Peer Responses:
Length: A minimum of 150 words per post, not including references
Citations need to be within 5 (Five) years
Context: Nursing in the USA
See the attached for the original assignment
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T5 W6 D2 R2
“More than 80% of adults do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Similarly, more than 80% of adolescents do not do enough aerobic physical activity to meet the guidelines for youth” (“Physical activity,” N.D., para. 1). Physical activity is essential in preventing early death and detrimental disease processes. It is not just environmental factors that play a role in physical activity but personal, social, and economic factors play a huge role in physical activities. The lack of time, low income, and motivation are the most detrimental factors that influence an individual’s physical activity making it imperative that the promotion of activity goals is vital in prevention for the aging population to come and the future health of people worldwide.
In the recovery room, activity is essential in the recovery of patients. Total joints are sent home the same day as surgery in the PACU, where I currently work. These patients are given specific instructions on exercises they are to perform post-operatively. However, many of these patients do not do as instructed and end up having post-op complications. Many of the post-surgical patients are not receptive to the discharge instructions that recommend physical activity. (Argent, Daly, & Caulfield, 2018) Some patients take to heart a health crisis and change the way they eat and how much exercise they get. On the flip side, some chose to ignore the problem and continue doing what they have always done. When I worked cardiac step-down, I was so shocked at the number of patients that had just gone through open-heart surgery, and the very next day, they were eating double quarter pounders, large fries, and a large milkshake. When I attempted to broach the subject of the diet with one such patient, the patient stated, “I am all fixed now, I can continue to eat what I want.” We do recommend that patients who have time constraints to utilize apps on their phones to track physical activity and to get ideas on how to fit exercise into their daily schedule.
The most significant stressor for the peri-op area is fear of the unknown and being put under anesthesia. Pain is the next stressor for peri-op patients. In the recovery room, we use lavender essential oil, guided imagery, meditation, and distraction through soothing music to help alleviate anxiety and stress about their upcoming procedure. With children, we use distraction with their favorite movie on an iPad to distract them from getting blood is drawn, or an IV placed. Soothing music with the sound of the ocean waves rolling in and out seems to be the best stress reliever I have witnessed with the relaxing of patients. If a patient has an emotional support animal, we have the patient bring the pet with them to pre-op, and the pet stays with the patient until they are being taken to the OR. It seems to help some patients, not others. I have been fortunate enough to work in several facilities that played music in the emergency department when I was an ER nurse. Those facilities that played music I never felt stressed and overwhelmed by the chaos around me like I did in the other facilities. Therefore, making me a firm believer in music therapy. “Music has been an effective tool to decrease anxiety, promote easement of pain, and soothe the soul for centuries” (Bauer & Campbell, 2017, para. 1).
References
Argent, R., Daly, A., & Caulfield, B. (2018, March 1). Patient involvement with home-based
exercise programs: Can connected health interventions influence adherence? JMIR, 6(3).
http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/mhealth.8518:10.2196/mhealth.8518
Bauer, M., & Campbell, K. (2017, August 1). Music Therapy in the PACU, “Calming the
savage beast.” Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing, 32(4). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j
.jopan.2017.06.047
Physical activity. (N.D.). Retrieved from healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectivies/topic
/physical.activity
