APPLYING YOUR KNOWLEDGE
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1.Try to imagine what it must feel like to be in
strict isolation. Then interview a patient whose
medical condition necessitated the use of isola-
tion precautions. Find out how it felt to be iso-
lated and, in some cases, feared by healthcare
workers. See if anything was done to help alle-
viate the disorientation and meet the patient’s
basic needs of love and belonging. What did
you learn that would help you to direct your
future nursing care for patients in isolation?
2.A nurse is obligated to provide nursing care to
all patients regardless of race, creed, religion,
and so forth. Should this code also include
“regardless of the medical condition of the
patient”? Should nurses be able to choose
whether or not to take care of a patient who
has a contagious disease? Do you believe the
precautions being taken with these patients
offer adequate protection for the healthcare
provider? Should there be consequences for
medical personnel who refuse to take care of
these patients? Share your responses with your
classmates and see if you agree.REFLECTIVE PRACTICE USING CRITICAL
THINKING SKILLS
Use the following expanded scenario from
Chapter 27 in your textbook to answer the
questions below.
Scenario:Giselle Turheis, age 38, is
undergoing chemotherapy treatment for
leukemia in the hospital. The staff has placed
Ms. Turheis on neutropenic precautions and
restricted visitors to her room. The flowers she
received from her family were sent home to
avoid having standing water in her room.
Healthcare workers regularly appear at herbedside in masks and gowns. When the nurse
explains the reason for these precautions to
Ms. Turheis and her family, Ms. Turheis says,
“I know my risk for infection is really high
because of my poor immune status, but I feel
so out of touch with reality now. And when I
get home, how will I respond to my Sunday
school students who are used to greeting me
with a big hug? I want to be safe, but I know
that I need these hugs too!”
1.How might the nurse respond to Ms. Turheis
in a manner that respects her human dignity,
while at the same time, maintaining a safe
environment for her?2.What would be a successful outcome for
Ms. Turheis?3.What intellectual, technical, interpersonal,
and/or ethical/legal competencies are most
likely to bring about the desired outcome?4.What resources might be helpful for
Ms. Turheis?164 UNIT VI ACTIONS BASIC TO NURSING CARE
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