Sensory Functioning

1. As a critical care nurse, you are caring for your patient, a 37-year-old teacher who has developed symptoms, postoperatively, which are under investigation as to their cause. Currently, your patient has an elevated temperature and is in respiratory distress. His physicians have placed him on a vent and are sedating him while testing continues. He has two central IV lines, a PEG tube, urinary catheter, and an ET tube. He has been in your unit for 1 week, frequently in a medically induced coma to facilitate healing.

a. How could your patient's treatment regimen affect his sensory perceptions?

b. Outline the potential sensory alterations.

c. Identify potential etiologies for each of the sensory alterations.

d. How would you focus your nursing care to reduce sensory alterations?

e. Which factors could render patients at risk for sensory disturbances?

Describe an effective strategy to manage