James Dunn: A 50-Year-Old Man Who is Deaf/Blind and Has Mental Retardation

Price (includes one year of access and CE):  US$8 Course Code: 7SENNF-PRV-09-ddn13s20 CE: 1.00 Hours. Post Test Score Required for Successful Completion: 80%

Course Overview:

This case scenario involves a man who has cognitive, visual, and hearing limitations as a result of having had measles encephalitis as a child. Nurses caring for persons who have cognitive and sensory limitations need to be especially alert for early signs of health problems. In this case, the man is evidencing signs that he has hip pain, which is reported to the nurse by the caregiver. After assessing the man's hip, the nurse decides that he needs to be evaluated by a physician. The nurse then teaches the caregiver how to advocate for the man when he visits the physician by anticipating possible events, providing any needed written instructions, and rehearsing with the caregiver. The nurse also completes a Passport Profile, which contains written information about the man that will be useful to the physician. The nurse at the physician's office welcomes the man and his caregiver, and learns from the caregiver some basic information about how the man communicates and moves around without being able to see, hear, or speak. After the physician sees the man, the nurse provides the caregiver with medication and home management teaching.

Course Objectives:

After completion of this learning activity, the learner will be able to:

• describe the partnership triad among the nurse, person, and caregiver.
• role model "person first" approaches during interactions with caregivers concerning this person.
• describe interventions that can be implemented by nurses and caregivers to decrease isolation and to promote communication, mobility, and self-determination.
• describe information that should be communicated to the primary health care provider about this person.
• identify ways in which the nurse advocates for comprehensive health care when this person with multiple limitations is seen by a health care provider.

This courseware was made possible in part by grant number R43 NR04738-03 from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors.

Copyright© 2007 by HealthSoft, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

HealthSoft, Inc. is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

It has been assigned code 7SENNF-PRV-09.

This course is updated annually. Expiration date: 5/1/11

The faculty and planners of this course have no vested interests to disclose.

This course has received no commercial support.