NUR-507 D1 Response

• You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response.)
• All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.

Response to Posts of Peers

Distinguished – 2 points Student constructively responded to two other posts and either extended, expanded or provided a rebuttal to each.

Fair – 1 point Student constructively responded to one other post and either extended, expanded or provided a rebuttal.

Poor – 0 points Student provided no response to a peer’s post.

2 points

 

RESPOSE 1

Incorporating Family Beliefs into Illness Treatment

Patient care is changing thanks to a practice known as “patient- and family-centered care” (PFCC) (Clay & Parsh, 2016). The nurse practitioner should assess the family’s assertions regarding their level of desirability of various health states, treatment options, and health encounters in order to incorporate family beliefs in the care of a child. These evaluations are crucial components of evidence-based practice.

In order to provide care that satisfies the client’s and family’s religious, social, and cultural needs, it is necessary to evaluate this family’s culture and beliefs (Swihart & Martin, 2020), so the APRN must therefore conduct a cultural assessment for this family. By incorporating culturally specific views and values into the health promotion plan, the provider can also incorporate family beliefs into the care they provide. It is also crucial to educate the family about the importance of clinical management in addition to alternative therapies.

Upper Respiratory Infection Treatment

The family can be advised that there are several natural at home therapies that can be incorporated to treat an upper respiratory infection. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids will help to strengthen the immune system. Drinking warm liquids with honey will help soothe any irritated mucous membranes and reduce cough. Increasing intake of Vitamin C is helpful since it is a natural immune booster. Using a steam vaporizer or humidifier will help to loosen mucus and reduce chest congestion. Consuming garlic will aid in eliminating mucus build up and boost the child’s immune system. Additionally, consuming natural herbal supplements and nutrients like ginseng, licorice root, and zinc will all help to boost the immune system and fight off infection. Depending on the patients age, the parents can also have the patient gargle salt water which will help to loosen and reduce phlegm in the back of the throat and help to soothe an irritated throat. Getting plenty of rest will aid the child’s immune system and reduce physical and mental stress associated with the illness (Dorfner, 2016).

The family should be advised to closely monitor the child’s symptoms for improvement or worsening. They should be advised to follow up if the child’s symptoms worsen after ten days as this may indicate the infection is bacterial and may warrant the need for antibiotics. They should also follow up if the child has a fever that exceeds 100.4 F and does not improve with Tylenol or Motrin or lasts longer than three days.

Leukemia Treatment

A person’s quality of life and overall wellbeing are impacted by leukemia in a variety of different ways. Health improvements are heavily based on the parameters of quality and quantity of care, and the quality of life that encompasses an individual’s spiritual, social, psychosocial, and physical dimensions of life. The inclusion of family values in childcare would also require cultural competence for this family. The addition of specific attitudes, clinical abilities, and knowledge that facilitate effective cross-cultural negotiation to produce better treatment outcomes would be necessary for culturally competent oncology care. In accordance with Clay and Parsh (2016), patient and family centered care would provide a comprehensive approach to a child’s care, taking into account emotional, cultural, spiritual, and psychological factors that contextualize encounters with leukemia and go beyond a focus on illness processes alone.

The family will be educated that natural remedies for leukemia treatment would be aimed primarily at reducing symptoms and treatment side effects. Acupuncture and acupressure are traditional remedies to reducing pain, stress, anxiety, nausea, constipation, and other symptoms. Natural supplements such as ginseng and turmeric have anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties that can be used alongside conventional treatments. Vitamins and nutritional supplements should be incorporated into the child’s diet to help maintain overall wellness, boost immune system, and fight off the illness and other infection. It is crucial in this situation to provide education regarding the necessity of clinical management in addition to the alternative therapies for the treatment of leukemia.

 

 

RESPOSE 2

 

How will you incorporate the family’s beliefs into the treatment of a child with an acute upper respiratory infection? With leukemia?

1. Acute Upper Respiratory Infection

Upper respiratory infections (URIs) occur more times in children than adults. Adults obtain a common cold around two to three times yearly whereas pediatrics can have up to eight cases yearly (Thomas & Bomar, 2022). The most common URI is the common cold which is caused by many viruses that spread through droplet, contact and airborne transmission. URI’s common symptoms include stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, fever, body aches, and sore eyes. Since URIs are viral, they are typically not treated with antibiotics, however, there are a variety of medications that can be used to treat the symptoms. Natural therapies also play a critical role in managing URIs.

Prior to incorporating a treatment plan for a child, some parents lose faith in the current healthcare system, leading more parents to resort to holistic and therapeutic treatment. It is important that the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) provides treatment that is appropriate for the patient’s culture. It is imperative that the practitioner determine the level of health literacy of parents. This will ensure that choices are being made with the patient’s and their family’s best interests in mind. Medication errors and overdoing are just two examples of what can happen when caregivers lack awareness about health conditions and their management. To further gain information, the APRN should investigate the caregivers’ perspectives on the condition and available therapies. A mutually beneficial treatment plan will be possible as a result.

One way to incorporate natural therapies in the treatment of URIs in this child is by recommending increasing fluid intake as it is essential to reduce the viscosity of mucus for easier removal. In addition to decongestant sprays, treatment of URI is generally symptomatic with antipyretics, saline nasal irrigation, adequate hydration, and a humidifier (Khan et al.,2019). Children 8 years and older can benefit from saltwater gargles to soothe the throat. Additionally, a teaspoon of honey can also be used to soothe cough for children above 1 year. Peppermint oil applied to the bottom of the feet is also a natural remedy for children. Also, garlic powder tablets were found to be significantly more effective than benzimidazole (an anti-infective agent) in treating and preventing acute respiratory disease in children (Lucas et al., 2019).

Additionally, the use of vitamin C has been proven to be effective and therapeutic in the aid of URI’s. According to a Cochrane Review, vitamin C used as daily prophylaxis at doses of =0.2 grams or more had a modest but consistent effect on the duration and severity of common cold symptoms in both adults and children (Thomas & Bomar, 2022). Lifestyle modifications such as diet mostly in general terms, increasing vegetables, soups, probiotics, elderflower/berry and reducing dairy are all therapeutic recommendations for treatment of a child with a URI.

1. Leukemia

Leukemia is the most common cancer type in children accounting for over 30% of all cancer cases (Kaplan, 2019). It results in abnormal white blood cells that remove healthy cells, raising the chances of body infections. The main treatment used for most childhood leukemia is chemotherapy even though other methods include radiation therapy, targeted therapy, stem cell transplant, gene therapy, and CAR T-cell therapy (Kaplan, 2019). Irrespective of the best method in leukemia treatment, it is essential to consider family beliefs for better results.

One way to incorporate family beliefs in leukemia treatment is the use of fruits and herbs in addition to the main treatment method (chemotherapy) to treat the condition. Madagascar periwinkle is a plant that has two active components, Vinca alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine. Vincristine is used for leukemia in children and its cytotoxicity was examined in vitro in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and CLL cells (Maher et al., 2021). Additionally, garlic has antileukemic properties and has a cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. Also, the ethanolic extract from Moringa oleifera kills most of the cancer cells.

The addition of carrots to the diet can also be effective in leukemia treatment. Carrots induce apoptosis in leukemia cells resulting in cell cycle arrest. The four types of phytochemicals found in carrots, namely phenolics, carotenoids, polyacetylenes, and ascorbic acid, aid in the risk reduction of cancer and cardiovascular diseases due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, plasma lipid modification, and anti-tumor properties (Ahmad et al., 2019). Thus, it is essential to discuss with the parents the foods available in their culture that may be beneficial in eradicating leukemia. Such foods can be used in conjunction with artificial treatments for leukemia, such as chemotherapy, for better results.