Goals and Limitations

No. 19 To accept the optimum possible goals in the light of limitations, physical and emotional.

By: Lee Elvin Pangilinan

Each patient that we encounter presents with different symptoms, problems, and needs. Therefore, the nursing goal for the care of each will be varying and unique.

When setting a goal for a nursing care plan, the nurse should make sure that the client’s needs have been fully assessed. She should not just look at the physical complaints of the client but also make sure that she recognizes and validated the emotional and spiritual needs as well. Also, the abilities and limitations of the client should be taken into consideration so that proper boundaries and extent of the interventions can be set.

A good example would be in the recovery of an amputee. The nurse should realize that losing a body part can be both physically and emotionally crippling. For that reason, she should allow time for the patient to verbalize his feelings about this loss and help him look at the positive side of his condition. Also, the nurse and client should work together in the latter’s rehabilitation, so as to achieve maximum function and potential. The nurse should also help the client push over the difficulties that may be encountered along the way, and provide positive reinforcements for his accomplishments. All of these can be achieved by maintaining a positive outlook and keeping an open and good nurse-client relationship.

To conclude, one can say that nursing is a dynamic tool that changes and adapts to the needs of the client, however large or small they may be.