health assessment Flashcards
what are some characteristics of health assessment?
collecting, analyzing, and validating information
what is a comprehensive assessment?
one that involves a health history and physical assessment
what is a partial/ongoing assessment?
an assessment that is conducted at each shift
what is a focused assessment?
when we assess a specific body part.
rationale: there is usually 1-2 body systems involved
what are the characteristics of an emergency assessment?
usually this is life threatening.
what are some things included in a shift assessment?
safety, vitals, mental status, etc
what are some things we should do with the patient during the assessment?
explain the procedure, explain that the procedure should not be painful
true/false: privacy should be maintained during assessments
true
rationale: privacy should be a main priority for us as nurses
what are some lifespan considerations?
considering normal deviations when it comes to mental and psychological responses
what are some things we should be sensitive to when we conduct assessments?
cultural differences, past experiences, etc
who is going to be the most accurate source of information during a health assessment ?
the patient
how does a RN’s assessment differ from a provider’s?
the RN uses a holistic approach to see how the health status affects the person as a whole, rather than focusing on a specific disease process
when we are conducting a physical assessment, what are some things we should be assessing for?
mobility, age, status, mental health
when preparing for a diagnostic test, what is the RN’s role?
the registered nurse will prepare the patient, physically and mentally, explaining the procedure and providing education
what are we doing when we inspect the body
we are using our eyes to see, but we also are using our sense of smell and hearing
what does it mean to palpate a person?
we are going to use our palms and fingers to assess tugor, moisture, and thickness of skin and body parts
understand that percussion is using fingers to tap and ascultate and feel differences in sound, but that this is not usually a skill that we are going to do
true/false: the diaphragm of the stethescope is used for high pitched sounds
false
rationale: the bell is used for high pitched sounds, the diaphragm is used for lower pitched sounds
why is it important as RN’s to do health history?
if we can get a propper history, we can detect problems before they become issues
what are some risk factors assiciated with skin?
past history of lesions, cuts, etc
what are some things we do not want to see when we are assessing the skin?
erethyma, cyanosis, palor, jaundice
rationale: we want nice, consistent skin color throughout the body
