Principles of Women's Care (Research Paper Sample)

Principles of Women's Care Name Institution Date Principles of Women's Care Introduction Through the introduction of new technologies and practices, particularly in the areas of women's health and maternity nursing, the potential need of ethical decision-making has increased dramatically. Situations requiring ethical decision-making may be as diverse as client care decisions and application of institutional philosophical beliefs. Caring for women occurs in the context of an open and collaborative relationship. This implies that the relationship is structured in such a way that the professional power of the nurse is balanced with the power of the woman seeking health care. Mutual recognition of one another's expertise, sharing information, and defining goals in collaboration are central elements of the process. Women are regarded as experts about their own bodies and self-care, and nurses are regarded as experts in the problems that populations of women experience and the processes that can be adopted to facilitate health. Information should be shared freely between the nurse and the woman seeking care so that the woman can have as much of necessary data possible to make informed decisions about her health (Francis, 2000). The woman seeking health care should be the active participant of her own self-health care, not a passive recipient. This paper aims at expounding on some of the principles adopted in women care. A health provider should collect data that relates to the woman herself, but not only her reproductive system structure and function. This data should include potential or emergent health problems as defined by changing health patterns of populations of women and by the woman's own individual concerns. In addition, the woman should be allowed to share her own data regarding her health status. Nurses can then point out other useful data to consider. Unlike old times, nurses should not be focused on the data they consider relevant neglecting the woman's own data, and the woman's contribution should not be confined to the nurse initiated questions. In addition, a gynecological examination is an intimidating experience for most women. As a result, it should not be undertaken without prior training using a pelvic model. Having gained experience with the model, vaginal examination skills can be further developed with consent on an anaesthetized patient. Health providers should ensure a chaperone is present when performing any kind of vaginal or pelvic examination. They should also ensure that the environment is patient-friendly by carrying the exercise in a warm, private, and comfortable situation. The patient should also be allowed to undress in privacy. Most pelvic examination are performed with the patient in the supine position on an ordinary flat clinic couch, where procedures are anticipated such as colpsoscopic examination, intrauterine contraceptive device insertion or hysteroscopy. It is advisable is use a gynecology examination couch, which facilitates examination in the lithotomy position or with legs supported. Transvaginal ultrasound is also often more informative using lithotomy (Setchel, Shepherd, Hudson & Setchell, 2013). Moreover, medical experts should ensure that the appropriate equipments are available before embarking on gynecological examination. In particular, they should have a selection of different sizes of speculum to hand. For most nulliparous women, a small Cuscoe speculum is the optimal instrument. For parous women, the physician needs to have either a medium or a large speculum to access the cervix adequately. When in doubt, it is occasionally worth performing a single-digit examination to assess introital capacity. This enables the examiner to assess version and flexion of the uterus, which is important for speculum placement. In a woman with an anteverted uterus, the cervix is likely to be best visualized with speculum in the posterior aspect of the vagina. In a woman with retroverted uterus, the cervix is more likely to be placed interiorly some centimeters distal to the vaginal vault. Physicians should pay much consideration to this information especially when deciding where to direct and when to open the Cuscoe speculum. In case the examination becomes difficult or painful, alternative patient positions can be adopted such as left lateral or lithonomy or try a different sized speculum. In handling women with breast cancer, the physician should exercise high level of professionalism. This is because abnormal breast cancer findings can indicate cancer. As a result, the work-up needs to proceed in a timely manner. Some of the important points that clinicians can consider in the clinical history of a woman presented with a breast lump include current symptoms such as nipple discharge, lumps in axilla, skin dimpling, ulceration, inflammation and noncyclical pain. The clinician should inquire about the presence of breast implants examination and mammography. Other aspects of the medical history that may influence the woman's personal risk of breast cancer should also be elicited, including current or prior use of hormonal therapy; history of previous breast cancer or breast cancer problems such as history of radiation exposure or family history of breast cancer in a first-degree relative (sister, mother or daughter). In the premenopausal patient, complete menstrual, pregnancy, and lactation history sh...