Health Assessment

Anna Crouch and Clency Meurier are both Senior Lecturers at University of Northampton.

'a useful addition to the bookshelves of not only the foundation nursing students it was designed for but also qualified nurses and other professional wishing to brush up their assessment skills.'The Higher Education Academy, Health Education and Practice

• Preface xiAcknowledgements xiiDedication xivList of contributors xv1 The human body (C. Meurier) 1Section 1: Introduction 1Anatomical terms 2Levels of organisation of the body 4Hierarchy of functions 5The basic structure of cells 5Homeostasis 8Organ systems 11Section 2: The integumentary system 11Structure of the skin 12Thermoregulation and the skin 14Section 3: The musculoskeletal system 14The human skeleton 14Bone 14Joints 15Muscular tissue 16Section 4: The nervous system 17Structure and function of the nervous system 17The central nervous system 19The autonomic nervous system 22Sensations 23Somatic senses 23Pain 23Section 5: The special senses 24The eye 24The ear 26Section 6: The endocrine system 28Hormones 28Negative and positive feedback mechanisms 28Section 7: The respiratory system 28The mechanism of breathing 31The transport of oxygen 32The transport of carbon dioxide 33Section 8: The cardiovascular system 33The blood 33The heart 34Blood vessels: arteries, capillaries and veins 37Section 9: The lymphatic and immune system 38Components 38Functions 38Section 10: The digestive system 40Functions 40Organs of the digestive system and their location 40Section 11: The urinary system 43The kidney and its functions 44Section 12: The reproductive system 46Female reproductive system 47The male reproductive organs 492 Nursing assessment and care planning (J. Aldridge, A. Eshun and C. Meurier) 52Introduction 52Nursing assessment and the nursing process 53Advantages of using a conceptual model in assessment 71Key issues and developments 723 Concepts of health, illness and holism (C. Meurier) 76Introduction 76Being ‘healthy’ 77Health beliefs and health behaviour 80Illness, sickness and disease 82Seeing the person as a whole 84Assessment 874 Factors to consider when assessing patients (A. Crouch, G. Rumbold, M. Thompson and W. Turner) 95Section 1: Introduction 95Ethical aspects of assessment 95Respect for persons – definition 96Privacy 98Confidentiality 99Respect for dignity 101Truthfulness 102Section 2: The environment, health status, age and cognitive ability of the patient, learning disability and health assessment 103Environment 104Health status of the patient 105The patient’s age 106Cognitive development and ability 108The assessment of children 112Section 3: Gender and health assessment 114Trends and patterns of health and disease among men and women 115Health issues and dilemmas for men and women 116A health assessment approach: some practical aspects to consider 1185 Communication skills for holistic health assessment (A. Crouch) 128Introduction 128Definition and classification 129Factors that facilitate effective communication 131Skills needed during holistic health assessment 132Barriers to communication during holistic assessment 138Record keeping 1446 Physical assessment (C. Meurier, J. Brown and A. Crouch) 148Section 1: Introduction 148The purpose of physical assessment 150Approach to physical assessment 150Preparation for physical assessment 150Techniques of physical assessment 151The general survey and vital signs 154Section 2: Physical assessment of the integumentary system 163The skin 164Assessment of nails 166Assessment of hair 167Section 3: Physical assessment of the respiratory system 168Taking a health history 168Physical examination 169Section 4: Physical assessment of the cardiovascular system 171Relevant health history 172Risk factors for coronary heart disease 175Physical examination 175Section 5: Physical assessment of the nervous system 178Relevant health history 178Examination 178Section 6: Physical assessment of the eyes, ears, nose and throat 187The eyes 187The ears 191The mouth, nose, sinuses and throat 192Section 7: Physical assessment of the digestive system 195Relevant health history 196Risk factors 196Physical assessment 197Section 8: Physical assessment of the urinary tract system 200Assessment of the urinary system 201Assessment of the prostate gland 204Section 9: Physical assessment of the musculoskeletal system 205The musculoskeletal system 205Assessment 206Section 10: Physical assessment of the female and male reproductive systems 210Examination of the breast 210Examination of the female genitalia 214Assessment of the male reproductive system 224Record keeping 2287 Assessment of nutritional status (M. Ingham and J. O’Reilly) 234Introduction 234Purpose of nutritional assessment 235Components of food 235Nutritional requirements 245Dietary guidelines 246Assessing nutritional status 246Dietary assessment 257Nutritional interventions 2598 Social assessment in healthcare (S. O’Brien) 264Introduction 264The purpose of social assessment 265Health policy: assessing social needs 266Nursing models, social influences and assessment 267Nursing and interprofessional approaches to social assessment 268The social assessment/analysis framework 271The levels of social assessment 2849 Psychological assessment (J. H. Parkes) 288Introduction 288What is psychological health? 289Why conduct a psychological assessment? 290What to assess 291How to conduct the psychological assessment 299Nurses’ role in assessment 299The assessment process 300Accurate reporting and documentation 30710 Cultural and spiritual health assessment (S. Allen and A. Crouch) 311Cultural health assessment 311Spirituality and spiritual needs 318Glossary 331Index 339