Health Assessment

Health assessment is central to effective planning, implementation
and evaluation of nursing care. All nurses are accountable for the
care they provide and need to be able to accurately determine
patient needs in order to plan and deliver evidence-based care.
Vital notes for nurses: Health assessment provides students
with the knowledge required to consider the many different factors
which can influence patient's health, comfort, well-being and
recovery and to confidently assess patient needs.

Vital notes for nurses: Health assessment explores
concepts of holism, health and illness, factors to consider when
assessing patients, communication skills needed for assessment, and
all aspects of holistic assessment including physical,
psychological, social, cultural and spiritual factors and
nutritional needs.

• Provides a concise, accessible introduction to health
  assessment

• Includes physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual
  health assessment

• Explores essential concepts in assessment and care planning

• Within the Vital Notes for Nurses series

• Adopts a holistic approach

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

Zusammenfassung
Health assessment is central to effective planning, implementation and evaluation of nursing care. All nurses are accountable for the care they provide and need to be able to accurately determine patient needs in order to plan and deliver evidence-based care. Vital notes for nurses: Health assessment provides students with the knowledge required to consider the many different factors which can influence patient's health, comfort, well-being and recovery and to confidently assess patient needs. Vital notes for nurses: Health assessment explores concepts of holism, health and illness, factors to consider when assessing patients, communication skills needed for assessment, and all aspects of holistic assessment including physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual factors and nutritional needs.

• Provides a concise, accessible introduction to health assessment
  
  • Includes physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual health assessment
  • Explores essential concepts in assessment and care planning
  • Within the Vital Notes for Nurses series
  • Adopts a holistic approach

Inhalt

Preface xi

Acknowledgements xii

Dedication xiv

List of contributors xv

1 The human body (C. Meurier) 1

Section 1: Introduction 1

Anatomical terms 2

Levels of organisation of the body 4

Hierarchy of functions 5

The basic structure of cells 5

Homeostasis 8

Organ systems 11

Section 2: The integumentary system 11

Structure of the skin 12

Thermoregulation and the skin 14

Section 3: The musculoskeletal system 14

The human skeleton 14

Bone 14

Joints 15

Muscular tissue 16

Section 4: The nervous system 17

Structure and function of the nervous system 17

The central nervous system 19

The autonomic nervous system 22

Sensations 23

Somatic senses 23

Pain 23

Section 5: The special senses 24

The eye 24

The ear 26

Section 6: The endocrine system 28

Hormones 28

Negative and positive feedback mechanisms 28

Section 7: The respiratory system 28

The mechanism of breathing 31

The transport of oxygen 32

The transport of carbon dioxide 33

Section 8: The cardiovascular system 33

The blood 33

The heart 34

Blood vessels: arteries, capillaries and veins 37

Section 9: The lymphatic and immune system 38

Components 38

Functions 38

Section 10: The digestive system 40

Functions 40

Organs of the digestive system and their location 40

Section 11: The urinary system 43

The kidney and its functions 44

Section 12: The reproductive system 46

Female reproductive system 47

The male reproductive organs 49

2 Nursing assessment and care planning (J. Aldridge, A. Eshun and C. Meurier) 52

Introduction 52

Nursing assessment and the nursing process 53

Advantages of using a conceptual model in assessment 71

Key issues and developments 72

3 Concepts of health, illness and holism (C. Meurier) 76

Introduction 76

Being 'healthy' 77

Health beliefs and health behaviour 80

Illness, sickness and disease 82

Seeing the person as a whole 84

Assessment 87

4 Factors to consider when assessing patients (A. Crouch, G. Rumbold, M. Thompson and W. Turner) 95

Section 1: Introduction 95

Ethical aspects of assessment 95

Respect for persons definition 96

Privacy 98

Confidentiality 99

Respect for dignity 101

Truthfulness 102

Section 2: The environment, health status, age and cognitive ability of the patient, learning disability and health assessment 103

Environment 104

Health status of the patient 105

The patient's age 106

Cognitive development and ability 108

The assessment of children 112

Section 3: Gender and health assessment 114

Trends and patterns of health and disease among men and women 115

Health issues and dilemmas for men and women 116

A health assessment approach: some practical aspects to consider 118

5 Communication skills for holistic health assessment (A. Crouch) 128

Introduction 128

Definition and classification 129

Factors that facilitate effective communication 131

Skills needed during holistic health assessment 132

Barriers to communication during holistic assessment 138

Record keeping 144 **6 Physical asse...