Health Assessment Skills
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Health Assessment Skills
Types of Health Assessment Skills
Nurses perform health assessment tests on a daily basis to cater for patient and population needs. These assessments vary according to the patient need and setting (Prior et al 2022). In practicing my nursing profession, I have personally undertaken several health assessments and diagnosis to improve my patient’s healthcare and overall outcomes and population wellbeing. I once worked as a community voluntary nurse at a local clinic in my neighborhood. The clinic offered consultation services on various dietetic and nutrition health problems. During my service in this clinic, I performed various assessments including nutritional assessments, comprehensive care assessments, mental health assessments and health risk assessments (Prior et al 2022).
Nutritional assessments evaluate food intake, nutrition status and physical examination. They are essential in treatment and prevention of obesity and chronic infections such as diabetes.in carrying out comprehensive care assessments, I would evaluate and monitor for illnesses, chronic conditions and general health of the patient. Mental health assessments were crucial in diagnosis of stress, depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. For patients who presented with severe symptoms, I would carry out health risk assessment. This helped in timely detection and identification of serious illnesses such as heart attack, kidney failure and diabetes (Hurley et al., 2022).
Personal Experience where Effective Health Assessment Skills
Throughout my nursing practice and career, I have incorporated and applied various nursing skills to improve my patient’s health and outcomes. I recall one memorable scenario where I effectively applied mental health assessment skills and nutritional skills to positively impact my client. Madam Brittany presented with feelings of worry and stress in a routine health check up in a clinic I worked for. She complained that she was unable to control her overweight conditions. The stigma associated with her condition was worrying and stressing her. She was only twenty five years old but was already feeling too big considering her age.
During mental health assessment, I noticed that Brittany was suffering from a serious avoidant personal mental disorder due to her physical condition. I also learnt that her overweight condition was contributed by several avoidable practices. She was born and raised on a wealthy background and therefore led a lavish lifestyle. I advised and guided her to living a healthy lifestyle while considering a healthy balanced diet in her meals. I also incorporated regular exercises and gym sessions in her weight management aid. To overcome her feelings of stress and worries, I helped her accept her condition and instead focus on finding a solution to her overweight condition.
Brittany adhered to the treatment plan I offered. She managed to reduce three kilograms of weight within six months after assements.This successful assessment and treatment was facilitated by various aspects including attention to detail, collaborative treatment and timely and early diagnosis and assessment.
Importance of Accurate and Thorough Documentation of Health Assessments
Accurate and precise documentation of health assessments is critical in achieving treatment goals .The nurse should include details of past medical information, physical examination, diagnosis and tests and the treatment plan recommended by the physician. Maintaining proper patient records and documents ensures collaborative treatment and care in cases of referrals. Documentation also enhances coordination of various departments within a healthcare setting to ensure quality service delivery and overall patient outcomes (Dalglish et al., 2020).
Medical records help provide the right care to the right patient, which improves communication and reduces the risk of medical mistakes. During the early stages of my career, a young pregnant lady presented with feelings of fatigue, frequent urination and regular dehydration. Reviewed her past medical history I realized that her family had a medical history of gestational diabetes .Reviewing her medical records eased my work (Dalglish et al., 2020).
References
Dalglish, S. L., Khalid, H., & McMahon, S. A. (2020). Document analysis in health policy research: the READ approach. Health policy and planning, 35(10), 1424-1431.
Hurley, J., Lakeman, R., Linsley, P., Ramsay, M., & Mckenna‐Lawson, S. (2022). Utilizing the mental health nursing workforce: A scoping review of mental health nursing clinical roles and identities. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 31(4), 796-822.Retrieved from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/inm.12983
Prior, S., Duffy, N., & Duncan, E. A. (2022). Assessment skills for practice. Skills for Practice in Occupational Therapy E-Book: Skills for Practice in Occupational Therapy E-Book, 43.Retrieved from : https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=t_-VEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA43&dq=Types+of+Health+Assessment+Skills&ots=tT7UHRKRh9&sig=MVa20VZWCgrE8AJoEAyPcGfA498&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Types%20of%20Health%20Assessment%20Skills&f=false