Health Assessment Case Study

1.1 PURPOSE OF HEALTH ASSESMENT

This concept was taken from module 1” Introduction to health assessment “, sub-topic 1”Introduction to health assessment “.

Health assessment can be defined as the collection of information about a person’s health in order to detect the state of an individual.

Health assessment can also be defined as the plan of care for each patient who is made by identifying their health needs and sorting out possible ways to meet their health needs. The patient usually gives out information of his health and this information given could be used to guide the nurse or doctor towards how patients should be attended to. It could also give a guide to laboratory investigations that will request for and possibly the diagnosis of

Health assessment is done to know the specific problem or status of the client. Usually a client walks into the hospital and could lay a complain of fever, the temperature could be checked to know if the patient is actually having fever or not.

2. Health assessment is carried out to know the patient’s medical history as this could serve as a lead on what to expect of the patient’s health. 3. Health assessment is carried out to know the client’s family medical history so that it will give a guide as to diseases that clients can be at risk of. I.e. for diseases that have hereditary traits.

4. Through health assessment, we are able to know the patient’s level of the health illness continuum.

5. Through proper health assessment we are able to find out the patient’s needs and how best to solve them.

6. We can only know the patient’s nursing problems through proper health assessment as nursing problems are identified from complaints patient’s lay and those we think they are at risk of based on their

Health assessment can be done in client’s home during home visit and this is to know if patient is improving and to know when patient’s health deteriorate so that he can be referred to the nearest clinic for proper assessment and treatment.

Health assessment is also done in the community to know the possible causes of illness in the patient’s environment and the client’s are also encouraged of ways to promote good health.

1.4 APPLICATION TO CURRENT JOB In my facility after the patient gets their card, the first health

Personnel they see is the nurses. Once they come they are greeted and given a seat. They are asked the reason for their visit which is stated in their folder. Their vital signs are checked i.e. blood pressure, pulse, respiration, spo2, temperature, weight and health. All this are documented as it serves as a base line data for care. It also helps to give a guide on their health needs and how promptly it should be attended to. Example, a patient who is assessed to be an emergency case cannot be treated the same way as a stable client. Prompt attention will be given to the emergency