Objective IV

During Adriel's rotation in the respiratory ICU, he had the opportunity to treat a patient with chronic bronchitis. The patient also had a pleural effusion and thus required a thoracentesis.

The paper below details the pathophysiology of chronic bronchitis, the collaborative care related to performing a thoracentesis, and the associated teachings. Adriel researched evidence-based articles on the nursing interventions for patients with chronic bronchitis and explained them below. This included medication recommendations, as well as procedural guidelines for performing a thoracentesis for patients with pleural effusion, etc. Evidence-based research provides the basis of a nurse's clinical judgment when it comes to making decisions in the plan of care. For example, chest physiotherapy is performed by nurses because it has been shown to improve airway clearance for patients with chronic bronchitis. The paper also talked about the interprofessional team, and how physicians and respiratory therapists collaborate together to achieve goals in the clinical setting. This assignment further illustrates the importance of integrating evidence and the expertise of others into the nursing process, as this can significantly improve the quality of care.

To learn more about the topic, read the paper below regarding chronic bronchitis and thoracentesis.