Case Identification
The case study selected is pressure ulcers. The RN home health nurse is going to visit Mrs. Young. The patient requested assistance after returning to home rehabilitation after the stroke. The RN investigated all the materials related to the patient’s condition and interviewed the home health aide. The RN found that Mrs. Young has no difficulties with daily tasks, but there is incomplete information regarding the effect of the stroke on her health.
The patient has limited mobility and spends most of the time in bed. Mrs. Young is at risk of developing pressure ulcers, so the RN conducts a patient assessment. The RN finds the skin area warm and complex, which feels tender to the patient. The RN needs to ensure that Mrs. Young receives care at the nearest time possible to prevent the development of severe health complications.
PICOT Question
The PICOT question type about the case study is intervention, as the RN is an advocate, communicator, and teacher. Therefore, the primary role of the professional is to ensure that the patients get appropriate care for their condition. The PICOT question: In Mrs. Young (P), how does specific pressure ulcer treatment (I) compared to current home health assistance (C) affect the risk of severe health complications (O) within two years (T)?
The p label refers to the patient, Mrs. Young, who is in rehabilitation after a stroke. It describes the intervention that the RN should propose for the health condition. C is related to comparing the intervention proposed to the current therapeutic methods. O refers to the outcomes that the intervention may have on the specific health problem. T labels the period in which the outcome is likely to appear.
Rationale
Pressure ulcers are a significant problem that may affect the patient’s quality of life and lead to complications. The most common health complication related to the condition is possible infections (Zaidi & Sharma, 2022). Suppose the infection spreads to deeper body tissues. In that case, it can cause the development of “periostitis (infection of the layer covering the bone), osteomyelitis (infection of a bone), septic arthritis (infection of a joint), and formation of sinuses” (Zaidi & Sharma, 2022, p. 16). Therefore, Mrs. Young must receive adequate treatment as she has signs of the first stage of the condition’s development. The health problem can be managed appropriately at this point, and pressure ulcers’ adverse effects can be reduced.
The PICOT question states the importance of changing the assistance strategy to active pressure ulcer therapy. Therapy and continuous management of the condition are required if there is no evidence of complete healing (Zaidi & Sharma, 2022). Therefore, the patient must be educated on managing and monitoring the condition. Giving the patient all the information about the disease is essential in ensuring that Mrs. Young gets assistance.
The PICOT question may be able to address the problem statement by outlining the plan for it. The questions help develop a problem structure and highlight all the essential points. This can influence patient outcomes as the problem is identified correctly and the possible solution is stated. Therefore, the PICOT question can be used as an initial planning tool that helps to describe the condition with all its significant aspects.
Reference
Zaidi, S. R., & Sharma, S. (2022). Pressure ulcer. StatPearls. Web.