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Nurse Laura has been caring for Rosa, who had surgery and is now stable enough to be discharged from the hospital. However, Rosa still needs oxygen therapy and home care support. Nurse Laura knows that Rosa’s transition from the hospital to home has to be carefully planned to make sure it’s safe and smooth.
Laura initiates a conversation the discharge planning team, respiratory therapist, and Rosa’s family. She sets up the home care agency to arrange for oxygen delivery, sets up follow-up nursing visits, and ensures Rosa’s daughter understands how to help with her care. Laura communicates all of this to the doctor and the case manager, making sure everyone is on the same page.
Collaborator
4.2 Initiates collaboration to support care planning and safe, continuous transitions from one healthcare facility to another, or residential, community or home and self-care
After a challenging shift, Nurse Laura reflects on her care for Rosa, who had surgery for abdominal adhesions. During the shift, Rosa had trouble breathing and complained of back pain, but Laura didn’t recognize the seriousness of the symptoms right away. Rosa later had to be transferred to the ICU after developing a pulmonary embolism.
The next day, Laura realizes she could have acted faster and decides she needs to improve her knowledge about post-op complications. She speaks with her educator and signs up for extra training on recognizing early warning signs in patients. Laura is making sure she improves her skills and keeps her patients safe by taking responsibility for her learning.
Professional
2.9 Adheres to the self-regulatory requirements of jurisdictional legislation to protect the public by assessing one’s own practice and individual competence to identify learning need
Nurse Laura is on shift, taking care of her post-op patient, Rosa, who had surgery for abdominal adhesions. Throughout the night, Rosa has been complaining of back pain and feeling short of breath. Laura increased her oxygen earlier but hasn’t had a chance to check on her again.
When Laura walks into Rosa’s room later, she finds Rosa looking pale and sweating. Rosa says she’s struggling to breathe and her chest hurts. Nurse Laura checks Rosa’s vital signs—her oxygen saturation has dropped to 82%, and her heart rate is racing at 130 beats per minute.
Without hesitation, Nurse Laura increases Rosa’s oxygen and calls for the rapid response team. She stays with Rosa, monitors her, and reassures her until help arrives. Thanks to Laura’s quick response, Rosa is transferred to the ICU, where it's discovered she had a pulmonary embolism.
Clinician 1.9 Recognizes and responds immediately when client's condition is deteriorating
It’s a busy night for Nurse Laura. Her patient Rosa, who had surgery earlier, starts to show signs of distress—her oxygen levels are dropping, and she’s becoming short of breath. Rosa’s condition is getting worse quickly, and Nurse Laura knows she needs help fast.
Laura immediately calls the rapid response team, but the team is handling another emergency. She stays calm and quickly communicates Rosa’s symptoms to the on-call doctor over the phone, describing the changes in Rosa’s breathing and vital signs in detail. As she waits for help to arrive, she updates her colleagues and coordinates with other staff to get Rosa the care she needs as quickly as possible.
Even in the middle of a rapidly changing situation, Laura stays clear and focused, making sure everyone knows what’s going on.
Communicator
3.7 Communicates effectively in complex and rapidly changing situations
Nurse Laura is caring for Rosa, who is recovering from surgery. During her shift, Rosa’s daughter comes to visit and expresses concerns about her mother’s care. Rosa’s family is from a cultural background that values family involvement in healthcare decisions, and they feel left out of the process.
Recognizing the importance of culturally safe care, Laura takes action. She arranges a meeting with the healthcare team and Rosa’s family to discuss Rosa’s care plan, ensuring they are included in the decision-making process. Laura also educates her colleagues about the family’s cultural preferences, encouraging the team to respect and integrate them into Rosa’s care.
By fostering a culturally safe environment, Laura helps the family feel heard, respected, and involved in Rosa’s recovery
Leader
6.7 Takes action to support culturally safe practice environments
During a busy shift, Nurse Laura is caring for Rosa, who’s recovering from surgery and needs frequent oxygen monitoring. At the same time, one of Laura’s other patients needs assistance with mobility and personal care.
Recognizing the need to delegate tasks effectively, Laura approaches a nursing student on the unit and asks them to assist the other patient with mobility. Before delegating, Laura explains the task clearly, ensuring the student understands the patient’s needs and safety precautions. Laura also makes sure the student feels comfortable with the responsibility and reminds them to report back any concerns immediately. While the student helps the patient, Laura focuses on monitoring Rosa’s oxygen levels and pain management.
By delegating safely and clearly, Laura ensures all her patients get the care they need without delay.
Coordinator
5.4 Demonstrates knowledge of the delegation process
Nurse Laura is preparing Rosa, who is recovering from surgery, for discharge. Rosa’s daughter, who will be her primary caregiver at home, is worried about managing her mother’s oxygen therapy and medication schedule, as this is new for her.
Recognizing the need for effective teaching, Laura takes into account Rosa’s family dynamics and cultural background. She uses simple, clear language to explain the oxygen equipment and medication instructions, ensuring Rosa’s daughter understands. To address her learning style, Laura demonstrates how to use the equipment and then watches as Rosa’s daughter practices, offering feedback. Laura also provides written instructions in their preferred language and arranges for a follow-up home care visit.
By selecting the right teaching strategies, Laura ensures Rosa’s daughter feels confident and capable of caring for her mother at home, respecting both their family structure and cultural needs.
Educator
8.3 Selects, develops, and uses relevant teaching and learning theories and strategies to address diverse clients and contexts, including lifespan, family, and cultural considerations
Nurse Laura is caring for Rosa, who is recovering from surgery. Rosa's daughter is concerned that her mother is in pain and not receiving enough pain relief. However, the physician has been hesitant to increase Rosa's medication, fearing it might cause respiratory depression due to her age and condition.
Laura listens carefully to Rosa and her daughter’s concerns and realizes that Rosa’s pain is not being adequately managed. Laura advocates for Rosa by discussing her pain management with the physician, explaining the impact the pain is having on Rosa’s recovery. She suggests adjusting the pain medication to a safer dosage or exploring alternative methods of pain relief, like repositioning or using non-pharmacological strategies.
Laura ensures that Rosa receives compassionate and ethical care, while also balancing the need for safety and competency in her pain management.
Advocate
7.6 Advocate for safe, competent, compassionate and ethical care for clients
Nurse Laura has been working with Rosa, a post-op patient, and realizes that recent advancements in surgical recovery techniques could improve the care she provides. Wanting to stay current with these new developments, Laura decides to enroll in an online course on enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols.
Throughout the course, Laura learns new methods to improve pain management, mobility, and patient education during the recovery process. After completing the course, she starts implementing these techniques with Rosa and shares the knowledge with her team during a staff meeting. This lifelong learning not only benefits Rosa’s recovery but also strengthens the overall quality of care provided on the unit.
Scholar
9.8 Engages in practices that contribute to lifelong learning