Preeclampsia is a Severe Pregnancy Complication (Essay Sample)

Preeclampsia is a Severe Pregnancy Complication

Introduction
In light of the current medical technology advancements and healthcare interventions, not all healthcare organizations have standardized protocols for care delivery to women with preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a severe pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure, swelling, protein in the urine, blurred vision, and headaches occurring after the 20th week of gestation (Raney et al., 2019). Even though the medical condition typically goes away after delivery, it needs to be treated as it can lead to fatal complications for the mother and the baby if left untreated. Preeclampsia is responsible for significant preventable pregnancy-related deaths. Early identification and treatment of preeclampsia are vital for reducing its health burden. Whereas preeclampsia is treatable, nurses increasingly encounter pregnant women with the medical condition requiring a better understanding of its nursing requirements, management, and long-term implications that vary depending on the diagnosis to fully participate in a management plan that promotes safe patient care.
Even though preeclampsia has previously been defined as a medical condition with hypertension and proteinuria, medical research has indicated that preeclampsia is a complex pregnancy disorder that can be present in numerous forms. Preeclampsia patients require close monitoring, while the initial disease assessment needs a complete history and physical exam to establish the various preeclampsia symptoms (Alnuaimi et al., 2020). It is critical for an RN to continuously review an individual’s blood pressure levels throughout pregnancy while defining stable vital signs. Nurses must further consider current data and medical research to apply the best disease monitoring and management practices. Medical practitioners must further understand the specific risks to mom and baby and the long-term effects of preeclampsia. Additionally, follow-up care is essential to preeclampsia care as women with the medical condition should see their physician after delivery. Most healthcare organizations have thus sought to apply medical care technologies including telemedicine to follow up with preeclampsia patients.
Nurses need to educate the patients through efficient engagement further to advocate for their care. Over recent years, the care of women with preeclampsia has notably been limited due to the lack of screening tests that are vital in the early identification of risk factors. Nursing education is essential to understanding the relevant interventions critical to preventing and treating the various preeclampsia variations that differ in onset, severity, and presentation (Lovin, 2019). On the other hand, a lack of definitive strategies for preventing preeclampsia has continuously limited nurses’ ability to provide essential guidance and patient education on existing evidence-based approaches to reduce preeclampsia risks. However, nurses have sought to encourage women with preeclampsia to maintain a healthy body weight and diet to prevent the disease and for proper disease management. Nurses must discuss potential screening and diagnostic strategies with the patients while acting as advocates of the patients and their families. In addition, nurses play an essential role in educating pregnant women about the medical condition's specific warning signs, which include severe headache, difficulty breathing, and nausea. Surveillance is crucial after preeclampsia diagnosis to define disease progression and its severity. Nurses are involved in preeclampsia surveillance by evaluating subjective symptoms, physical assessment, and serial blood pressure for healthcare intervention. The goal of preeclampsia healthcare intervention is to stabilize blood pressure. Nursing management of the medical condition further involves a patient’s response to antihypertensive therapy and other pharmacologic treatment plans. The management of the disease requires nurses to reinforce a good working relationship with the patients for a long-term follow-up that is vital to countering the long-term risk of the disease.