Medical Vs. Nursing Practice Problem
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A medical practice problem primarily refers to the patient’s defect, dysfunction, or illness that a doctor diagnoses. Here, medical professionals are concerned with the physical and biological aspects* of a disease. After utilizing physical examination and diagnostic tests to determine the disease, the doctor prescribes a specific treatment, and their job is done. On the other hand, a nursing practice problem caters to the effect of an illness on a patient’s overall health and wellbeing. Nurses first analyze what patients can or cannot do for themselves as a result of the disease (Leng, 2013). They pay attention to daily activities such as breathing, eating, regulation of body temperature, communication, movement, personal care, and sleeping. Nurses also consider the effect of the disease on the patient’s family and community. For instance, if it is contagious and how to avoid spreading it to family members residing in the same house as the patient and if the community is taking any measures to prevent the occurrence and spread of disease.
For example, a doctor will diagnose Tuberculosis (TB) in a patient and prescribe drugs to cure the disease. As for the nurse, they will observe the patient for the effects of the disease on their body and activities such as chest pain, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. If the patient is experiencing any extreme effects such as loss of appetite, they nurse prescribes pills to boost their appetite or specific foods that will encourage the patient to eat.
A PICOT model ensures that clinical questions and research are directly applicable to a problem facing a patient population. Nurses must conduct PICOT research based on nursing problems as they acquire evidence-based knowledge and skills on the nursing practice rather than the medical practice, which is not their area of expertise (Stillwell, Fineout-Overholt, Melnyk, & Williamson, 2016). When the skills are utilized on a patient population, the nurses are able to offer quality care and achieve the best patient outcomes.
References
Leng, S. (2013, May). The medical model versus the nursing model: A difference in philosophy. Retrieved from Medpage Today: https://www.kevinmd.com/2013/05/medical-model-nursing-model-difference-philosophy.html
Stillwell, S., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B., & Williamson, K. (2016). Evidence-Based Practice, Step by Step: Asking the Clinical Question A Key Step in Evidence-Based Practice. American Journal of Nursing.