Overview of Health Assessment PDF

Overview of Health Assessment  Health assessment: is an essential nursing function which provides foundation for quality nursing care and interventions. Purposesofhealthassessment 1. Establish a data base for the clients normal abilities risk factors, and any current alterations in function. 2....

Overview of Health Assessment  Health assessment: is an essential nursing function which provides foundation for quality nursing care and interventions. Purposesofhealthassessment 1. Establish a data base for the clients normal abilities risk factors, and any current alterations in function. 2. Plan strategies to to encourage continuation of healthy patterns, prevent potential health problems and alleviate or manage existing health problems. 3. Provide the holistic view of the clients. 4. Formulating conclusion or a problem statement such as a nursing diagnosis. 5. Tocollect data pertinent to the patient’s 6. health status e.g subjective and objective 7. data 8. To identifydeviations from normal 9. To point out actual problems 10. Tobuild Rapport with patient and family. Types of Health Assessment 1. Initial Assessment. 2. Focused Assessment. 3. Time-lapsed Assessment. 4. Emergency Assessment. 1. Initial Assessment: generally done by a physician or admitting nurse to have review of patient details , previous medical issues, social history and any other required detail. It is performed within specified time after admission to a hospital. e.g.: Nursing admission assessment. 2. Focused Assessment(ongoing assessment): is a close examination of a problem or disease. Based on the patient's symptoms, physician specialists are called to assist further. E.g. Hourly assessment of client’s fluid intake and output assessment. 3. Emergency Assessment: is life saving assessment, to save the patient or client’s life. Purpose: To identify life- threatening problems. E.g.: a rapid assessment of person’s airway breathing ,and circulation during cardiac arrest. 4. Time - lapsed Assessment: is assessment several days after first initialassessment. Purpose: To compare the client’s current status to baseline data previously obtained. E.g.: Reassessment of a client’s functional health patterns in a home. Methods of Assessment: The primary methods used to assess client’s, are: 1. Observing 2. Interviewing 3. Examining 1. Observing: is a conscious, deleberate skill that is developed only through and with an organized approach. E.g.:Clientdata observed throughfoursenses thatis through vision,smell, hearing, and touch. 2.Interviewing: is a planned communication witha purpose. e.g.:History taking 3. Examining: is a systematic information collection method thatuses observational skills to detect health problems. E.g.: the nurse uses techniques of inspection ,auscultation, palpation and percussion.