What This Document Is
This is a student worksheet for Northwest Arkansas Community College’s Nursing Care of Adults II (NURS 9314) course. It presents a clinical dilemma focused on an 82-year-old patient, Mark Miller, with end-stage heart failure who is facing a choice between dialysis and hospice care. The worksheet is designed to help students analyze the case, identify relevant patient data, and consider the complexities of end-of-life care decisions.
Why This Document Matters
This assignment is intended for nursing students learning about advanced care planning and the ethical considerations involved in managing chronic illness. It’s used to apply theoretical knowledge to a realistic patient scenario, fostering critical thinking skills related to patient-centered care. It’s particularly relevant when students are preparing to address difficult conversations with patients and families about treatment options and quality of life.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This worksheet provides a starting point for analysis but does not offer definitive answers or a complete exploration of all possible care pathways. It requires students to supplement their analysis with additional research and clinical reasoning.
What This Document Provides
The full document includes: a detailed patient history (Mark Miller’s medical and social background), a presentation of the clinical dilemma (the choice between dialysis and hospice), and guided prompts to identify relevant data and its clinical significance. It also includes sections for students to analyze the ethical considerations and potential resolutions to the dilemma. This preview only provides a glimpse of the patient’s history and the initial framing of the ethical challenge. It does *not* include the full case analysis prompts, potential solutions, or grading rubrics.
