Breathe Easy: Asthma Nursing Diagnosis, Care Plan and Support

Nurses play one of the leading roles in dealing with asthma and its diagnosis. A person comes to the hospital with respiratory problems, and the nurse is who gathers primary physical data and identifies symptoms in the aursing diagnosis for asthma. Although the doctor confirms the condition and prescribes medications, the initial nursing examination and individual interview are the foundation of further care.

The sick person’s further path lies through tests and analysis before making a nursing diagnosis. Then, the doctor conclude on it and the nursing care plan for asthma comes into play. This is an important document where the specialists must consider a number of factors: the patient’s condition, treatment goals, medication management, prevention of attacks, and lifestyle changes.

Identifying Symptoms for the Nursing Diagnosis for Asthma

Asthma nursing diagnosis is the first stage of the nurses’ part. This stage plays a significant role in defining asthma but is only the first in the sequence of assessment, care, and intervention parts. The first thing that healthcare specialists determine is the individual’s complaints. They consider symptoms of an asthma respiratory disease the person came in with.

It is worth mentioning that people are least likely to visit a hospital with early symptoms since they can take them as other diseases. The sadness here is that most often, individuals come to a hospital after the fact of an attack, having late signs. They and advanced conditions are more challenging to manage but easier to determine in the nursing diagnosis asthma.

Early symptoms:

• Chest tightness
• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath
• Racing heart

Asthma attack symptoms:

• Wheezing
• Severe cough
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling of air hunger
• Cyanosis
• Anxiety
• Restlessness

Severe symptoms:

• Night cough
• Morning cough
• Dyspnea on exertion
• Dyspnea on talking
• Dyspnea at rest

There are a variety of guidelines on the severity to define in asthma nursing assessment. The most common NAEPP classification includes four levels: intermittent asthma, mild persistent, moderate persistent, and severe persistent. This classification will serve as the future diagnosis and medication support foundation.

After identifying symptoms and further examination, it is time to start thinking about how to write a nursing care plan that will align with the sick individual’s needs.

Nursing Assessment for Asthma: Before Interventions

Before planning nursing interventions for asthma, the nurse has a more global task at hand. It is not just about stating facts but also about determining a course of action. Patients with these diagnosed asthma need more than just a medication plan based on signs. They need to know how to live in the new conditions and adapt to their new reality.

First and foremost, the specialists must define the severity of a person’s condition and identify the disease’s exacerbation risk factors. Nursing assessment for asthma creates the foundation for further support. So, it is crucial to collect information thoroughly. The patient’s functional abilities, knowledge of the disease, resources, and level of support from family and friends will most shape and personalize the care plan.

Key Priorities in the Asthma Nursing Care Plan

The nursing care for asthma plan is a document summarizing the patient’s current condition, medication intervention, and a list and order of steps to help the ailing adapt to the disease. It is a kind of asthma manual that outlines a step-by-step guide to getting out of severe attack symptoms and preventing them in the future.

The care plan has main priorities that determine the direction of the nursing management of asthma:

1. Control and care. Since asthma is a chronic disease, the first step is to control it. The next moves will include minimizing symptoms, improving quality of life, and preventing exacerbations.
2. Awareness and management. People should know about their health condition, its triggers, ways to prevent attacks, and the importance of following the medication regimen.
3. Schedule. The patient must take his medications correctly and regularly to control his illness.

These three priorities should come first regardless of your task – making a plan or writing an essay about asthma. Within academic studies, you also may be assigned to look at each priority separately, digging deeper into each one.

Asthma Nursing Interventions and Further Patients’ Support

Improvement in the patient’s condition and their adaptation is largely due to the nursing staff. This is a huge theoretical and practical part related to nursing interventions for asthma. It’s a complex of measures including medical care, psychological support, and education about the individual’s health and related concerns.

In more detail, asthma nursing interventions are practical help to patients in their struggle for a normal life. Interventions may include:

• Explaining the diagnosis and teaching how to manage it.
• Guiding on the use of inhalers and prescribed drugs.
• Recognizing the early symptoms of the attack.
• Developing an action plan in case of an attack.
• Supporting the patient in following their treatment plan.
• Helping with lifestyle changes.

Every person is an individual. Each patient has their own genetic history, triggers, and symptom patterns. It is important to remember that the exact nursing diagnosis, any care plan, or any medication prescription is only within the competence of doctors and nurses.

Emma Thompson

Blog Expert

Duke University

100+ written articles

After working with NursingPaper.com for over 9 years, I am convinced helping future nurses is my true calling. Helping with a blog is another contribution that inspires me more.

About blog expert