Neuroscience Nursing: a Nursing Diagnosis Approach.

Neuroscience Nursing: A Nursing Diagnosis Approach This reference text is a unique blend of scientific fact and recommendations for clinical care for patients with specific diagnoses and problems. The first section of the book details numerous neurological health problems and includes references. Many patterns of the patient's daily functioning system are altered when a dysfunction of the nervous system occurs. The second section specifically deals with identifying the patient's problems, setting realistic goals, and instituting appropriate intervention methods. The patterns of human function addressed involve health perception, nutrition and metabolism, elimination, activity and exercise, sleep and rest, cognition and perception, self-perception and self-concept, role relationship, sexuality and reproductivity, and coping and stress tolerance.

For the physical therapist to work independently or to work in a multidisciplinary team helping the patient reach optimal functioning, an understanding of the nursing diagnostic approach is useful. With this information at hand, an electric approach can be used, combining different therapeutic goals and treatment methods that focus on change, mastery of skills in performing a task, or improving the altered pattern. When specific dysfunctions are identified, objective changes can be noted. Day-to-day applied intervention can assist in providing guidelines to best manage the delivery of care to patients.

Because of technological advances in the evaluation and treatment of patients with nervous system disorders, continual update of this reference text would need to be made by the clinician. Physical therapists may identify many other altered patterns of musculoskeletal dysfunction. As nurses specifically diagnose problems of the system, so can the physical therapist. Tailoring specific treatment to dysfunction in system patterns can help reduce the devastation to those who have suffered a neurological insult.