Purpose

This week’s graded topics relate to the following Course Outcomes (COs).

• CO 1 – Utilize prior knowledge of theories and principles of nursing and related disciplines to explain expected client behaviors, while differentiating between normal findings, variations, and abnormalities. (PO 1)
• CO 4 – Identify teaching/learning needs from the health history of an individual. (PO 2)

Discussion

In Week 6 you demonstrated a head to toe assessment of an adult participant. This week you and your classmates will reflect on the assessment you performed for your video assignment, and also apply this week’s lesson on family assessment.

Please consider the following in your initial post:

1. Reflect on the assessment you performed for the video assignment. Perhaps you might compare your performance now, to how it might have been different when you were a brand new nurse? Or share something you learned (or were reminded of) by participating in this activity?
2. Based on your observations, do you feel that patient assessments performed in practice are as thorough as they should be? Explain your answer.
3. This week’s lesson focuses on assessment of families and introduces specific assessment opportunities for racially diverse, same sex, and adoptive families. Select one of these three non-traditional families. How would your assessment technique change to be sure that you were competently caring for a member of this type of family unit? This may include questions you would add to the health history, or ways in which you would communicate.

SOLUTION

Professor and Class,

Reflecting on the assessment, I have noted many improvements in my assessment skills from when I was a new nurse. I was more confident in assessing and communicating with the patient. I learned that professionalism particularly including respect, integrity, attitude, discipline, and responsibility are essential to ensuring effective patient assessment process.

Patient assessments performed in the clinic do not meet the requirements of comprehensive patient assessment. In most cases, nurses do not perform a complete head to toe assessment but only focus on the particular body organ or system in question. For instance, a patient presenting constipation might only be assessed and testing of any problems in the gastrointestinal system, disregarding other body systems such as respiratory, cardiovascular, etc. which may have had significant unrecognized health problems. As such, nurses should try their level best to perform thorough patient assessment as it helps in the early identification and treatment of any health problems in the patient (Weber & Kelley, 2018). Please click the purchase button to access the entire copy at $5