Q) Apply the “reasoning by inquiry” process to any nursing situation . In doing so identify the following-concepts,relationships,ope rationalized definitions, variables,assumptions,inquiry questions

Sample Nursing Essay 

Reasoning by inquiry

Inquiry is the task that requires one to collect and analyze information to the best of someone’s ability using self and acquired knowledge to obtain the facts and truths of something. Hence reasoning by inquiry is the ability to base judgments on obtained information that can be through questions, current assumptions and experience by medical practitioners such as nurses. To fully understand the process of reasoning by inquiry below is an example of a situation, where a nurse is required to reason and act based on her enquiry of the situation. Let’s get to know of Jane’s most memorable situation as a nurse.

Jane works in a memorial hospital within the big city where she has only worked for about seven months. While here, she is met with many unique and different challenges in every work day. On this particular day a patient, just from the theater, was stationed at the wing in which she was working. The patient who was an elderly gentleman in his fifties was suffering from lung cancer had just had a lung operation. So when he was assigned to her, she went through his files as required by the hospital guidelines, to learn more of the patient. He was yet to wake up after the surgery and at least would not be for another two hours. Looking down in his file, she realized he was positive with the HIV/AIDS virus, so she had to take more caution when handling him so as not to contract the virus herself. This was the first time she was dealing with an HIV positive patient, and she had no idea of how to handle the situation especially when he woke up. So when he woke up she went unto him and asked how he was feeling then. He responded well and said that apart from his aching surgery wound he was feeling pretty well.

While attending to him, she would ask questions about his family such as if he had a wife, children, their age and whereabouts because as of now she had seen no one come and enquire about him. To her surprise he said he had no kids and that his wife had died a long time back after a long battle with HIV and that he was all alone. She was surprised that he knew of his status, and that did not seem to bother him as much as it did her. He also did look very fit considering he was both a cancer patient and HIV positive. “What of friends” she asked. He said that all his friends had disappeared immediately they found out that his wife had died of HIV. She quickly realized that she was dealing with a special case as she was to be both careful of not to be careless, and she contaminate herself, but also not to act too scared about his situation that would make him feel a burden or someone people felt scared to be around. So with enquiring about his relations she now knew how well to treat and approach him. So with this she had to be his friend and nurse at the same time during his stay in the hospital.

To enhance this new relationship she also had to know more about the person and how he came to contract the HIV and get to know he had cancer. This is where operation definition comes into play. By enquiring more of the patient and his medical history, allows the nurse fully understand the origins of the disease how he came to realize he had them and his decision to have surgery as his treatment for the cancer considering he was positive. Also, it showed that the nurse was a concerned person and that she took good care and made the patient comfortable. His fitness was also a surprise to her. When asked about that, the patient said he was lucky enough for both diseases to be found early that he was able to take precautions and treatments. Also, for his cancer treatment he opted for an early surgery instead of chemotherapies that are long and tiring and physically distressing a person.” I also do hit the gym four times a week” he added. With these, she was able to know more of how he had contaminated the diseases, and how had he been able to maintain his fitness all along.

For her to properly understand the patient current condition and the delivery of medical supplies she first had to enquire from the patient’s assigned doctor or surgeon items such as medications and injections to give, how long he would remain in hospital till he was discharged and many more. She was offered a list of medications to give to the patient and the time to do so. Any other complications such as allergies, foods not to give were also written down and any other variable. She also spoke directly to the patient to know more to of the patient. Some of the gathered information and experiences of working and learning also came highly into play.

There are many assumptions that people make in every situation they are in and Jane was no exception of this when she was handling this particular patient. Some of the assumptions she made were on the patient’s diet, for recovering cancer patients do not eat drink or use certain foods and products. She made the assumption of the discharge date in comparison to similar cases. However, when the patient enquired as to whether he was now fully recovered from the cancer, she answered probably due to the high rates of success of the specific surgeon and the rate in which it had developed in the patient’s body. She also had no doubts he would follow the instructions given to him after been discharged due to his behavior in the hospital and how well he had handled the HIV virus he was carrying.

The most appropriate outcome of this situation was IDENTIFYING.

The nurse in question was able to identify information using questions, her experience and assumptions she made in certain situations. It is evident that, although new to the job she was knowledgeable and applied it in most cases while attending to the patient. After discovering his HIV status, she did not scare away, continued with her tasks administering to the patient without fear. This shows that she had the skills and experience of dealing with such a patient without contaminating herself. Using her experience, she was aware of foods not to offer the patient how and when to give him his medications.

With questions asked to the patient, she identified with the patient on a personal level. She was able to better understand and know the patient and his condition and with these she ably offered her services well. Such questions include;

• How are you feeling now? Asked when the patient woke up after the surgery.
• Any relatives and friends visiting whom we can inform? Asked so as to any relations he had
• What’s the fitness secret sir? When and how did you discover the cancer in the body? How did the HIV come about?

Assumptions are things that are about to happen but lack proof. The assumptions she made were based on the information she had availed to her at the time. They help one identify with the situation first before confirming the final details. This is so evident while she answered the patient’s questions on his discharge date and whether he would fully recover from the cancer. The answers she gave were assumptions in relation to other similar cases. There other numerous examples when the nurse used assumptions in identifying certain cases.

Works cited

Competence to practice: the report of a Committee of Enquiry set up for the medical profession in the United Kingdom. London: The Committee, 1976. Print.

Fiscalini, John. Coparticipant psychoanalysis toward a new theory of clinical inquiry. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004. Print.

Hays, Danica G., and Anneliese A. Singh. Qualitative inquiry in clinical and educational settings. New York: Guilford Press, 2012. Print.

Mattingly, Cheryl, and Maureen Hayes Fleming. Clinical reasoning: forms of inquiry in a therapeutic practice. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis, 1994. Print