Influenza (also known as flu, or grippe) is an acute inflammation of the nasopharynx, trachea, and bronchioles, with congestion, edema, and the possibility of necrosis of these respiratory structures. Influenza is a highly contagious infection of the respiratory tract caused by three different types of Myxovirus influenzae. It occurs sporadically or in epidemics which peaks usually during colder months.
Nursing Care Plans
Unless complications occur, influenza doesn’t require hospitalization and patient care usually focuses on the relief of symptoms.
Here are six (5) nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnosis (NDx) for Influenza (Flu):
Deficient Knowledge
Nursing Diagnosis
May be related to
- Lack of knowledge about the disease process (Influenza)
- Inability to avoid complications
- Recurrence of disease
Possibly evidenced by
- Verbalization of misconceptions, questions about the disease
- Request for information
- Presence of avoidable complications
Desired Outcomes
- Patient will be able to understand and verbalize appropriate treatment and care for influenza.
- Patient and/or SO will be able to accurately verbalize understanding of the influenza disease and methods to use to avoid contracting the illness.
- Patient and/or SO will be able to notify the physician immediately during flu season if the patient begins to have symptoms of influenza in order to be treated with antivirals.
- Patient will suffer no complications, such as pneumonia, requiring hospitalization.
- Patient will be compliant with obtaining annual influenza vaccination.
Nursing Interventions | Rationale |
---|---|
Assess patient’s understanding of disease process. | Patient may have misconceptions about the disease that should be corrected. Identifying baseline knowledge helps to facilitate and establish a plan of care for patient and family education. |
Ensure that the patient is willing and able to listen to information about the disease. | Patient may be in too much pain or too ill to understand and comprehend information. If the patient is unwilling to listen to information, accept the decision, which will help to facilitate acceptance of right as a patient to choose the level of self-participation in care. |
Use limited amounts of time for teaching, with the provision of a quiet environment. | Helps the elderly patient to remember information being discussed without distracting stimuli. Limiting sessions of instruction helps to avoid overstimulation and overload. |
Educate about influenza immunizations. | For high-risk patients and healthcare personnel, suggest annual inoculations at the start of the flu season. Note that some vaccines are made from a chicken embryo and should not be given to people who are hypersensitive to eggs. Vaccine administered is based on the previous year’s virus and is usually about 75% effective. |
Inform people receiving the vaccine of the possible adverse effects and report them immediately. | Adverse effects include discomfort at the vaccination site, fever, malaise, and rarely, Guillain-Barre syndrome. Recommend the inactivated variant of the vaccine to women who are pregnant and who will be in the second or third trimester during influenza season. |
Teach the proper disposal of tissues and proper hand-washing technique. | To prevent the virus from spreading. |
Use appropriate teaching aids for the patient’s abilities. | Teaching aids such as written in large font for the impaired patient, and so forth helps to provide information in a manner that will be more easily understood by the patient and remembered. Normal aging changes may cause memory loss, sensory deficits, and the need for slower, more repetitive teaching. |
Instruct patient and/or SO about influenza types, when typical outbreaks occur, and methods to avoid infection. | Influenza occurs every year, normally from November through April, and the virus is spread via direct contact or aerosol droplets.Elder people usually have other disease processes, are especially prone to infection and should avoid others who have upper respiratory symptoms when possible. |
Instruct patient and/or SO that those who are at risk for influenza should always be immunized with the flu vaccine. | Vaccination should be given around October prior to the start of the outbreak of influenza season but can be given throughout this time until late winter. Prevention of influenza is considered optimal in order to prevent complications, such as pneumonia. |
Instruct patient and/or SO about newer antiviral drugs, their effects, when to seek immediate medical attention, and side effects of medications. | Caution should be used if patients have other respiratory diseases or renal insufficiency.Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) and Relenza (zanamivir) are effective for influenza types A and B. Rimantadine and amantadine are effective for influenza A. These drugs are given within 48 hours of onset of symptoms for maximum efficacy.
Patients should be also be advised these drugs are not replacement for their annual vaccination. |
Recommended Resources
Recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources.
Disclosure: Included below are affiliate links from Amazon at no additional cost from you. We may earn a small commission from your purchase. For more information, check out our privacy policy.
- Nursing Care Plans: Nursing Diagnosis and Intervention (10th Edition)
An awesome book to help you create and customize effective nursing care plans. We highly recommend this book for its completeness and ease of use. - Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions and Rationales
A quick-reference tool to easily select the appropriate nursing diagnosis to plan your patient’s care effectively. - NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification, 2021-2023Â (12th Edition)
The official and definitive guide to nursing diagnoses as reviewed and approved by the NANDA-I. This book focuses on the nursing diagnostic labels, their defining characteristics, and risk factors – this does not include nursing interventions and rationales. - Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, 12th Edition Revised Reprint with 2021-2023 NANDA-I® Updates
Another great nursing care plan resource that is updated to include the recent NANDA-I updates. - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5(TM))
Useful for creating nursing care plans related to mental health and psychiatric nursing. - Ulrich & Canale’s Nursing Care Planning Guides, 8th Edition
Claims to have the most in-depth care plans of any nursing care planning book. Includes 31 detailed nursing diagnosis care plans and 63 disease/disorder care plans. - Maternal Newborn Nursing Care Plans (3rd Edition)
If you’re looking for specific care plans related to maternal and newborn nursing care, this book is for you. - Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care (7th Edition)
An easy-to-use nursing care plan book that is updated with the latest diagnosis from NANDA-I 2021-2023. - All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health (5th Edition)
Definitely an all-in-one resources for nursing care planning. It has over 100 care plans for different nursing topics.
See Also
Other recommended site resources for this nursing care plan:
- Nursing Care Plans (NCP): Ultimate Guide and Database
Over 150+ nursing care plans for different diseases and conditions. Includes our easy-to-follow guide on how to create nursing care plans from scratch. - Nursing Diagnosis Guide and List: All You Need to Know to Master Diagnosing
Our comprehensive guide on how to create and write diagnostic labels. Includes detailed nursing care plan guides for common nursing diagnostic labels.
Other nursing care plans related to respiratory system disorders:
- Asthma | 8 Care Plans
- Bronchiolitis | 5 Care Plans
- Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) | 5 Care Plans
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) | 7 Care Plans
- Cystic Fibrosis | 5 Care Plans
- Hemothorax and Pneumothorax | 3 Care Plans
- Influenza (Flu) | 5 Care Plans
- Lung Cancer | 5 Care Plans
- Mechanical Ventilation | 6 Care Plans
- Near-Drowning | 5 Care Plans
- Pleural Effusion | 6 Care Plans
- Pneumonia | 11 Care Plans
- Pulmonary Embolism | 4 Care Plans
- Pulmonary Tuberculosis | 5 Care Plans
- Tracheostomy | 5 Care Plans