Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills: A Nursing Process Approach

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Copyright © 2011 by Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills:

SKILL 10-1

Promoting Patient Comfort (Continued)

Comments

9. Provide oral hygiene as often as necessary to keep the
   mouth and mucous membranes clean and moist, as often
   as every 1 or 2 hours if necessary. This is especially impor-
   tant for patients who cannot drink or are not permitted
   fluids by mouth. (See Chapter 7, Hygiene, for additional
   information about mouth care.)


10. Ensure the availability of appropriate fluids for drinking,
    unless contraindicated. Make sure the patient’s water
    pitcher is filled and within reach. Make other fluids of the
    patient’s choice available.


11. Remove physical situations that might cause discomfort.
    a. Change soiled and/or wet dressings; replace soiled
    and/or wet bed linens.
    b. Smooth wrinkles in bed linens.
    c. Ensure patient is not lying or sitting on tubes, tubing,
    wires, or other equipment.


12. Assist the patient as necessary with ambulation, and active
    or passive range-of-motion exercises, as appropriate. (See
    Chapter 9, Activity, for more information about activity.)


13. Assess the patient’s spirituality needs related to the pain
    experience. Ask the patient if he/she would like a spiritual
    counselor to visit.


14. Consider the use of distraction. Distraction requires the
    patient to focus on something other than the pain.
    a. Have the patient recall a pleasant experience or focus
    attention on an enjoyable experience.
    b. Offer age or developmentally appropriate games, toys,
    books, audiobooks, access to television, and/or videos,
    or other items of interest to the patient.
    c. Encourage the patient to hold or stroke a loved person,
    pet, or toy.
    d. Offer access to music the patient prefers. Turn on the
    music when pain begins, or before anticipated painful
    stimuli. The patient can close his or her eyes and
    concentrate on listening. Raising or lowering the
    volume as pain increases or decreases can be helpful.


15. Consider the use of guided imagery.
    a. Help the patient to identify a scene or experience that
    the patient describes as happy, pleasant, or peaceful.

ExcellentSatisfactoryNeeds Practice