Identify two (2) purposes of a physical examination:
Physical examination can be done to for two purposes; on one hand to identify and classify the manifesting symptoms in achieving differential diagnosis and secondly to help identify any possible issues that may be of medical concern later (Jarvis, 2015; p. 441).
Identify 2 types of physical examination and what is included in each type:
Focused physical examination: In this case the physician primarily focuses on the problem presented by the patient and relates the observable aspects to that particular problem (Jarvis, 2015; p.425).
Comprehensive physical examination: In this case, there is no particular primary illness that is being assessed and rather the purpose is to determine any potential health concerns that may be unidentified (Jarvis, 2015; p. 433).
Prior to performing a physical examination explains what is included in two (2) of the following:
Self-preparation by RN to conduct the exam
Ensure that the basic equipments such as the stethoscope are within reach and the stretcher is well set
Ensure that there are no other occupants in the physician’s office prior to the examination
Preparation of the patient
Introduce and acquaint yourself to the patient including your title and what you intend to do with them
Have the patient explain their problem and concerns as part of the subjective data
What model of health and illness is Victoria displaying? Explain your answer.
Victoria is displaying a biomedical model of health and illness in which she expects the primary focus is on medicine and health. She believes that the RN will help manage the condition and on her part will have to take a passive role (Edelman, Mandle & Kudzma, 2013; p. 86).
What level of health promotion is being addressed for Victoria and for Alexandra?
For Victoria, she is within the secondary health promotion in which she is seeking to have her health examined to ascertain if there are any illnesses residing within her body or if at all she is at risk of an illness. for Alexandra, she is within the primary health promotion in which she is due to receive medical care in regard to reducing the risk of the already diagnosed illness; gastroenteritis (Edelman, Mandle & Kudzma, 2013; p. 113).
What is in a general survey?
It is the visual observation as well as the overall impression and review that the physician or the nurse makes in relation to the well being and health of the patient. It encompasses head to toe assessment, lateral-lateral assessment, front-back, proximal-distal assessment as well as cephalo-caudal assessment (Jarvis, 2015; p.442).
Describe age modifications the RN would provide for the comprehensive physical examination of Victoria.
For Victoria, the RN will focus on dietary management as well as the insistence on exercise and light physical activity to help her body regain its agility after the birth of her child. The insistence on meals that include iron and calcium as main components will be discussed as a major strategy towards assuring her of health (Edelman, Mandle & Kudzma, 2013).
Describe any age modifications the RN would provide for the focused survey of Alexandra.
For Alexandra, the focus will be on ensuring that she is maintained within the normal diet as planned with a lot of fluids to help compensate for the fluids lost over the course of the illness and avoid dehydration. A restriction program for the movement of Alexandra, more specifically reduced travels at an early age could help her avoid such illnesses which are usually viral (Edelman, Mandle & Kudzma, 2013; p.56).
Describe assessment skills the RN would utilize for:
Victoria's comprehensive physical examination Alexandra's focused survey
In Alexandra’s case the RN has to utilize the observation skills to help unearth any inconsistencies in the health of the child. In Victoria’s comprehensive survey, the RN has to utilize their communication skills as well as the research skills to dig deep into the patient’s health history and thus create a detailed report (Jarvis, 2015; p.430).
Describe the RN's documentation for each patient.
In Alexandra’s documentation, apart from the child’s demographic data, the RN will indicate the period over which the child has been ill and the symptoms at the time of presentation. Further, the prescribed medication will be indicated (Jarvis, 2015; p.427).
For Victoria, the RN will document all the vital signs at the time of presentation and indicate whether they fall within the normal range. This will then be followed by the RN’s objective and general survey of the patient which will be the report of the patient’s health status (Jarvis, 2015; p.433).
References
Edelman, C. L., Mandle, C. L., & Kudzma, E. C. (2013). Health promotion throughout the life span. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Jarvis, C. (2015). Physical examination & health assessment (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.
