Chapter 16

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Health Assessment

Purpose- to establish a database for the patient's normal abilities, risk factors that can contribute to dysfunction, and any current alterations in function. A complete assessment provides an adequate database to help formulate a conclusion or a problem statement, such as a nursing diagnosis.

Health Assessment

Framework:

Functional Health Assessment- evaluates the effects of the mind, body and environment in relation to a person's ability to perform the tasks of daily living.

Head-to-toe- system for collecting data in an organized manner, starting from the head and proceeding systematically to the toes.

Body Systems- focuses on the pathophysiology involved within specific body systems.

Health Assessment

Cultural Considerations- Seeking an understanding of patients' culturally based healthcare practices is essential to nursing because each culture has its own traditional values and beliefs about health and illness that may affect individuals' adherence to treatments.

A nurse's conscious or unconscious biases can influence his or her interpretation of data.

Non -English speaking patient may need an interpreter.

Health Assessment

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