A portrait of First Lady Anna Harrison, wife of President William Henry Harrison Anna Harrison. Courtesy US Library of Congress. She never even entered the White House -- she had delayed coming to Washington, and had not yet traveled there when her husband, William Harrison, died a month after his inauguration.
When the patient is unable to breathe or there is damage or swelling in the airway that prevents air from moving in and out of the lungs, intubation may be necessary to save the patientâs life. Some states permit RNs to intubate patients for emergency purposes or to administer anesthesia.
The nurse collects information from verbal interactions with the patient, the patient's family, and significant others; examines standard data sources for information; systematically checks for symptoms and signs; determines the patient's ability to perform self-care activities; assesses the patient's environment; and identifies reactions of the staff (including the nurse who is performing the assessment) to the patient and to the patient's family and significant others.