©BRIGHTSTARS EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/14/2024 12:19 PM
Head-To-Toe Assessment Exam Study Guide.
Objectives - answer✔•Differentiate between a head to toe (complete) assessment, system
assessment, and focused assessment
•Demonstrate a holistic system assessment of an adult with no significant health issue
•Integrate the health assessment to the various phases of the nursing process
Health Assessment - answer✔Health history
Subjective data
Physical examination
Documenting your findings immediately after
Analysis of data
the Nursing Process - answer✔Assessment
Nursing Diagnosis
Planning
Intervention
Evaluation
Preparing for the Assessment/Interview - answer✔•Clinical Setting
•Consider who your patient is
•Techniques of communication
Barriers to Assessment/Interview - answer✔- race/culture
- time
-psychological/ emotional state
- illness
1|Page
, ©BRIGHTSTARS EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/14/2024 12:19 PM
- speech/ language ability
- mental state
- medication effects
Type of Health Assessment - answer✔1.Comprehensive (complete) Assessment: Broad and
Wide-ranging
- Performed during patient's initial outpatient visit or hospital admission
2.Focused Assessment: Health issues & conditions
3.Emergency/Acute
•Amount of information for all 3 types depends on:
•Patient's needs
•Purpose of data collection
•Health care setting
Emergency health assessment - answer✔- carried out in life threatening situations
- follows the ABCD
A: airway
B: breathing
C: circulation
D: disability
- assessments and interventions are carried out at the same time
Comprehensive health assessment - answer✔- includes complete health history (subjective)
and physical exam (objective)
- may be done in various settings
- generally done as part of inpatient admissions
- the physical exam follows a head to toe pattern but may include only certain body parts/
systems
2|Page
11/14/2024 12:19 PM
Head-To-Toe Assessment Exam Study Guide.
Objectives - answer✔•Differentiate between a head to toe (complete) assessment, system
assessment, and focused assessment
•Demonstrate a holistic system assessment of an adult with no significant health issue
•Integrate the health assessment to the various phases of the nursing process
Health Assessment - answer✔Health history
Subjective data
Physical examination
Documenting your findings immediately after
Analysis of data
the Nursing Process - answer✔Assessment
Nursing Diagnosis
Planning
Intervention
Evaluation
Preparing for the Assessment/Interview - answer✔•Clinical Setting
•Consider who your patient is
•Techniques of communication
Barriers to Assessment/Interview - answer✔- race/culture
- time
-psychological/ emotional state
- illness
1|Page
, ©BRIGHTSTARS EXAM SOLUTIONS
11/14/2024 12:19 PM
- speech/ language ability
- mental state
- medication effects
Type of Health Assessment - answer✔1.Comprehensive (complete) Assessment: Broad and
Wide-ranging
- Performed during patient's initial outpatient visit or hospital admission
2.Focused Assessment: Health issues & conditions
3.Emergency/Acute
•Amount of information for all 3 types depends on:
•Patient's needs
•Purpose of data collection
•Health care setting
Emergency health assessment - answer✔- carried out in life threatening situations
- follows the ABCD
A: airway
B: breathing
C: circulation
D: disability
- assessments and interventions are carried out at the same time
Comprehensive health assessment - answer✔- includes complete health history (subjective)
and physical exam (objective)
- may be done in various settings
- generally done as part of inpatient admissions
- the physical exam follows a head to toe pattern but may include only certain body parts/
systems
2|Page
