Breathing
The ease of breathing is a subconscious action that is a fundamental part of life. A professional manner is the foundation on which an assessment and quality patient care is built. It is vital that nurses have sound knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system to be able to carry out a respiratory assessment. It is essential that nurses are able to recognise and assess symptoms of respiratory dysfunction to provide early, effective and appropriate interventions to improve patient outcomes.
It is necessary for a nurse to have a comprehensive knowledge base of the anatomy and physiological process of a healthy functioning pulmonary system, in order to carry out a respiratory assessment (Jenkins, 2003, p124, Kennedy, 2007, p42 & Crisp and Taylor, 2005, p639). The respiratory system consists of the upper airway, including the nasal passages, sinuses, pharynx and larynx and the lower airway includes the trachea, bronchi, lung, bronchioles and alveoli. The main purpose of the respiratory system is to provide oxygen to all the cells in the body and to remove the by-product of carbon dioxide. This is why respiratory assessment should be carried out by a competent nurse that can easily identify potential respiratory defects in patients (Moore, 2007, p56).
The skills the nurse must use to gather relevant information during a breathing assessment include interviewing skills, observation skills and listening skills (Crisp and Taylor, 2005, p634). Jenkins (2003, p138) states that there are three phrases involved in assessment. These include a collection of data, interpretation of the data to assess the degree of alteration in breathing and identifying the individual’s actual and potential problems relating to breathing.
A respiratory assessment should begin with a patient’s history, as it is a vital element and provides clues to the cause of respiratory difficulty or failure. If properly recorded it provides...
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