Capella 4015 Assessment 2

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Capella university

NURS-FPX4015 Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and Physical Assessment: A Holistic Approach to Patient-Centered Care

Prof. Name

Date

Enhancing Holistic Nursing Care With the 3Ps

Nursing practice is grounded in key scientific disciplines that support effective clinical judgment, informed decision-making, and compassionate, patient-centred care. Core areas such as holistic nursing, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment—commonly called the “3Ps”—are essential to delivering safe, high-quality healthcare (Juanamasta et al., 2021). This assessment examines the importance of these domains, explores how they interrelate and demonstrates their practical application in clinical settings to enhance patient outcomes.

Holistic Nursing Care

Holistic nursing emphasizes the importance of caring for the whole person—addressing physical health and emotional, mental, spiritual, and environmental factors that influence healing. According to Sessanna et al. (2020), holistic nursing is a practice that honours the interconnectedness of body, mind, emotion, spirit, and environment and promotes healing by integrating clinical expertise with compassionate, personalized care. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, this approach supports the patient’s overall well-being and quality of life.

Patient-centred care is a core component of holistic nursing, combining scientific knowledge with empathy, therapeutic presence, and tailored interventions. By integrating mindfulness, therapeutic touch, and complementary therapies, holistic nursing helps reduce pain, anxiety, and stress—contributing to faster recovery and enhanced emotional resilience. Research supports that patients receiving holistic care often report greater satisfaction, improved symptom control, and shorter healing times (Juanamasta et al., 2021).

For nurses, this model of care also brings professional benefits. Holistic nursing fosters deeper therapeutic relationships with patients, which enhances compassion satisfaction and reduces the risk of burnout. Furthermore, holistic nursing encourages self-care practices among nurses, such as meditation and stress reduction techniques, which help build resilience and sustain long-term career fulfilment (Sessanna et al., 2020). Ultimately, holistic nursing strengthens the foundation of patient care by promoting clinical excellence and human connection, leading to better patient outcomes and greater fulfilment for healthcare professionals.

Role of Pathophysiology in Nursing Practice

Pathophysiology can be defined as the study of changes in the human body’s structure and function due to disease. It gives a scientific background of how diseases progress and when they manifest themselves in various body systems. Understanding pathophysiology is vital for nurses to monitor patients, identify changes in their clinical status, and assess how these diseases progress (Day & Hagler, 2024). This knowledge prepares the nurses to detect changes and respond appropriately and adequately to provide quality, patient-centered care. Acquiring knowledge of the causes and processes of diseases helps nurses more effectively fulfil their clients’ needs. For instance, a nurse with knowledge of asthma pathophysiology will be able to predict respiratory distress since such a nurse will identify triggers that cause airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction.

This allows early actions such as giving bronchodilators and teaching the patient about environmental control measures to avoid worsening episodes (Frey et al., 2021). Furthermore, pathophysiology is more advanced than purely considering specific body systems because it also shows the impact of diseases on the patient. For instance, chronic kidney disease not only affects the ability of the kidneys to filter blood but also leads to anaemia, bone mineral disorder, fluid and electrolyte imbalance and cardiovascular pressure (Andía et al., 2020). Understanding these interrelated effects enables nurses to provide holistic patient care and treat the main disease and its consequences. 

Role of Pharmacology in Nursing Practice

Pharmacology is one of the important fields of nursing since it concerns the effects of medicines on the body and how they are administered to control several diseases. Knowledge of pharmacology helps nurses prescribe the right medication, give the right dosage, and observe the effects and side effects of the drugs on patients (Day & Hagler, 2024). This knowledge is important in creating appropriate medication plans based on the patient’s diagnosis, other conditions, and medications. Regarding pharmacology knowledge, nurses depend on the dosage, route of administration as well as the time of administration in order to have a therapeutic level of the administered drugs. For instance, it is crucial to understand how long warfarin takes before it is halved, how it interacts with foods and the significance of taking INR tests to avoid clotting and bleeding complications (Shelvan et al., 2021). Such insight enables the nurse to notice the development of complications and take the necessary action.

Besides the initial prescription, the nurses are also expected to monitor the efficacy of the medications. They consider whether symptoms are favourable and if there are any adverse reactions or secondary effects. For instance, patients receiving antipsychotic medicine need constant assessment of efficacy in treating psychosis or psychotic symptoms and also for side impacts like weight increase, sleepiness, or extrapyramidal symptoms (Nasim et al., 2025). Pharmacology also comprehensively makes provision for patient care as it involves dealing with the patient’s physical condition, mental state, and social status. Managing symptoms and avoiding complications of medications are the primary reasons for enhancing the general health of the patient and his/her quality of life.

Role of Physical Assessment in Nursing Practice

The purposeful approach nurses use to obtain all the data on a patient’s health status involves the physical, psychological, and functional dimensions. Physical assessment is one of the essential nursing skills, which involves gathering information from a client’s history and assessment through inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. This approach gives the nurses a broad perspective on a patient’s status, which helps create individualized treatment plans and assess the efficiency of the nursing interventions provided to the patient (Day & Hagler, 2024).

Physical assessment helps assess the individual patient’s health status in relation to disease and risk factors that may develop later. For instance, the sign could be the development of edema and reduced movement in the lower limbs, which could be an early sign of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and warrant immediate action. Likewise, when listening to the heart, murmurs that indicate possible atrial fibrillation can also be identified, and further diagnostic procedures and treatment plans can be arranged (Carrington et al., 2022).

These assessments help the nurse determine the nursing diagnoses and even the priorities of the care that the patient needs at the current time or shortly. For example, if a nurse has checked the patient’s blood glucose levels several times and noticed that they are rising, the nurse can consider talking to the other healthcare team members about changing medications or diet to manage high blood sugar levels. In the end, physical assessment findings gathered during the physical examination are the foundation of care planning (Juanamasta et al., 2021). It also helps them set goals and objectives, assess patients, and plan for appropriate nursing interventions and the expected outcomes in delivering care. 

Integration and Application of 3Ps

Integrating 3Ps assessment is essential in delivering comprehensive, evidence-based nursing care. These three domains work synergistically to inform clinical decision-making, promote early detection of complications, and support individualized treatment plans that improve patient outcomes across various healthcare settings.

Example 1

In an acute care setting, a nurse caring for a patient with acute ischemic stroke must apply pathophysiological knowledge to understand the blockage of cerebral blood flow and its impact on neurological function. The nurse identifies sudden-onset symptoms such as facial drooping, slurred speech, and unilateral weakness through physical assessment. Prompt recognition allows the initiation of time-sensitive interventions. Pharmacological expertise is crucial when administering thrombolytic agents like alteplase, as the nurse must monitor for adverse effects such as bleeding and assess eligibility based on timing and contraindications (Deng et al., 2025).

Example 2

In a primary care setting, managing a patient with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes involves understanding the disease’s pathophysiology—insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism. Physical assessment helps identify signs of complications such as neuropathy or poor wound healing. Pharmacological knowledge enables the nurse to educate the patient about medications like metformin, monitor for side effects such as gastrointestinal discomfort, and ensure therapeutic effectiveness through regular blood glucose assessments (Juanamasta et al., 2021).

Conclusion

In conclusion, integrating 3Ps assessment empowers nurses to deliver safe, patient-centred, evidence-based care. These interconnected domains enhance clinical judgment, early detection, and individualized interventions that improve outcomes across diverse healthcare settings. By mastering the 3Ps, nurses are better equipped to provide holistic and effective care that addresses the full spectrum of patient needs.

References

Andía, J. B., Carro, B., Vírgala, J., Rodríguez, J., Bande, J. J., Alonso, C., & Carrillo, N. (2020). Chronic kidney disease—mineral and bone disorders: pathogenesis and management. Calcified Tissue International, 108(4), 410–422. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-020-00777-1 

Carrington, M., Anwar, C., Ricci, F., Epstein, A. E., Gallina, S., Sutton, R., & Khanji, M. Y. (2022). Clinical applications of heart rhythm monitoring tools in symptomatic patients and for screening in high-risk groups. Europace, 24(11), 1721–1729. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euac088 

Day, K., & Hagler, D. A. (2024). Integrating the 4Ps in masters-level nursing education. Journal of Professional Nursing, 53, 16–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2024.04.003 

Deng, H.-J., Xu, Y.-H., Wu, K., Li, Y.-C., Zhang, Y.-J., Yu, H.-F., Li, C., Xu, D., & Wang, F. (2025). The sentinel against brain injury post-subarachnoid haemorrhage: Efferocytosis of erythrocytes by leptomeningeal lymphatic endothelial cells. Theranostics, 15(6), 2487–2509. https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.103701 

Capella 4015 Assessment 2

Frey, S. M., Contento, N. C., & Halterman, J. S. (2021). Nurse-delivered outpatient asthma education for children and caregivers: A pilot study to promote shared asthma management. Journal of Asthma, 58(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/02770903.2019.1692028 

Juanamasta, G., Aungsuroch, Y., Gunawan, J., Suniyadewi, N. W., & Nopita, N. M. (2021). Holistic care management of diabetes mellitus: An integrative review. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_402_20 

Nasim, R., Nawaz, S., & Nasim, M. T. (2025). The effects of antipsychotic drugs and non-pharmacological therapies on schizophrenia. Targets, 3(1), 10–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/targets3010010 

Sessanna, L., Askew, Y. D., & Pomeroy, S. H. (2020). Faith community nursing practice and holistic nursing practice: A comprehensive and inclusive comparison of both specialties. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 39(1), 85–102. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010120928620 

Capella 4015 Assessment 2

Shelvan, A., Spence, A. L., Parsiola, A. L., Anandi, P., Siddaiah, H., Latimer, D., Saus, J. A., Prabhakar, A., Core, D. E., Cornett, E. M., & Kaye, A. D. (2021). Commonly prescribed medications that affect clotting: A comprehensive overview. Essentials of Blood Product Management in Anesthesia Practice, 167–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59295-0_19