A case study which involves setting out a care plan for a bereaved woman suffering from depression, including delineating the kind of nursing interventions which might be appropriate, their outcomes, and the etiologies of the depression. Bibliography lists 14 sources.
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up a comprehensive and accurate picture of the clients current situation, through the collection and examination of the relevant data. Even though the patient is, obviously, the main source of
information, data can also be collected from family members, other caregivers or health workers, and the nurses own observations. In mental health cases such as the one described in the
case study, it is also important to remember that information derived from direct interviews with the patient may not be accurate, since the patients own perception of their situation is
likely to be distorted by their depressed condition. The data which is amassed can then be used to formulate a clinical assessment which describes
the client problems, suggests appropriate nursing interventions and links these to desired outcomes. At the most basic level, the client problems can be considered as those alterations in health which
interfere with the individuals ability to function normally: one can assess these according to the nurses own observations, the subjective data which is expressed by the patient or, more usually,
a combination of the two. Subjective information might include the clients own awareness of their condition and their current needs, as well as
nonverbal and behavioural signals and information relating to the clients support system. Objective data could include observation of the patients physical condition and support systems as well as an assessment
of her locus of control and learning potential - in Mrs As case, we would have to consider the extent to which depression tends to be self-perpetuating: the kind of
motivation for improvement which is essential to address the condition tends to be precluded by the existence of the condition itself. The causes of a clients problems may be