Nursing students must know handle the instruments of physical assessment.
The physical assessment process involves a well organized and systematic approach to interpreting and diagnosing a patient's condition. Collecting a patient's demographic information -- including his name, age, race and religion -- marks the beginning of assessment. Nursing students, to be successful, must be trained in all aspects of the physical assessment process.
Instructions
1. Make sure nursing students understand the difference between subjective and objective data. They must know that subjective data comes from the testimony of the patient regarding health history and body system review. Objective data must be obtained from the patient's physical examination which includes taking a blood pressure reading. Knowledge of these two forms of data sets the foundation for success in the physical assessment process.
2. Inform nursing students that they must obtain the patient's consent before recording information regarding background health. This must be a verbal consent from the patient unless he or she is too ill to respond. Otherwise, the student must obtain consent from an authorized relative. Without consent, the nursing student will not be able to perform a physical assessment of the individual.
3. Tell the nursing students to assure the confidentiality of the patient's information. They should take the patient to a private room for this, and inform him of the type of information needed as well as how it will be used. The nursing student should tell him that other relevant medical staff will likely need to see and interpret the data in order to assist with the diagnoses and patient care plan.
4. Instruct nursing students to explain the examination process to the patient. Students must let patients know what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. Physical assessments require a systematic procedure, which the nurse can explain in simple terms. Whether the physical examination is a complete assessment, a body system or body part assessment, the patient will most likely feel better if she knows what is going to happen to her. Such information also tends to develop trust between the nurse and the patient.
5. Allow the nursing student to conduct the physical examination using the appropriate medical instruments. The nursing students should begin the process by inspecting one part of the patient's body at a time. This is called visual examination. Nursing students should examine such body parts as the head and neck, eyes and ears, thorax, lungs, cardiovascular and abdomen, musculoskeletal, peripheral nerves, breast, and female or male reproduction organs.
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