Asthma Nursing Interventions

Interventions in a nursing setting are procedures or treatments performed by nurses, who are the care providers at hospitals and other healthcare facilities. They can range from administering medications to changing bandages and performing physical therapy exercises.

Assess for signs of asthma.

• Assess the patient’s respiratory rate, pulse ox, breathing pattern and ability to speak, cough and breathe deeply. The patient should also be assessed for signs of respiratory distress (see below) or in case they have developed a fever as this could be an indication that they have pneumonia.

Administer bronchodilator therapy as prescribed.

• Administer bronchodilator therapy as prescribed.
• Bronchodilators are medications that open the airways and help to decrease the effects of an asthma attack. Your doctor may prescribe a long-acting beta agonist, a combination steroid and long-acting beta agonist, or short-acting inhaled bronchodilator. These drugs can be taken as needed when you have symptoms of an asthma episode (or before you suspect they’re coming on), such as:
• Wheezing
• Chest tightness or pain
• Shortness of breath

Elevate the head of the bed.

Elevating the head of the bed is an important intervention for asthma patients. This keeps their airways open and allows them to breathe easier. Keeping your head elevated when you’re suffering from a respiratory infection can help prevent dizziness, headaches, and sore throats. It also helps keep fluids from accumulating in your sinuses, which may cause a stuffy nose or congestion.

Administer corticosteroids as prescribed.

• Administer corticosteroids as prescribed. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation in the airways, which is why they’re used to prevent asthma attacks and to treat acute asthma.
• Inhaled corticosteroids are administered via an inhaler device that delivers a measured dose of medicine into your lungs via a mouthpiece attached to the inhaler. Oral or inhaled steroids may be used at any time throughout an asthma attack, but they’re most effective when given early on or before an attack begins.

Encourage the patient to take deep breaths.

As a nurse, it’s important to encourage your patients to practice breathing exercises. These exercises can help prevent asthma attacks and improve asthma symptoms, control of asthma and prevent future attacks.

When you teach a patient how to properly breathe, they will be able to do this at home to relieve symptoms such as coughing or wheezing. Breathing exercises are also beneficial because they can help reduce restrictions on physical activity caused by lung damage due to smoking or exposure to chemicals in the workplace.

Treat respiratory distress if present.

If your patient is experiencing respiratory distress, you should:

• Treat for shock by elevating their legs above the heart and placing a blanket over them.
• Treat for a high fever with acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin (adult dose). Do not give aspirin to children under 18 years old.
• Treat for severe pain with acetaminophen (adult dose) or ibuprofen (50 mg per kg of body weight). Do not give aspirin to children under 18 years old.

Administer or teach the patient how to use an inhaler and spacer device.

Administer or teach the patient how to use an inhaler and spacer device.

You should instruct your patients on how to use their inhalers and spacers. You may want to review the following steps with them:

• Hold the inhaler upright, pointing toward you.
• Place your thumb on top of the mouthpiece and squeeze down firmly to press out one spray into your hand (not mouth), shaking off any excess medication into a sink or trash can before returning it to its storage case; do not rinse it off as this will destroy some of its active ingredients; never exhale directly onto an inhaler as this might damage it; keep in mind that some types of medication require shaking prior to administration by using a counter-clockwise motion 2–3 times until they appear cloudy (never shake a metered-dose inhaler).
• Breathe out fully through your mouth, then breathe in slowly through both nostrils while holding down your tablet or capsule so that it does not dissolve prematurely until you have time for it work properly when placed under tongue after eating food products containing high levels vitamin c–these foods include oranges grapefruit lemon lime strawberries

Understanding these types of interventions will help you know what is happening when you see your doctor.

Understanding these types of interventions will help you know what is happening when you see your doctor.

It is important to understand the interventions.

The interventions are important to understand.

The interventions are important to know.

These are just some of the ways that nurses can help patients with asthma. There are many more interventions that will be specific to your individual needs. If you have any questions, please ask your doctor or nurse!