This nursing care plan is for patients who are infected with syphilis. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) transmitted by sexual contact or from mother to fetus/newborn (if the mother is infected with syphilis). Syphilis is caused by a bacteria called Treponema pallidum. The signs and symptoms of syphilis depends on how long the person has been infected. There are four stages associated with a syphilis infection. These stages are known as primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary.
Patients who are in the primary stage will have signs and symptoms of a single chancre. A chancre is a painless, firm ulceration on the skin. Mostly commonly chancre caused by syphilis may present on the penis, anus, or cervix. The secondary stage of syphilis present with a widespread rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Usually the third stage (latent stage) present with no signs and symptoms. The last stage known as the tertiary stage occurs approximately 3-15 years after the initial infection. During this stage the patient is no longer contagious but can experience cardiac and neurological health problems.
Below is a nursing care plan with diagnosis and nursing interventions/goals for patients with syphilis.
What are nursing care plans? How do you develop a nursing care plan? What nursing care plan book do you recommend helping you develop a nursing care plan?
This care plan is listed to give an example of how a Nurse (LPN or RN) may plan to treat a patient with those conditions.
Important Disclosure: Please keep in mind that these care plans are listed for Example/Educational purposes only, and some of these treatments may change over time. Do not treat a patient based on this care plan.
Care Plans are often developed in different formats. The formatting isn’t always important, and care plan formatting may vary among different nursing schools or medical jobs. Some hospitals may have the information displayed in digital format, or use pre-made templates. The most important part of the care plan is the content, as that is the foundation on which you will base your care.
Nursing Care Plan for Syphilis
If you want to view a video tutorial on how to construct a care plan in nursing school, please view the video below. Otherwise, scroll down to view this completed care plan.
Scenario
A 25 year old male presents to the health department with complaints of a sore on his penis. The patient says that it is painless and started out as a “small red bump” and “turned into this”. You note the area is ulcerated, red, has sharp borders and is approximately 2.5 cm. The patient reports to having multiple sexual partners the past 3 months. He also reports that protection was used some of the times but not all the time. The patient states he is afraid that he has an “STD” and that is why he came in to get it “checked out”. A blood sample is collected from the patient and comes back positive for syphilis. The doctor orders the patient single dose of intramuscular Penicillin G.
Nursing Diagnosis
Risk for infection transmission related to contact transmission exposure , multiple sexual partners, unprotected sexual intercourse secondary to syphilis infection as evidence by positive blood for syphilis, reports multiple sexual partners, and unprotected sex.
Subjective Data
Complaints of a sore on his penis. The patient says that it is painless and started out as a “small red bump” and “turned into this”. The patient reports to having multiple sexual partners the past 3 months. He also reports that protection was used some of the times but not all the time. The patient states he is afraid that he has an “STD” and that is why he came in to get it “checked out”.
Objective Data
A 25 year old male presents to the health department with complaints of a sore on his penis. You note the area is ulcerated, red, has sharp borders and is approximately 2.5 cm. A blood sample is collected from the patient and comes back positive for syphilis. The doctor orders the patient single dose of intramuscular Penicillin G.
Nursing Outcomes
-The patient will verbalize he will abstain from sexual contact with anyone until skin lesion is healed to prevent disease transmission.
-The patient will verbalize 5 ways on how to prevent acquiring sexually transmitted diseases.
-The patient will develop a list of sexual partners he had the past 90 days so they can be informed to get checked for syphilis free of charge at the local health department.
-The patient will verbalize how syphilis is transmitted, what bacteria causes it, the side effects of not getting the disease treated, and how to further prevent being re-infected.
Nursing Interventions
-The nurse will supply the patient with a free 90 day supply of condoms.
-The nurse will educate the patient he must abstain from sexual contact with anyone until skin lesion is healed to prevent disease transmission.
-The nurse will educate the patient on how to prevent acquiring sexually transmitted diseases.
-The nurse will assist the patient in developing a list of the patient previous sexual partners over the past 90 days and inform them to get checked for syphilis free of charge at the local health department.
-The nurse will educated the patient on how syphilis is transmitted, what bacteria causes it, the side effects of not getting the disease treated, and how to further prevent being re-infected.