Norwalk Virus Diagnosis
Chapter 45
(a)
I tend to believe that throughout the education career of nursing, one element which is usually taught is the diagnosis of nurses. Nurses go through a lot of experiences while in their facilities and also outside their facilities. They meet individuals who come with various complain that they suffer from a certain illness, hence needing support from them. As a nurse, one has to be familiar with these various types of diagnoses (Carol & Sheila, 2013). In this paper, I shall discuss the Norwalk disease. This is because, from the case of the cruise ship, I tend to believe that the descriptions refer to the Norwalk virus. That is the symptoms explained to refer to the Norwalk virus.
As a nurse, one can identify a certain kind of illness through the symptoms and signs an individual is displaying. However, some signs and symptoms may vary: therefore, a nurse should be very careful before making conclusions if it is a certain kind of illness. For example, headaches are a common symptom of illness; therefore, more diagnosing is required (Appleton, 2018). Looking at the symptoms the patients were showing, the nurses concluded that what the patients were suffering from was an outbreak of the Norwalk virus. Why was this conclusion made? This was because of the ages of the patients which were ranging from seventy-five years to ninety years.
Norwalk virus usually attacks individuals of this age. Looking further into the symptoms, we see that the patients experienced watery diarrhea and stomach cramping. They experienced this because the Norwalk virus affects the digestive system. After affecting the digestive system, it affects the stomach, which then causes cramping. Other symptoms affecting the Norwalk virus are nausea and vomiting. These are the same symptoms that the patients were suffering from. Also, considering their ages, the conclusion of the Norwalk virus is true since it attacks old individuals. Norwalk virus does not have prevention, but it can be controlled. However, infection of the illness can last for after symptoms resolution (Kirby et al., 2015). Symptoms usually appear out on the third day after one has been affected by the virus. Thus, the nurses made a good conclusion that the patients were suffering from the Norwalk virus.
(b)
Nurses ought to be cognizant of some of the areas to prevent the spread of the virus and to ensure that it is controlled. This is how a virus is usually controlled, depending on its cause and the weight it may be having. In this case, the nurses should have looked into hygiene. Hygiene is a key factor in the spread of the Norwalk virus. They should ensure that they look into the handling of stool and waste. They should also look into the number of people who have had contact with those infected by the virus. This is because the Norwalk virus spreads through contacts (Carol & Sheila, 2013). Therefore, they should ensure that they look for infected people to avoid further spreading. They should ensure that they educate people on the usage of stool since using proper usage limits the spread of the virus.
Nurses should also put concern in the equipment available in hospitals. Having to deal with such kind of illness requires equipment which is of high specialization to help in handling the situations. There should be proper and enough medical facilities to help in curbing the spread of the virus. Nurses should also put concern in the conditions of patients. This will determine the level of seriousness in which situations will be handled. It will help nurses determine the urgency level for handling the patients (Carol & Sheila, 2013). Since they vary in levels, nurses will be able to determine how to handle the cases.