Glaucoma – Nursing Assessment

Nursing Assessment

  • Patient’s ability to understand and comply with treatment
  • Patient’s psychologic reaction to sight-threatening disorder
  • Family reaction and support
  • Caregiver availability

Nursing diagnoses

  • Risk for injury related to visual acuity deficits
  • Self-care deficits related to visual acuity deficits
  • Acute pain related to pathophysiologic process and surgical correction
  • Noncompliance related to the inconvenience and side effects of glaucoma medications

Planning

  • Expected Goals
    • No progression of visual impairment
    • Understanding of disease process and rationale for therapy
    • Compliance with all aspects of therapy
    • No postoperative complications

Nursing implementation

  • Health Promotion
    • Teach patient and family risks of glaucoma, and that it increases with age
    • Emphasize importance of early detection and treatment
    • Provide ophthalmologic examinations
  • Acute Care
    • Administer medication to lower IOP
    • For surgical patients
      • Provide postop instructions
      • Relieve discomfort
  • Ambulatory Care
    • Remind patient to follow therapy
    • Teach about
      • Disease process
      • Treatment options and their rationale
      • Information about purpose, frequency, and technique for administration of anti-glaucoma drugs

Evaluation

  • Expected Outcomes
    • No further loss of vision
    • Compliance with recommended therapy
    • Safe functioning in the environment
    • Pain relief from disease and surgery

Gerontologic considerations

  • Tend to special needs of older adult
    • Caution about potential drug interactions that occur with systemic illnesses and their treatments
    • Teach that occluding puncta will limit systemic absorption of glaucoma medications

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