An Assessment of a Verbal Report on Patient with Oral Pain and Swelling Essay

As a nurse, I find these two types of conversation very different from one another. However, I believe that even in the workplace, I need both types of interactions with my colleagues. On the more social level, it helps me understand their aspirations, their approaches, their ideals and thereby their ambitions when carrying out their duty and family life. It helps me see the persons and not only the nurse, a small projection of the whole image. Therefore, when interacting with other nurses, I am able to communicate with them in an effective manner about their likes and dislikes, which can help me perform better with them as a team.

Medical or clinical communication is very different. There are fewer social aspirations under consideration unless they are of particular importance to the patient case. There is more accuracy needed in framing sentences. To clearly identify the difference between the two types of conversation, I narrated a case with my colleague of a patient who presented to the emergency with pain and swelling in the facial region. I first gave a verbal presentation of the case, after which my colleague gave the same presentation to me again. We then compared the two presentations. The SBAR or the Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendations sequence was employed by both of us for the presentation of the case.

I stated that the patient’s swelling was located on the right side of the face and towards the upper jaw. The patient complained of pain and said that it was taking place all throughout the day. He said that the pain was throbbing and increased with time. The patient also stated that eating hot or sweet foods exacerbated the pain. A patient told of a dental cavity and pain last month for which he had to take antibiotics. The pain had subsided, upon which the patient did not have proper dental treatment done. Alongside, the patient stated he frequently had bleeding from gums. We discussed the possible causes of such pain and concluded that the pain and swelling may be from the pus accumulating in the upper jaw, from either an infected tooth or infected periodontium. We concluded that the patient may have to visit a dentist for a full evaluation, and the treatment may be then carried out. Meanwhile, the patient can have antibiotics started and IV fluids are given.

The same conversation was again repeated, this time with my colleague narrating the case. He mentioned that the patient was a 45-year-old man who presented to the emergency department. He was a white Caucasian male, afebrile, blood pressure of 120/80 and fully alert. The patient stated that he was having pain in his right upper jaw for the past few days, and an increase in the swelling in the same area. He said that the pain increased when hot or sweet food was taken. There was no significant medical history. The patient did tell in the recent medical history that he had pain in the same region about a month back for which he went to the dentist. The dentist told him that there was an infection in the upper right segment due to a tooth cavity, for which he was prescribed antibiotics and pain medication. Upon completion of the medication, he said that he felt no more pain upon which he did not go to the dentist again for resumption of treatment. He states that now he has swelling and pain in the same location on the upper right side of the jaw, which is increasing with time. Upon examination, it was found that there was a cavity in the upper first molar tooth on the right side. There were also plaque deposits on the entire tooth with bleeding gums. The differential diagnosis suggested the presence of dental tooth infection as well as periodontal infection. It was decided that the immediate management should be the initiation of antibiotics and IV lines to help reduce the infection and swelling. Alongside, it was recommended that the patient be referred to a dentist for further evaluation and treatment options.

As we can see, there is a considerable difference in both the presentations of the same case by two different nurses. In my version, I was haphazard in my approach and did not furnish the entire details, although I had them with me. I failed to provide the history in a chronological manner and did not emphasize the previous treatment. I also did not provide clear details on the oral examination and the findings therein.

By comparison, the second version of the same case provided a much more detailed, succinct and precise information. There was a complete mention of the patient profile. The presenting, recent medical history, and detailed medical histories were presented in a chronological pattern. There was more specific choice of words, and the entire sequence of management of the case was given in a proper manner.

Upon query as to how my fellow nurse was able to provide such a superior version of the same case, he responded tha