Patient assessment

One of the most important things a hospital employee does is patient assessment. Part of the patient assessment is educating patients about what is going on. You start off by telling the patients about what is going on. You start off by telling the patient about the exam they are about to get. Then you let them know the possible risks and side effects as well as pre and post procedure instructions. Then you get the patient’s history relevant to the procedure about to take place. Finally, you ask if they have any questions and answer them as best as you can. Doing these things will not only make your patient aware of what is going on but will also protect you if something were to happen during the exam. While talking to patients it is important that you use proper verbals and non-verbals. You don’t want to yell at your patient but you do want to speak at a level they can hear and you don’t want to speak too fast to be understood. Another importance of speech is to not speak to the patient like they’re stupid but also not like they have been through medical school. Speak on a level they understand. As far as non-verbals go, make sure to make them feel comfortable by making eye contact and smiling. Tending to the patients needs this way will not only make the patient less nervous but will also make them more likely to work with you. Before taking a patient anywhere to do an exam, make sure they are able to move properly. Also, make sure they are of stable mental status. The final thing that must be assessed the level of consciousness. Don’t forget to look at what the patient is hooked up to or special precautions on their door. This again, is to protect your safety as well as the patient’s safety. One easy way to check these things is the patient’s chart. If the patient’s skin turns blue, usually in nail beds or mucous membranes, this indicates a lack of oxygen. If they are pale or clammy that is an indication of low blood pressure. If this happens, get the nurse or a physician and never leave the patient alone. If their temperature is hot and they are dry this indicates fever. If the patient is breathing rapidly they may require oxygen. These are some of the reasons it is important to know how to take vitals. A normal temperature taken orally is 98.6 for and adult and one degree lower five to thirteen years of age. Normal respiration is twelve to twenty breaths per minute for adults and twenty-one to thirty breaths for children. A normal resting pulse per minute is seventy to seventy-two for men, seventy-eight to eighty-two for women, ninety to one-hundred for children and one-hundred-twenty for infants. A normal blood pressure for patients is 100-140/60-90. Shock is when blood pressure is 30mm below baseline systolic. There are five types of shock, hypovolemic, septic, neurologic, cardiogenic, and anaphylaxis. If the patient is in shock lay them on their back, call for help check vitals, be ready for CPR, a record the occurrence.