Problem teeth
Selma Alliex
Coordinator, Postgraduate Studies, School of Nursing, College of Health, Notre Dame University, Fremantle WA
PP: 037 - 037
Article Text
As I walked into one of the wards where my students were allocated, I noticed Mr G. He was sitting on his bed looking rather upset and forlorn.
Mr G was upset that no one had explained to him the connection between bad teeth and cardiac surgery. According to Mr G, he had been booked in for surgery eight months prior to the date of admission. He asserted that if he had been aware that his teeth would cause a delay, he would have sought dental care during the eight month waiting period. He expressed concern that the doctors planned to send him home and he was afraid, as he considered that the dental service in his home town left much to be desired.
We had to liaise with the care coordinator and the doctors to determine details of Mr G's discharge plan. This consisted of dental treatment in the hospital prior to discharge. Mr G should have been happy with this arrangement because he had led us to believe that this is what he wanted in the first place. Sadly, however this was not the case. Further communication revealed that Mr G had an overwhelming fear of dentists, that dated back to a bad dental experience, which prevented him from seeking dental care. This problem was brought to the notice of the health care team and it was decided to build a positive dentist-client relationship as a means of solving the problem. Accordingly, interaction between Mr G and his dentist began and this led to a satisfactory outcome.
This anecdote highlights the need for assessment, the first and most important step in the delivery of care. Early and full knowledge of how clients perceive their illness and hospitalization and their preference about care, enables nurses and other health professionals to personalize care during hospitalization and to more successfully develop and implement a discharge plan. A systematic assessment of a client's functional abilities includes history taking and a physical examination. If this had been performed for Mr G, perhaps he would have been saved unnecessary anxiety.
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