Exam 1 Flashcards
What is health assessment?
systematic method of COLLECTING and ANALYZING data for the purpose of planning patient-centered care.
Physical Appearance and Hygiene Components of General Inspection (4)
-General Appearance: Any obvious findings like tremors or facial drooping?
-Age: Does the patient appear to be the stated age?
-Skin: What is the color and condition of the patient’s skin? Any variations in color? Any obvious lesions?
-Hygiene: Is the patient clean and well groomed? Any odors?
Body Structure and Position Components of General inspection (3)
-Stature: What is the patient’s position or posture? Does patient sit or stand straight up?
-Nutritional status: Well-nourished? Thin? Obese?
-Body Symmetry: Right and left sides of body symmetric in size?
Body Movement components of General Inspection (3)
-Patient’s movement: Does the patient walk or move with ease? Any use of assistive devices?
-Gait: Is the gait balanced and smooth?
-Involuntary movement: Any involuntary movements like tremors or tics?
Emotional/Mental Status and Behavior Components of General Inspection (6)
-Alert: Is patient alert to person, place, and time (AAO x 3)?
-Eye contact: Does patient maintain eye contact? (some cultural variations, so simply inquire)
-Conversation: Does patient converse appropriately?
-Facial expressions (affect) and body language: Appropriate for the conversation? Any distress?
-Dress/Attire: Is the patient dressed appropriately for the weather?
-Behavior Appropriate?: Is the patient’s behavior appropriate?
Questions to assess alertness (3)
-Person–Who are you?
-Place–Where are you located?
-Time–What day is it? What month is it?
4 components of general inspection
Physical appearance and hygiene
Body structure and position
Body Movement
Emotional/mental status
What is a health history?
information about the patient’s current state of health, current medications, previous illnesses and surgeries, a family history, personal and psychosocial history, and review of systems
Components of health assessment
Collect health history
Perform physical exam
Document data
Analyze and Interpret Data
Develop care plan
Signs
objective data observed, felt, heard, or measured.
Ex: rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and swelling of an extremity.
Symptoms
subjective data perceived and reported by the patient. Ex: pain, itching, and nausea
Primary data: from patient; Secondary data: from family
Types of health assessments
Comprehensive
Problem-based/focused
Episodic/follow-up
Shift
screening
6 vital signs
Temperature
Heart Rate
Respiratory rate
Blood pressure
Oxygen Saturation
Pain
Context of care
circumstances or situations related to health care delivery including setting and environment, nurse expertises, patient’s history
3 assessment techniques for physical exam
palpation
inspection
ascultation
When systolic and diastolic levels fall in different categories, how do you classify blood pressure
use the higher CATEGORY NOT the higher number
Normal blood pressure range?
less than 120/80 mmHg
Prehypertension Blood pressure range
Systolic: 120-139
Diastolic: 80-89
Hypertension Stage I range
Hypertension Stage I
Systolic: 140-159
Diastolic: 90-99
Hypertension Stage II range
Stage II
Systolic: > 160
Diastolic: > 100
Problem-based/focused assessment
involves a history and physical examination that is limited to a specific problem or complaint (e.g., a sprained ankle). Common in a walk-in clinic or emergency department. Nurse also considers the potential impact of the patient’s underlying health status.
Comprehensive assessment
detailed history and physical examination performed at the onset of care. It encompasses health problems experienced by the patient; health promotion, disease prevention, and assessment for problems associated with known risk factors; or for age- and gender-specific health problems.
Episodic/follow-up assessment
usually done when a patient is following up with a health care provider for a previously identified problem.
Screening assessment/examination (what is it and where performed)
short examination focused on disease detection.
May be performed in a health care provider’s office (as part of a comprehensive examination) or at a health fair.
Ex: include blood pressure screening, glucose screening, cholesterol screening, and colorectal screenings