Introduction
Nursing is the second most respectable career after medicine. There is a high demand for highly trained, qualified and skilled nurses. Although it has been placed after medical field, it is in no way any lesser hard work and dedication as seen in medical professionals.
The nurses also need to study a lot and learn a lot of skills that allow them to work with complete dedication and efficiency with their patients.
Understanding Some Jargon
There is no dearth of complicated terminology and parameters that need to be learned by heart to ensure all bases covered when treating a patient. To simplify these complicated parameters, many nursing professionals rely on mnemonics.
There are many times when nurses notice the signs of fetal distress. It can manifest in the form of non-reassuring patterns that can be seen on cardiotocography. It can be either decreased or increased fetal heart rate which is also referred to as bradycardia or tachycardia respectively. It may result right after a powerful contraction. The variability in the fetal rate is noticeably decreased.
To stay focused and ensure that decelerations and accelerations are clear in mind, nurses use mnemonics. In the case of Veal Chop Nursing, it is-
- Variable – Cord Compression
- Early – Head Compression
- Accelerations – Okay
- Late – Placental Insufficiency
This mnemonic helps to understand if there is any cause to worry or be concerned when monitoring the fetal heart rate.
Observing Due Diligence?
An abrupt increase in the heart rate of a fetus above the established baseline is a cause of worry. The same holds true in case of a sudden decrease in the heart rate of a fetus. Using mnemonic Veal Chop, the parameters and its significance can be easily remembered. In the above chart, it is clear that V of Veal corresponds with C of Chop and so on. Thus, V stands for variable, and when it coincides with C meaning Cord Compression, one needs to take a decision accordingly. Similarly, E for Early and H for Head Compression directs nurses to make a decision accordingly.
Relying on mnemonics in nursing help to remember crucial information which may be otherwise quite challenging to remember and recollect. When there are sudden events, and we need to react immediately, mnemonics comes to the rescue and help nurses to remember the plan of action immediately without losing even a moment’s time. In the case of fetus distress, time is of the essence, and quick response can be generated with these simple tips.
Nursing students who are about to appear for their exams can also retain vast volumes of information with the help of mnemonics. The practical mnemonic of Veal Chop Nursing has helped many nurses specializing in or working in the obstetrics department.
In this mnemonic, every letter has a meaning, and it corresponds with another letter to help nurses assess a situation and take a suitable decision. Since, there are a lot of parameters, cause and effects and terminology to be remembered in this field, that there are chances of errors.
In this case, any error can result in a fatality. It is for this reason; many nursing educators have come up with practical mnemonics to help nursing professionals do their job with the utmost efficiency. Remembering these mnemonics have ensured lesser chances of errors and quick response to an emergency situation which is quite common in the field of obstetrics.