Preview

Assessment in Nursing Assignment

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2964 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Assessment in Nursing Assignment
This assignment will discuss and define the role of assessment as a vital tool in the provision of nursing care within the Nursing process. The author will describe sources of information which may inform the assessment process, identify a specific assessment tool used in my area of practice and identify ways of developing a positive professional relationship with the client, during the assessment process.

The assessment process may be defined as the organized and systematic collection and assimilation of data on the patient’s health status through a variety of sources: these include the patient as a primary source, along with their medical records and any information obtained from the family or any other person giving patient care. Secondary sources can be professional journals and medical texts. (Galasko,1997)

The American Psychological Association defines assessment as ‘assess.(nd):to judge or estimate the value ,character ,etc of…’(Apa,2007). Whereas the (Oxford Dictionary for Nurses) defines it as ‘the first stage of the nursing process in which data about patients health status is collected and from which a care plan may be devised’.

Traditionally, the nurse’s role has been has been one of recording but not interpreting observations including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiratory rate and consciousness level. Through recording this information accurately, the nurse is able to prioritize patient care, Nursing Times.net (2006).

McCormack et al (2004), argue that ‘assessment is not just the undertaking of a set of technical skills; rather it requires a certain kind of relationship between those who participate in it and with whom we share the purposes and standards of the practice’. In its’ widest sense, assessment permeates all aspects of nursing care. It is not just a detached activity that initiates the ‘nursing process’ or ‘problem solving cycle’, leading to a plan of care, which is implemented and evaluated, it is an ongoing cycle of activity



References: American Psychological Association (APA) (2007). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1.) Atkinson, L & Murray,E, (1995).Clinical guide to care planning, McGraw Available at : http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/assess (Accessed 31 October 2011) Barker , P.J Barker ,P.J. (2004) Assessment in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing : in Search of the Whole Person (2nd edn).Cheltenham : Nelson Thornes Ltd. Bush,T (2007) Use of cognitive assessment with Alzheimer’s disease: Nursing Times,2007 Jan 9-15 ; 103(2): 31-2 (9ref) (Accessed: 02 ,November ,2011) Carpenito – Moyet , L.J Dewing, J. (2003). Rehabilitation for older people with dementia. Nursing standard : 18:6,42-48. Egan,G,( 2002). The Skilled Helper :a problem – management and opportunity- development approach to helping. 7th ed. California: Brookes / Cole Folstein,M., Folstein,S McCormack, B et al. (2004),practice development in nursing, Blackwell McWhinney,Jr NMC (2008) ‘Code of Professional conduct’ Nursing and Midwifery Council available at:www.nmc-uk.org/aFrameDisplay.aspxDocumentId=3954 Norman ,I & Ryrie ,I,(2004),The Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing: a Textbook of Principles ,Open University Press Quan ,Electronic Healthcare,(2007) at http:longwoods.com/product.php?productid=186588&cat (Accessed:01, November , 2011) Roper,N,Logan,W.W and Tierney,A.J Sullivan,J.(1990). Neurological assessment. Nursing clinics Of north America,25 (4),795-809 Yebenese et al (2003) Validation of a Short Cognitive Tool for The Screening of Dementia in Elderly People with Low Educational Level

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Stuart, G. W., & Laraia, M. T. (2005). Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Nursing (8th…

    • 1547 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Week 3 PSY Case Study 127

    • 912 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Videbeck, S. L. (2001). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.…

    • 912 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    ASSESSMENT: Obtaining, validating, and communicating subjective and objective client assessment data including patient history, consultations, lab findings, pharmacological requisites, and the nurse’s physical examination. Also involves the nurse’s determination of the congruency between the client’s needs and the ability of health care team members to meet such needs.…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Unit 518

    • 8473 Words
    • 22 Pages

    Assessment is widely portrayed in literature as fundamental to the safe practice of social care with some accounts defining it as a key part of intervention and others regarding it as the essence of intervention.…

    • 8473 Words
    • 22 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The nursing process of assessment; planning: intervention and evaluation assists health care professionals with problem solving, and advocates the personal holistic provision of care but at the patient from a holistic view, in order to provide effective care giving (Slevin 2001) then plan and set goals according to the information gathered. The…

    • 1486 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The nurse evaluates the Outcomes portion of the nursing process to determine if the Interventions chosen were appropriate to achieve the goal. During the Evaluation phase, the nurse must have specific and complete qualitative and quantitative information about the data including lab results, vital signs, measurable assessment data, etc. The nurse not only uses critical thinking skills to evaluate the patient outcomes, but also uses acquired clinical decision-making skills to revise care based on the results of the evaluation. (Huckabay, 2009)…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The first part of the nursing process is the assessment stage where information is collated, organised and examined about the patient (Peate, 2005). The person is assessed holistically by taking all the different elements that make up the individual into consideration (Siviter, 2004). Roper, Logan and Tierney’s ADL’s was used on the respiratory ward as the model for the nursing processes.…

    • 2851 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    To first understand the assessment process I am going to explain the nursing process. This is a vital part of a patients care plan as it is the basis that all health care professionals follow (NICE, 2010). The nursing process consists of 5 stages. These stages are assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementing and evaluation. Assessment is the first stage of the nursing process. For this stage you must collect information about the person, family and their social groups. When asking for information you are looking for the strengths in the person as well as their relationships. When talking about diagnosis, you are looking at the assessment to see any risk, problems within the data or the person’s strengths and groups. Planning is the next stage. This is where you decide the priority of the problems, identify goals within care, select the appropriate interventions and create your plan of care using this knowledge. Giving the care and interventions is the implementation stage. This stage also includes the documentation of the care that is given and maybe any on-going care that is being received by the patient. The evaluation process is the…

    • 3065 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Written by Christine Anne Cauffield, a practicing psychologist in Florida, this 1995 thesis paper explores the gender differences in the results of a battery of tests for the diagnosis of dementia. Her research reveals significant variations on how Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed across both genders.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nursing assessments provide a number of benefits to the patient. They allow for preventative nursing interventions to take place so that the risk will not turn into a reality for the patient e.g. nursing interventions to…

    • 193 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    AHIMA Self Assessment

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Self-assessment is an integral part of our professionalism irrespective of the field of practice. Similar to the AHIMA code of ethics is American Nurses Association code of ethics. As a registered nurse, we are obliged to abide by the code which guide nurses’ daily quality of nursing care as well as the ethical obligations of the profession (Dulaney, 2016). Nurses, therefore are expected to conduct self-assessment periodical to ensure they are practicing within the ANA established code of ethics just as AHIMA expects its members to abide by their code of ethics.…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Holistic Nursing

    • 1528 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Holistic assessments in nursing provide a unique quality of care to the individual patient. Holism in the provision of care includes assessments obtaining data about the physiological, psychological, sociological, spiritual, developmental, cultural and environmental aspects. It is imperative that the nurse conducting these assessments adopts methods in the nursing process that reflects the standards outlined in Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse to ensure the health and wellbeing of the patient is maximized and maintained throughout the time health care is received. Nursing processes are directed at restoring overall harmony for the patient therefore an understanding of the individual as a whole person must be assessed. During the nursing process, the nurse will perform the assessment, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate the patient in an ongoing process. This essay will outline the importance of a holistic approach in nursing assessment and the importance assessment in the nursing process. cultural, spiritual and psychological aspects of the holistic assessment and the relevance of these components in the provision of care will be discussed and how AMNC standards apply to care in nursing.…

    • 1528 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Dexter, G, and Wash, M. (1997) Psychiatric Nursing Skills: A Patient Centred Approach. London: Croom Helm.…

    • 2983 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nursing Standard. 28, 44, 52-59. Date of submission: March 10 2014; date of acceptance: April 17 2014.…

    • 5575 Words
    • 33 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Assessments are the gathering tools and process by which one, preferably a clinician, can determine an individual’s current situation of need, along with their bio-psych-social history can create a treatment plan can be created and based on.…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays