NUR2115_Exam_2_Study_Guide.docx.pdf

The nursing process consists of 5 steps. 1. Assessment if the first step. Data is collected during this step so that the rest of the nursing process may be efficiently carried out.  Nursing assessments focus on the patient’s responses to health problems, not the data based from the patient’s diagnosis.  Initial Assessment – preformed by the nurse shortly after the patient is admitted to a facility. This assessment typically follows the guidelines set by the standards of the facility and establishes a baseline database for the patient. Allows the nurse to gather health data and identify health problems to set priorities for further focused assessments.  Focused Assessment – Nurse gathers data about a problem that has already been identified.  What are your signs and symptoms?  When did they first start?  What makes it better/worse?  Emergency Assessment – Done when a psychological or physiological crisis occurs to identify what life-threatening problems are occurring.  Time-Lapsed Assessment - This is a scheduled assessment to compare a patient’s current condition with their baseline condition. Most residents in long-term health care have time-lapsed assessments scheduled periodically.  Priorities to set during assessment include health orientation, developmental stage, culture and the patients need for nursing.  Always validate assessment data before using it for diagnosing.