Read the following case study:

You are a staff nurse working in an intensive care unit and assigned to care for a 75-year-old African American man who had coronary artery bypass graft surgery four days ago. The patient has a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbated by heavy smoking. His postoperative course has been difficult, and he has suffered a number of setbacks. Staff members, despite their diligent efforts, have not been able to wean him off the ventilator since the surgery. He has required frequent suctioning throughout the shift, and he is being evaluated for the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Today, when returning from lunch, you observed that an experienced nurse was suctioning your patient. His secretions were thick, and you observed that the nurse was instilling saline into the patient’s endotracheal tube as she was suctioning him. The patient turned red and began coughing, and it was obvious he was in distress.

Assignment

Identify the theory-practice gap in the case study above and describe how this potential gap can impact nursing practice and patient care.

Create a very detailed concept map that depicts your assumptions and findings of the theory-practice gap. Show alignment of nursing theory and its relation to the nursing process (including alignment with critical thinking and clinical decision-making) for an improved nursing care plan.

Write an 875- to 1,050-word summary explaining how the concepts in nursing theory align to the nursing process, including alignment with critical thinking and clinical decision-making for an improved nursing care plan.

Include the following in the summary:

• The theory-practice gap that you identified in the case study and how this potential gap can impact nursing practice and patient care
• A plan to close the gaps in this scenario which will consist of how theory, research, and practice interact to create positive patient outcome