Week 1 Health Assessment
As a nurse in direct patient care, I usually carry out the first nursing process of assessment by performing a head to toe assessment. The first thing I do is to conduct hand hygiene. This is then followed by introducing myself to the patient and explaining the procedure to the patient. After that, I then start with the assessment from measuring the weight and the height of the patient through to blood pressure. My current practice setting is a nursing home for the elderly. The typical patient population here comprises of people who are above the age of 40, regardless of their gender. In addition, the patient population is made up of people from all races.
In the course of patient assessment, I usually consider various data points. One of these is the ethnic/ cultural origin of the patient. This is so as to ensure that I deliver culturally competent care. Apart from that, the other data point in the course of my assessment is age. This is so as to understand whether the condition that the patient is suffering from is age-based.
In documenting my findings, this is done on the hospital database that captures patients’ records. In this case, there is the involvement of the laptop and cloud services, hence confirming that there is the use of technology.
On the process of data analysis, this is done through linking the findings with evidence-based research. The result of this process is proven interventions. Apart from that, data analysis is also done through collaborating with others, and here is whereby I consult with my team. The outcome here is developing care plans.