Final answer:
The nursing process applied to a young patient with oral cancer involves pain management, nutritional support, wound care, and emotional support. Postoperative complications to watch for include infection, bleeding, and difficulty with speech and swallowing. The care team collaborates to ensure successful recovery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Using the nursing process, the care provided to a 19-year-old patient, Michael Osei, with cancer of the oral cavity involves several steps, including assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The focus is on managing pain, ensuring proper nutrition, promoting wound healing, and providing emotional support. During the postoperative period, Michael is likely to suffer from complications such as infection, bleeding, poor wound healing, and difficulty in speaking and swallowing. The surgeon, nurse, and anesthesia professional should also prioritize the patient's airway patency, pain control, and monitoring for signs of complications.
Effective postoperative nursing care will involve regular monitoring of vital signs, managing pain through appropriate medication, providing wound care to prevent infection, ensuring nutritional support often via alternative means like feeding tubes if necessary, and offering supportive care and education to the patient and family.