Week 5 - Intro to Health Assessment Flashcards
Link to Therapeutic Communication
Throughout assessments, nurses observe behavior, ask questions and listen
Assessments require integration of therapeutic communication principles throughout the interaction
Medical assessment
- aims to identify the causative factor of the disease/injury
- identifies any pre-existing medical conditions that may pose risks for the conventional/surgical intervention offered
- used to develop a medical treatment plan for the disease/injury
Nursing assessment
- focuses on the patient’s response to disease/injury
- ascertain the impact of the disease/injury on the patient’s ability to perform ADL’s
- Helps identify facilitators/barriers to patients achieving the optimal level of health
- identifies supports that may need to be put in place for successful discharge
- develop a care plan
Difference b/w nursing and medical assessment
- medical assessment: trying to find the disease
- nursing assessment: looking at the patient’s response and the impact of the possible diease
Health assessment
Health assessment = health history + physical exam + (behavioural and cultural assessment)
What is the purpose of health assessment?
to “establish an individualized data-base about the client’s health status to include perceived needs, health challenges, and problems and to respond to these challenges or problems”
Nurse must collect and verify ____, then analyze to develop an ___________ ______ of care
Nurse must collect and verify data, then analyze to develop an individualized plan of care
- data can be subjective or objective
Objective data definition
Data that is measurable, directly observable, or verifiable by the nurse
What is objective data?
Observations or measurements of a client’s health status
- (i.e. a wound, vital signs, lab results, auscultating lung sounds)
- Value free observation of client behavior based on an accepted standard (i.e. cm, mmHg)
- Can be normal or abnormal
- Use of the senses
Examples:
Cultures positive for strep in the throat
3 day food record shows insufficient caloric intake
What do nurses need to know to collect objective data?
- Requires sound knowledge of the physical & social sciences
Subjective data definition
The client’s verbal description of their health concerns
- what the patients tells you
- can’t be measured (eg. pain)
What do subjective data reflect?
Can reflect physiological changes that the nurse can further assess through objective data
Examples:
My throat is sore
I am eating well
What does a complete health assessment include?
Includes a nursing health history, behavioural and physical examination, and cultural assessment
Nursing Health Assessment
Health history
- Person centered
- i.e. “a person with diabetes”, not “a diabetic” - Determine client concerns and identify possible solutions
- Focus on the client’s strengths and available supports
- Highlight priority or potential health challenges
- Questions are asked in an interview that allow nurses to collect data, categorize cues, make inferences, and identify emerging patterns, potential problems, and solutions
Nursing Health Assessment
Physical examination
- A complete physical exam is done for routine screening/health promotion/prevention
- An acutely ill patient will have a focused assessment based on the body systems involved
- ie. Asthma attach = respiratory assessment
What are the 5 skills required for physical examination?
Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Ausculation, Olfaction
What info does nursing health history gather?
Gathered by client interview by exploring client’s current illness or state of health, health history, and expectations of care
What is the aim of nursing health history?
To identify patterns of health and illness, risk factors for physical and behavioural problems, changes to normal function, and available resources for adaptation health practices, patterns of health/illness
Where is the data collected from for nursing health history?
Data primarily obtained from the patient
- Other data sources: family, health care team, medical chart/records, lab & diagnostic tests
What are complete physical examinations done for?
- Routine screening/preventive health
- Routine yearly medical exam
- Insurance eligibility
- Pre-employment for new job
- Admission to hospital or long-term care
Physical examination:
For _____ illness, nurse assesses only involved body systems
For acute illness, nurse assesses only involved body systems
Physical exam techniques
- Skill of using senses of sight, smell, touch, and hearing to gather data
- Develops over time with practice
- Technical skills plus knowledge base
- Skills of physical examination are inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation
- Performed one at time, in above order