Reflection Questions

What information might you need to detail regarding a patient who presents with suicidal ideation?

As the nurse on duty at the ER, discuss what approach you would take to performing a psychosocial assessment on a patient.

You are a school nurse in a middle school. One of your students comes to the office complaining about terrible tooth pain. You look at it and notice that you can see a large cavity on one of his molars. You give him some pain medication and call his mother to advise her of your findings. You tell the mother that her son should see a dentist immediately, and she agrees to take him. A week later, the boy arrives in the office again, still complaining of tooth pain. When you look in his mouth this time, you see an abscess has formed. You decide to call the dentist’s office and schedule an emergency appointment for the patient. You call the mother to advise her of the appointment, and she is grateful. Three days later the student arrives in your office complaining of the same symptoms, only this time he has a temperature of 102.7. What is the best course of action? Describe situations other than abuse or neglect that could have made it difficult for this mother to take her child to the dentist.