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.
- Away From Her
- Lorenzo’s Oil
- Mask
- My Sister’s Keeper
- Philadelphia
- Rain Man
- Steel Magnolias
- Stepmom
- The Elephant Man
- The Mighty
- The Tic Code
Create a PowerPoint presentation of 10-12 slides using the template “Movie Character Presentation.”
- Provide an introduction and background overview of the movie character (client).
- Assess the client using “Functional Health Pattern Assessment.”
- Based on your “observations” and thoughts, document your assessment, providing examples from the movie.
- Describe any observed or potential cultural, geographic, religious, ethnic, or spiritual considerations of this client.
- Describe two normal health patterns of the client as well as two abnormal health patterns that you observe, and provide examples.
- Develop an appropriate nursing diagnosis for the client based on your assessment.
- Identify and describe three interventions for the client: health promotion, health prevention, and maintenance.
- 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