Quiz 1 Flashcards
Common communication techniques
- open/close ended questions
- facilitation/affirmation
- echoing/reflection
- silence
- empathy
- confirmation/clarification
- redirecting
- humor
Common communication pitfalls
- giving false reassurance
- giving unwanted advice
- using authority
- using professional jargon
- using unclear/undefined words
- using leading/why questions (ie. You don’t smoke, do you?
- letting family members answer for the patient
- asking more than one question at a time
- asking “why”?
Types of health histories
- complete- a baseline; identifies potential or actual problem
- episodic- focused or limited scope to specific complaint; used in our patient facilities or in hospital for specific complaint
- follow-up- conducted at regular or set intervals; limited in its focus
- emergency- rapid collection of data simultaneously with life-saving measures
Preparing for a health history
*set goals for yourself
*review any given information
*review own appearance
prepare for note-taking
*prepare the environment
Techniques of a physical assessment
- inspection- use of vision and smell
- palpation- use of touch; light palpations are used to assess surface areas for temperature, texture, moisture, swelling, vibration. tenderness, crepitus, rigidity; deep palpation is used to assess internal organs and masses; always leave the painful areas for last
- percussion- involves tapping of fingers on a body part and listening to sounds; identifies density, organ shape and position; there’s direct (hand to body) and indirect percussion (hand to hand to body); characteristics of percussion: hyperresonance, tympany.. dull, flat
- auscultation- use of listening; diaphragm is used for high-pitched sound; bell is used for low pitched sound
Primary skin lesions
- macule- less than 1 cm; spot; perceptibly different in color from the surrounding tissue; a spot more than 1 cm is considered a patch
- papule- less than 1 cm; circumscribed; solid elevation on the skin; more than 1 cm is considered a plaque
- nodule- greater than 3 cm is considered a tumor
- wheal- a circumscribed papule or irregular plaque of edema of the skin
- vesicle- less than 1 cm; circumscribed elevation of the skin containing fluid; more than 1 cm is considered a bulla
- cyst- encapsulated fluid-filled lesion that extends down into the dermis
- pustule- small; circumscribed elevation of the skin; contains purulent material
Health promotion for the skin
Know a pt.’s:
- allergies
- hx chronic skin condition
- hx of skin cancer
- hx of skin infection
- hx of hepatitis
Warning signs o skin cancer
Any lesions that is larger than 6 mm, asymmetrical, has uneven edges, is made up of two or more shades
Components of a nail assessment
- color
- shape and contour- should be 160 degrees nail bed to skin
- consistency
- circulation (capillary refill)
Assessment of the neck
- perform ROM of neck (should smoothly and without effort move from side to side and up and down)
- inspect that neck is mid-line and holding head erect
- check symmetry of sternomastoid and trapezius muscles
- inspect then auscultate carotid arteries for pulsations and presence of bruits of the neck (pulsation may be palpated but not heard; bruits should not be present)
- palpate the lymph nodes (nodes should be palpable; if palpable then note the size, shape, borders, mobility, consistency, tenderness, and drainage)
The nursing process
ADPIE
- assessment- gathering subjective and objective data; instrumental in devising a care plan; key points and relevant pieces of information are grouped together; prioritized problem list if formalized; assessment phase continues throughout entire patient encounter
- diagnosis- based on real or potential health problems; based on assessment data; sets stage for remainder of care plan; formulated based on problem
- planning- chart the best course to address pt.’s diagnosis; nurse and pt. select goals for each diagnosis; set short-term and long-term goals; be realistic; work with pt.’s economic means, competing responsibilities, and family structure and dynamics
- implementation- can be completed by pt., family, or health care team; clearly relate to nursing diagnosis; individualized for each pt.; modified as changes occur; support positive outcomes
- evaluation- continuing process to determine if goals are met; based on pt.’s condition; ongoing process; confirms that nursing care is relevant
Subjective Data
“symptoms”
- what the pt. tells you
- history
- chief complaint
- review of symptoms
- OLD CART: onset, location, duration/frequency, characteristic symptoms, associated manifestations, relieving factors, treatments tried (if any) and success
Objective data
“signs”
- what you see
- physical examination
- laboratory reports
- radiologic findings, etc.
- primarily factual and descriptive
Cervical lymph nodes
Lymph nodes are assessed primarily by using two fingers and palpating the area in a circular motion (twice)
- preauricular
- posterior auricular
- occipital
- submandibular
- submental
- jugulodigastic
- superficial cervical chain
- deep cervical chain
- posterior cervical
- supracavicular
Mouth assessment
- inspect lips, teeth and gums, U-shaped area under the tongue, Wharton and Stensen’s duct, buccal mucosa, palate
- lips should be pink, intact and moist (darkly-pigmented individuals ay have blue tinges)
- teeth should be present (actual or dentures), white, straight, and free of decay
- tongue is pink with a roughened dorsal surface; bottom tongue is moist with bluish veins
- abnormalities of oral cavity: sore throat, hoarseness, lesions, sore tongue, bleeding gums, toothache, dysphagia