Chapter 1, Managing client care:

• Prioritizing client care

o Systemic before local

o Acute before chronic

o Actual problems before potential ones

o Listen carefully to clients and do not assume

o Recognize and response to trends vs transit findings

o Recognize indications of medical emergencies and complications vs

expected findings

o Apply clinical knowledge to procedural standars to determine the priority

action

• Client care assignments

o Assigning is performed in a downward or lateral manner with regard to

members of the healthcare team

o Client factors are:

▪ Condition of client and level of care needed

▪ Specific care needs such as cardiac monitoring or ventilation

mechanical

▪ Special precaution needs such as isolation or fall precautions or

seizures, procedures requiring time commitments

o Health care team factors:

▪ Knowledge and skill levels of the team members

▪ Supervision that is necessary

▪ Nurse to client ratio

▪ Experience with similar clients