ESSAY: Select and describe a nursing theory to guide your practice.

To prepare for this course’s Practicum Experience, address the following in your Practicum Journal:

• Select and describe a nursing theory to guide your practice.
• Develop goals and objectives for your Practicum Experience in this course. When developing your goals and objectives, be sure to keep the seven domains of practice in mind.
• Create a timeline of practicum activities based on your practicum requirements.

My pattern recognition for this week is pnemonia

Please review an example of what I need.

Pattern Recognition

As advanced practice nurses (APN’s) become proficient and knowledgeable in the disease process, it will become second nature to utilize pattern recognition in diagnosing patients and providing quality patient care.  Pattern recognition is used to diagnose certain conditions that have very unique symptoms (Strzoda, 2010).  The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the importance of pattern recognition in regards to patient diagnosis and explain how the use of pattern recognition may be helpful or potentially harmful in assisting the APN in correctly diagnosing patients.

Pattern Recognition in Healthcare

            Many times in the healthcare field pattern recognition is used to diagnose and treat patients with a number of different conditions. Utilizing this style of diagnosis is very efficient and time saving in a fast paced healthcare setting. There are a number of conditions that present with certain symptoms in which the APN may diagnose a patient before walking into the exam room.

 One diagnosis that has very distinct symptoms is a urinary tract infection (UTI).  Symptoms that a patient who has a UTI may complain of include pain or burning upon urination, urinary urgency and frequency, dark-colored urine with a foul odor, suprapubic and low back pain, and costovertebral tenderness.  Utilizing pattern recognition with symptoms such as these will allow the APN to make the likely diagnosis of UTI.  Another method of diagnosing UTI utilizing pattern recognition and without the above symptoms is reviewing a urinalysis.  At times there are patients who present to the clinic for other reasons such as a routine medication follow-up or lab work.  Lab results from a complete blood count (CBC) may show elevated white blood cells (WBC’s) and urinalysis results may reveal elevated leukocytes, protein, and blood in the urine.  While the patient is asymptomatic, he/she has very indicative lab results that suggest a UTI. 

Pattern Recognition: Helpful or Harmful

            Pattern recognition is a helpful tool that allows APN’s to recognize that certain signs and/or symptoms are directly associated with certain diseases or conditions.  As mentioned earlier this method is very efficient and time saving.  It allows APN’s who practice in busy settings to diagnose and even write prescriptions for patients based on their symptoms before walking in to the exam room. 

            While there are many positives in regards to pattern recognition, there are also negatives.  A major problem with utilizing this method in the healthcare setting is misdiagnosing.  At times APN’s may prematurely diagnose a patient without considering other options or conditions that may be of concern for the patient (“Basic Strategies for Diagnosis,” 2011).  When diagnosing a patient with a UTI based on their presenting symptoms it is important to follow-up with the patient to assure the symptoms have subsided with the prescribed treatment and there is not a possibility of a urethral issue.  Other diagnoses that may be misinterpreted with pattern recognition are as follows: Bell’s palsy being mistaken for a stroke or vice versa and Parkinson’s disease may be mistaken for essential hand tremors. 

Conclusion

Pattern recognition is an efficient way to provide health care to patients in a fast paced setting.  It can be conveniently utilized to diagnose and treat patients before walking into the exam room.  While it is helpful in many ways, pattern recognition must be used sparingly and follow-up is required in order to rule out any underlying conditions that may be a result of the presenting symptoms.  Proper follow-up will confirm that the APN made the correct diagnosis and assure the symptoms have been effectively treated with prescribed medications.

References

Basic strategies for diagnosis. (2011). Retrieved from http://ebp.uga.edu/courses/Chapter%201%20-%20Diagnostic%20process/4%20-%20Diagnostic%20strategies.html

Strzoda, K. (2010). Evaluation of Macrocyosis. American Family Physician, 79(3), 203-214.

ANSWER

Pattern Recognition

Pneumonia is considered as one of the leading infectious diseases that contribute to high rate of morbidity and mortality globally. Radiologists play fundamental roles in assessing, detecting, and eliminating cases of pneumonia in the society. They help clinicians to have a comprehensive etiologic differential diagnosis through pattern recognition and assimilation of laboratory, clinical, epidemiologic, and radiographic information (Sanchez Morillo, Leon Jimenez & Moreno, 2013). Pattern recognition in diagnostic imaging represents Radiologists ability to recognize normal physiological and anatomical appearances on an image and variations of looks that are likely to indicate pneumonia pathology. This implies that Radiologists should be competent in pattern recognition. They should have a reasonable experience in medical imaging and must have sufficient knowledge of normal variants and radiographic anatomy in order to help them recognize variations that may indicate the presence of pneumonia. This essay seeks to discuss the purpose of pattern recognition as used in patient diagnosis. The paper also discusses how pattern recognition assists the APN to effectively diagnose patients.

Pattern Recognition in Healthcare

The most applicable theory, in this case, is the Nursing Need Theory by Virginia Henderson, which suggests that patient’s independence is important to hasten their healing process (Smith, & Parker, 2015). Radiological imaging is one of the most effective tools for pneumonia diagnosis because of availability and commendable cost-benefit ratio. Pattern recognition helps in the classification of bacterial pneumonia into four major categories including healthcare-associated, aspiration, community-acquired, and hospital-acquired pneumonia. Radiological imaging serves as a reliable tool that helps radiologists to narrow differential diagnosis and enhance follow-up examinations.

Importance of Pattern Recognition

The goals and objectives are to understand the treatment procedures after successful diagnosis. There is also the need to understand safety measures to observe during and after diagnosis or treatment in order to have effective follow-ups. A better understanding of the pattern of the condition will fulfil domains of practice such as quality management of the patient health and monitoring.

Conclusion

Pattern recognition is an efficient and time-saving nursing practice. The approach helps APNs to provide quality care in a timely manner hence promoting patients experience and outcome.  It can be conveniently employed in patient diagnosis and treatment as well as providing follow-up services to ensure that the APN made the correct diagnosis. Combination of clinical knowledge with pattern recognition in pneumonia diagnosis is one of the best tools for the radiologic interpretation of pneumonia. This helps to classify pneumonia as either healthcare-associated, aspiration, community-acquired, or hospital-acquire…