Nursing health assessments
Sample Solution
The type of nursing health assessment that I commonly perform depends on the patient's age, health status, and reason for the visit. For example, if the patient is a newborn, I would perform a comprehensive assessment that includes a physical examination, a developmental assessment, and a family history. If the patient is an adult with a chronic illness, I would perform a focused assessment that focuses on the patient's specific health concerns.Full Answer Section
A comprehensive assessment is a complete assessment of the patient's physical, mental, and emotional health. It includes a health history, a physical examination, and laboratory tests. A focused assessment is a more limited assessment that focuses on a specific problem or system. It may include a health history, a physical examination, and laboratory tests.
The key subjective and objective data collected by nurses in a comprehensive assessment include:
- Subjective data: This data is gathered from the patient's self-report and includes their chief complaint, history of present illness, past medical history, family history, social history, and medication history.
- Objective data: This data is gathered from the physical examination and includes the patient's vital signs, height, weight, body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. It also includes the nurse's observations of the patient's skin, eyes, ears, nose, throat, neck, chest, abdomen, extremities, and neurological status.
The key subjective and objective data collected by nurses in a focused assessment vary depending on the patient's problem or system. For example, if the patient is complaining of chest pain, the nurse would collect data about the pain's location, duration, quality, and radiation. The nurse would also collect data about the patient's risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
The typical patient population in my practice setting is a diverse group of people of all ages, races, and ethnicities. The patients come from all walks of life and have a variety of health conditions. Some of the special considerations that I have used for obtaining an accurate health history and physical assessment in this patient population include:
- Age: The patient's age can affect their ability to communicate their health history and understand the physical examination. For example, young children may not be able to communicate their symptoms clearly, and older adults may have difficulty hearing or seeing.
- Lifestyle: The patient's lifestyle can affect their risk for certain health conditions. For example, patients who smoke are at increased risk for heart disease and lung cancer.
- Financial status: The patient's financial status can affect their access to health care. Patients who are uninsured or underinsured may not be able to afford to see a doctor or get the tests and treatments they need.
- Health status: The patient's health status can affect their ability to tolerate a physical examination. For example, patients who are frail or have chronic illnesses may not be able to lie down or stand for a long period of time.
- Culture: The patient's culture can affect their beliefs about health and illness. For example, some cultures believe that it is taboo to talk about certain health problems.
- Religion: The patient's religion can affect their beliefs about health and illness. For example, some religions have specific dietary restrictions or require certain rituals to be performed during illness.
- Spiritual practices: The patient's spiritual practices can affect their beliefs about health and illness. For example, some patients may find comfort in prayer or meditation during illness.
It is important to be aware of these special considerations when obtaining a health history and physical assessment from patients. By taking these factors into account, nurses can ensure that they are providing the best possible care to their patients.