider the patient’s subjective experience as well as objective measures such as lung function and symptom severity.

Conclusion

The nursing care plan for asthma is an important component in managing asthma symptoms and providing support and education to patients and their families. The assessment, diagnoses, outcomes, interventions and rationales must be tailored to the individual patient in order for them to be effective. In the evaluation process, it is important to consider the subjective and objective measures in order to assess the effectiveness of the interventions.

FAQs

• What type of symptoms are associated with asthma?
  Common symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
• What type of interventions help to reduce exacerbations?
  Interventions that may help to reduce exacerbations include teaching deep breathing and relaxation techniques, avoiding triggers, using medications properly, and encouraging exercise.
• How is the nursing care plan evaluated?
  The evaluation of the nursing care plan includes assessing the subjective and objective measures to determine if the interventions have been effective.
• Who is impacted the most by asthma?
  Asthma can affect people of all ages but are most commonly seen in children.
• What type of information is gathered in the assessment phase?
  The assessment phase includes gathering information on the patient's past medical history, including any medications taken, allergies, breathing techniques, and triggers including environmental factors, occupational and social issues as well as assessing symptoms now present.