Comfort contract in Nursing
A variety of models and theories from nursing research and practice can be used to create patient comfort contracts. The contract’s primary objective would be to make sure that the patient’s expectations for their care are addressed and fulfilled. This would include describing the general degree of comfort the patient anticipates following surgery and any persistent discomforts they might suffer. Patient would be able to designate any home remedies in the contract. Any ongoing discomforts the patient or their representative may be experiencing should be mentioned, as well as any at-home remedies or other interventions that have helped them feel better (Egawa, 2019). The comfort contract will serve as the nursing care plan’s principal source of guidance. In order to satisfy the patient’s needs, the nurse will work with them or their representative to create a plan of care that will help them reach their desired level of comfort. The information from the comfort contract will be used to create the care plan, which will be tailored to the patient’s specific needs.
The biopsychosocial model is one of the key frameworks that could be applied in developing the comfort contract. The surgery and the healing process, for instance, would be biological aspects. The patient’s expectations and capacity to deal with pain are among the psychological aspects. The patient’s support system at home and the resources at their disposal are two examples of social factors. The health belief model is another one that might be applied. This paradigm states that people choose what to do for their health based on what they perceive to be the benefits and drawbacks of various health activities. For example, the patient or surrogate would have to believe that the contract would make their post-operative pain less painful. In order to help the nurse, assess the patient’s level of comfort, she will use the comfort contract as a tool (Maloney, 2022). The agreement will be used by the nurse to create a plan of care that will help the patient reach the level of comfort they determine is right for them. The information from the comfort contract will be used to create the care plan, which will be tailored to the patient’s specific needs.
When discussing the plan of care with the patient or the patient’s surrogate, the nurse will use the contract to make sure that the patient’s requirements are being addressed. They would also need to have faith in their ability to uphold the terms of the agreement. They are unlikely to sign the contract if the patient or surrogate does not think it would be advantageous or if they don’t think they can follow its terms. It is also possible to create the comfort contract using the theory of planned behavior. The comfort contract is a technique that can be used to enhance communication between the nurse and the patient or surrogate (Egawa, 2019). The nurse can use it to assist the patient as well. The agreement has the potential to help make sure that the patient’s needs are being met and that a personalized treatment plan is being created for the individual.
References
Egawa, K. (2019). Concept of comfort and comfort care for the critical care nursing. Journal of Japan Academy of Critical Care Nursing, 10(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.11153/jaccn.10.1_1
Comfort Contract
It is important to point out that patients have expectations after undergoing surgery based on attributes such as comfort and satisfaction. It is from this perspective that the sentiments shared by patients are important to ensure that a patient-centric approach can be developed that effectively translates to acceptable levels of comfort after surgery (Lützner et al., 2019). From this perspective, it is possible to design a comfort contract that highlights the expected level of post-surgical overall comfort in which patients and surrogates can use as a point of reference to understand the quality of care.
In the comfort contract, it is important to ensure that satisfaction is a priority. Therefore, patients should expect a close relationship with the nursing fraternity who will be invested in addressing the unique needs of patients after surgery. For example, the patients can expect the provision of an hourly rounding program in which nurses can continuously check on the welfare of patients after surgery to address their needs (Waljee et al., 2018). Moreover, the expression level of comfort will be based on the provision of a bedside shift program in which alternating nurses are introduced to the patient. The basis for this rationale is to ensure that there is close communication between the patient and the nurses. Subsequently, enhanced communication will lead to a positive relationship where it is possible for the patient to effectively meet their needs through the intervention of the nurses while not feeling as a nuisance.
The quality of life is the other parameter that will be considered in the comfort contract. Patients should expect the provision of treatment and care that is ideal in improving the quality of life after surgery. It is important to point out that surgery often inhibits the potential of an individual. Consequently, it is important for the patient to have access to required assistance that will be instrumental in enhancing the quality of life and maintaining the standards before the surgery happened. As a result, the initiative will be effective in promoting the quality of life among patients.
From a different perspective it is possible to point out that the management of chronic discomfort and interventions at home is crucial for patients who have undergone surgery. In the comfort contract patients will have the opportunity to effectively highlight the causes of chronic discomfort at home (Swarup et al., 2019). Subsequently, the information will be instrumental in the medical profession where effective relief interventions can be recommended for the patients to increase satisfaction and the quality of life. In this context, the comfort contract will highlight a weekly communication platform in which medical professionals can effectively communicate with patients at home to understand new developments. The initiative will be instrumental in addressing discomforts leading to better home recovery that will enhance the quality of life and comfort of the patient.
References
Lützner, C., Postler, A., Beyer, F., Kirschner, S., &Lützner, J. (2019). Fulfillment of expectations influence patient satisfaction 5 years after total knee arthroplasty. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 27(7), 2061-2070.
Swarup, I., Henn, C. M., Gulotta, L. V., & Henn III, R. F. (2019). Patient expectations and satisfaction in orthopaedic surgery: A review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, 10(4), 755-760.
Waljee, J., McGlinn, E. P., Sears, E. D., & Chung, K. C. (2018). Patient expectations and patient-reported outcomes in surgery: A systematic review. Surgery, 155(5), 799-808.
Ivan Garcia Rivera
Postsurgical Comfort Contract
This comfort contract is entered into force on the (effective date) between (nurse in charge) and (name), an oral and maxillofacial tumor patient whose condition is treated by surgery under general anesthesia. The two parties agree that under this contract experimental measures can be used that aim to improve recovery quality and deliver comfortable care. The experimental treatment will be cross-referenced against routine care, and different indexes will be applied to identify the satisfaction scores. Each party will observe the terms of the proposed nurse-patient interaction and ensure that the surgical patient recovers smoothly. The terms and provisions of this contract are binding for both parties.
In this contract, the two parties acknowledge that the recovery period is essential. The patient surrenders his medical history for the nurse to identify all the issues of concern and determine the parameters needed to individualize post-surgery care (Tian et al., 2021). Nurses are not liable for any information the patient withholds if the experimental treatment goes wrong. While providing comfort care, the nurse shall ensure complete recovery of the protective reflex. The nurse will use notes collected during the history examination to address any abnormal performances of the patient’s circulatory systems during recovery. Comfort care must abide by the medical standards given in regular treatment for post-surgery patients.
By signing this contract, the patient has consented to the nurse to document all medical information he has surrendered. As such, the nurse will report the patient’s response to the treatment. The nurse will also adapt to the patient’s physical and psychological needs by maintaining community support and a safe discharge plan (Tian et al., 2021). The nurse must make efforts to collect patient history while expressing signs that she trusts the patient’s responses. The nurse must also assure the patient that additional data collected during the recovery procedure is recorded in the patient’s medical records. The documentation must have either an electronic or a written signature.
Guided by this contract, a nurse must deliver holistic, personalized, and creative care and assure the patient that all available resources will be used to prevent harmful effects. The nurse will assess the patient’s allergies to the medication before the prescription. The nurse will also manage the patient’s pain within a relatable scale. Moreover, the nurse must look for medical prescriptions and ensure accurate doses, names, and intake intervals (Toney-Butler & Unison-Pace, 2018). The nurse must also orient the patient concerning his rights as this contract dictates. As a result, the patient will be fully aware of his responsibilities while taking mobility aid activities. The nurse must assess and document all accidental falls outside the patient’s responsibility and attend to them.
The nurse must seek effective interaction with the patient during the treatment process. This contract dictates that the patient will retain high social, psychological, and physiological satisfaction. Additionally, the patient is guaranteed an interaction that increases satisfaction with the treatment to the greatest extent possible. The nurse’s responsibility is to check and address daily mobility needs while increasing the resting comfort of the patient. Furthermore, the nurse will evaluate the patient for restlessness, hallucinations, and depression before taking daily activities (World Health Organization, 2018). Additionally, the patient will be regularly examined for his appetite changes and body weight during recovery. Other vital signs will be studied and handed off to any departments attending to the patient when the nurse in charge is unavailable.
Overall, this contract ensures safe patient care after attending oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery. Considering the above promises, the patient must provide his medical history to the nurse. The nurse must conduct all the medical tests to understand the patient’s current health status and predict complications associated with an experimental treatment. Both parties commit to communicating and sharing information to meet the valuable adequacy acknowledged by this contract.
References
Tian, Y., Lin, J., & Gao, F. (2021). The effects of comfort care on the recovery quality of oral and maxillofacial surgery patients undergoing general anesthesia. American Journal of Translational Research, 13(5), 5003–5010.
Toney-Butler, T. J., & Unison-Pace, W. J. (2018). Nursing admission assessment and examination. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29630263/
World Health Organization. (2018). Integrating palliative care and symptom relief into the responses to humanitarian emergencies and crises: A WHO guide. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241514460
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YuniaCarmenate Leyva
The “comfort contract” is a document that is created between a patient and their nurse before surgery. The document covers the expectations of both the patient and the nurse regarding the level of comfort that the patient should expect to experience after surgery (Fouad, 2020). It also outlines the chronic discomforts the patient may experience and the interventions the nurse will use to help relieve them. The contract is designed to help ensure that the patient’s expectations are met and that they can receive the best possible care (Nursing Theories and Nursing Practice, 2019). The contract will cover the following sections: first, the level of postoperative comfort that the patient can expect. It will be discussed in detail so that the patient knows what to expect and can be prepared for it. Second, it will cover the chronic discomforts that the patient may experience. The section will include a list of the most common discomforts and how the nurse will help to relieve them. Third, it will have interventions that the nurse will use to help relieve the discomfort. The section will include a list of the interventions used and how often they will be used. Fourth, the time that the contract will be in effect will be discussed so that the patient knows how long they can expect the contract to be in effect. Fifth, the contract will have the date that the contract will be signed. The date section will be included so that the patient knows when the contract will be implemented. Sixth, it will have the signature of the patient. The signature will be included so that the patient knows they have agreed to the terms of the contract. Finally, it will contain the nurse’s signature, which will be included so that the nurse knows that they have agreed to the terms of the contract.
The patient and their care team should discuss the comfort contract before surgery so that the care team can be aware of the patient’s expectations and needs. After surgery, the care team should check in with the patient to ensure that their level of comfort is as expected and that they are not experiencing any new or worsening chronic discomforts (Damman et al., 2020). If the patient is not achieving the expected level of comfort, the care team should work with them to determine the necessary interventions to help them reach their goals. In this week’s discussion, we explored the philosophical underpinnings of nursing theories. We looked at how different philosophical approaches can influence the development of nursing theories. We also considered how different nursing theories could guide nursing practice. This discussion helped me better understand philosophy’s role in nursing theory development and how different nursing theories can be applied to practice.
