Health perception/ health management

Movie character presentation: The Elephant Man

In this assignment, you will be creating a presentation based on the application of the functional health assessment of a movie character. To complete
this assignment, do the following:

Develop a PowerPoint presentation on the health assessment of a movie character by doing the following:

Choose a movie from the following list and identify a character from the movie on which you would like to do a health assessment. If you wish to use a
character from a movie not included on the following list, get the approval of the instructor to use that character.

  1. Away From Her
  2. Lorenzo’s Oil
  3. Mask
  4. My Sister’s Keeper
  5. Philadelphia
  6. Rain Man
  7. Steel Magnolias
  8. Stepmom
  9. The Elephant Man
  10. The Mighty
  11. The Tic Code

Create a PowerPoint presentation of 10-12 slides using the template “Movie Character Presentation.”

  1. Provide an introduction and background overview of the movie character (client).
  2. Assess the client using “Functional Health Pattern Assessment.”
  3. Based on your “observations” and thoughts, document your assessment, providing examples from the movie.
  4. Describe any observed or potential cultural, geographic, religious, ethnic, or spiritual considerations of this client.
  5. Describe two normal health patterns of the client as well as two abnormal health patterns that you observe, and provide examples.
  6. Develop an appropriate nursing diagnosis for the client based on your assessment.
  7. Identify and describe three interventions for the client: health promotion, health prevention, and maintenance.
  8. Identify at least two possible resources or community services to which you would refer this client and provide rationale for your choices.

Overview of presentation

Background of the one of the clients in the movie

Assessment of client based on functional health pattern
assessment potential, geographical, religious, ethnic and
spiritual consideration of the client

Normal and abnormal health patterns of the client

Nursing diagnosis appropriate

Interventions for the client

Sources of community services to refer the client

Background of the movie and character

The movie is based on a true story

It was filmed in 1980 under the directorship
of David Lynch

the main character is John Merrick who is
born with a deformed skull (Lynch, 1980).

Therefore the presentation focuses on John
Merrick as the character

Functional Health Pattern Assessment

Health perception/ health management

The Elephant man was continent –(Does not have trouble controlling his urine)

Bowel and Bladder function helps to control a person conscious and a person detaches from
the organs when mental or physically disturbed.

Elephant Man is attended by Dr. Treves

The doctor assesses and provided diagnosis and administers medication

Nutrition/metabolic

Elephant Man is give specialized diets

A lot of fluid, vitamins and proteins rich food.

His body is functioning well apart from the skull

Body temperature is normal

Pattern of elimination

Bowel continent

He is able to control his bowels because of being conscious

Assessment Continued.

Pattern of activity/ Exercise

Elephant man exercises his body by walking

He is also engages in drawing and painting during his free time

This enables him to exercise his body improving his health

Conceptual/perceptual pattern

Elephant man is able to understand instructions

He engages in conversations with the doctors

He is also able to interact with other staffs and visitors

Pattern of sleep and rest

Elephant man gets enough sleep which is recommended by the doctors

He also rests his head above to reduce pain

Assessment continued.

Patterns of self perception and self concept

Elephant man has high self esteem exhibited from his determination to draw and paint

He is optimistic that he is going to recover from the situation

Role/relationship pattern

Elephant man had bad relationship with his family members and this hinders them to take him to
hospital

The relationship however become positive when he attracts attention of the donors

His relationship with the doctors and health professional is also good as they help him to
recuperate.

Assessment complete

Pattern of coping and stress tolerance

Elephant man improvise a sleeping strategy to relief pain

He also keeps himself busy by engaging in drawing and painting

He also engages in interactions with other people and this helps him to mange
stress.

Patterns of values and belief

Elephant Man is a Christian and therefore, he belief that God will intervene in his
situation

His religious ideologies also makes him to comply with the medication/ he is not
a traditionalist

Analysis of health assessment

Normal assessments finding

Elephant man is suffering form deformation from a diseases called
neurofibromatosis

He also has a twisted spine and a useless right arm

Abnormal or risk-based findings

On admission he had a problem with talking

Abnormal large skull

Additional observations

Cultural

The client cultural background is conservative

Geographical

The client came from London

Religious

The client religious affiliation must have been a Christian faithful as illustrated
from his reading and drawing of Christian literature and church

Ethnic

He comes from English ethnicity

Spiritual

He was not that spiritual but subscribed to Christian philosophy.

Nursing consideration

Nursing diagnosis

The problem was deformation of skull caused by a disease called neurofibromatosis related
to brain disease as evidenced by abnormal large skull, inability to talk and twisted spine.

Sensitive condition hence, need to remain within the confinement of the hospital

Require enough resting and medical attention

Interventions

Health promotion

Providing free medical care

Health prevention

Sensitizing the public on the ways to prevent the disease

Maintenance

Eating nutritious food

Doing exercise

Visiting a doctor for check ups

Adhering to the doctors prescription

Resources/community services

Financial assistance from well-wishers

Skilled professional doctor

Family support

Moral support

Conclusion

The presentation has enhanced understanding of the various
aspects that concerns healthcare. The analysis of the movie,
‘The elephant man” has clearly shows the issues that patients
and nurses go through at the health facility. The movie has
therefore been instrumental in helping in understanding the
health situation that Merrick went through.

References

Durbach, N. (2009). Monstrosity, Masculinity, and Medicine:
Reexamining ‘the Elephant Man'”, The Spectacle of Deformity:
Freak Shows and Modern British Culture, Berkeley: University
of California Press.

Lynch, D. (1980). The elephant man. United states.

Roger, C. (2007). “The Elephant Man”, The Independent