Caring for a Dying Patient

Ronan Castronuevo
Fall 2017
Mrs.Click
 Cherry Abuy BSN
Works at Mainland Medical Center
RN in the ICU
Studied at Mary Chiles College for 4
years
Worked for 20 years
Has studied nursing, BSN
 What is ISM?
Course Description:
The Independent Study Mentorship (ISM) Advanced Academic course is designed for students wishing to mentor an adult professional in a
chosen career. With the mentor and the teacher-facilitator, each student will create a unique plan of study and receive individual instruction.
Students leave the high school campus and go to the mentors place of business to study with professionals. This course is ideal for the self-
motivated student with a passion for a particular area of study. ISM is a full year course. Students in this course must perform at a collegiate or
professional level. Students must provide their own transportation to mentorship sites. This course is recommended for students in grades 11-12
Requirements:
1. Complete an in-depth mentorship/study in an area of interest (must be approved by ISM teacher)
2. Document a minimum of 3 hours of mentorship each week (Mentorship Activity Log)
3. Complete a Journal Entry each week documenting mentorship experiences (ISM Journal)
4. Complete an ISM Professional Portfolio (online format/Weebly) showcasing assignments completed during the course and the final project
5. Complete all of the required assignments (See YAG and ISM Grading Sheet)
6. Complete a Mid-Term Presentation (must include PowerPoint or Prezi)
7. Develop a final product and presentation at the collegiate/professional level that is presented to a panel of graders at the conclusion of the
semester (must include PowerPoint, visuals, completed product, portfolio and handouts (See Product Guidelines section for guidance). The
final presentation will count as the FINAL EXAM Grade for this course. The grade is based on the Mentors Evaluation 50% and Grader
Evaluations 25% each of the presentation.
 Caring for a Dying Patient Palliative Care
Palliative Care- Specialized medical care for people with serious illness. This type
of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious
illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
Why?
I did this topic because I wanted to be able to present a topic that people will find
interesting and try to actively engage in, since it's a sensitive topic, it's much more
interesting. Also during my clinicals for HST II, two out of the three times I went to the
ICU, I witnessed a situation involving a patient that will most likely pass away.
 Key Points
My key points will be divided into two categories: pain management and communication.
Both are crucial aspects of caring for patients with serious illness, who are in a lot of pain and
stress. Some key points may crossover and fit in both.
 Pain Management
Key Point: Pain Assessment
I will be discussing the methods used to discern the pain and stress levels of
patients, and how to properly perform them. An example is the Wong-Baker
FACES Pain Rating Scale.
 Pain Management
Key Point: Types of Medication
For this key point I will be discussing several commonly used pain medications
used to alleviate a patients pain, the different situations they are used it, and
which ones are best used for each situation. This will be the bulk of the
discussion concerning pain management.
 Pain Management
Key Point: Levels of Sedation
For the final key point, I will be going over the dosages of medication, in
correlation to how it affects the mental clarity of the patient and their
responsiveness. For example, if the patient needs lots of rest but the pain is
preventing them from doing so, higher dosages may be required. Or if a nurse
or doctor needs to communicate, lower dosages may be required, so they stay
conscious and can make sound decisions.
 Communication
Key Point: The Patient and their Family
Emotional stress can accumulate, for both the patient and the family, whilst
dealing with a patients serious illness. Communication must be clear and
concise, yet tactful. I will be discussing how to approach several common
situations, which can be difficult to handle and communicate effectively.
 Communication
Key Point: Doctors and other Nurses
Communication with fellow health care workers must be crystal clear, to avoid
any mishaps, while also allowing ideas to flow naturally, concerning the best
ways in which to care for the patient. Nurses may switch from patient to
patient throughout the week, and it is imperative that they have an
understanding of each patients condition.
 Research
I plan on researching multiple topics for this project, such as: pain assessment,
different medications, and the several situations that can be encountered
while caring for a patient with a serious illness. The information from my
research will be used to provide factual evidence, which will incorporated with
the corresponding key points.
Research Topic I
Pain Assessment:
Research Topic II
Pain Medications:
Research Topic III
End of Life Issues:
 Product
My product will be a narrated video presentation that goes over the
importance of making the patient as comfortable as possible and easing their
pain, with methods like positioning and medication management. During the
presentation I plan on using this immediately after covering the key points in
the pain management section, to conclude the section.
 Conclusion
Through the school year, I hope to learn much more of what it means to be a
nurse, the different skills required to be a nurse, and the situations nurses
must handle. I hope to use my mentorship to experience first hand and learn
about all of these aspects of nursing. For my semester project I hope to better
comprehend one of the many challenges associated with nursing; dealing with
the omnipresence of death, and doing everything to prevent it or ease the
passing.
 Special Thanks to

Cherry Abuy Mentor

Ramon Castronevo Father
Sarah Thomas Temporary Mentor
Hilda Castronuevo Mother
Mrs. Click ISM Teacher
 Works Cited
https://medlineplus.gov/painrelievers.html
https://www.drugs.com/condition/pain.html
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1948069-
overview?pa=GwTkB64fHcavAx3KHZaaHnC7zikJw9gZ0Pa1VC1JhGT8m2%2FoeM
LguzCuY7AI0nJYh8mgIgATdY4UytgRm%2BtlRiwhCTQq25Ki1mL6i64Z7Vg%3D
http://www.pulsion.com/fileadmin/pulsion_share/Education/CongressPresentation
s/1_Segal_ISICEM_2009_Critical_situations_in_critical_care.pdf
 Works Cited Images

https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/mpp/peer-mentorship
http://info.vtc.vt.edu/best/mentorship-program/
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-nure-take-care-patient-image21622334
http://www.hollyspringsnc.us/950/Key-Points
https://peerj.com/articles/37/
http://powlesslaw.com/information/the-problem-of-pain-medication-theft-in-nursing-homes/
https://myphysiciansnow.com/urgent-care-services/iv-fluids/
https://pixabay.com/en/interview-conversation-talking-head-2004339/
https://socialsteve.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/social-marketing-learn-from-a-nurse-not-a-doctor/
http://hyperacusisresearch.org/
http://www.hellokittythebook.com/tips-making-high-quality-corporate-video/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56590546@N03/15572797796/