week 1

Today i was asked to assess patient Z's functional mobility. Patient Z had been transferred to Carinya after a fall with reduced functional mobility. I decided to look at:
- lie to sit
- sit to stand
- horizontal transfer
- gait
When i entered the room to begin my assessement i introduced myself, explained the procedure and gained consent. Patient Z seemed a little concerned with the amount of effort the tasks were going to demand however she agreed to give it her best shot. During the first half of the assessment she was sighing alot and seemed to be struggling a to carry out the tasks independentlty. I offered assistance but she told me that she was in too much pain to continue on with the assessment. I then got Patient Z back in bed and discussed what her pain was and what was bringing it on. Patient Z said the nurses were supposed to bring her pain medication however they did not bring it to her room. Patien z had not followed this up and was extremeley uncomfortable due to severe lower back pain. I checked her medical notes, to see if her current medications had been recorded and discovered that she did not have adequete pain control. I contacted the nurse and ensured that they gave her the required meds. In future i need to make sure that prior to my assessments i check their medical notes and ask my patient if they have taken their medication.