BSN Health Assessment Exam 1 Study Guide

Health Assessment Exam 1 Study Guide What is evidence based practice? - A systematic approach to practice that uses the best evidence, the clinician's experience, and the patient's preferences and values to make decisions about care and treatment. What is subjective information? Give examples. - What the patient (subject) tells you. Examples: "I have a stomachache." "I threw up twice yesterday." Reports of pain are also subjective. What is objective information? Give examples. - Information you obtain as a provider. Can be information from a physical assessment or from lab or diagnostic testing .Examples, taking a blood pressure, temperature, WBCs 18,000; X ray results. Define acute illness and give examples. - An acute illness is an illness that onsets very rapidly and is of short duration. Examples: Stomach flu; appendicititis Define chronic illness and give examples? - A chronic illness is a disease that has manifested over a long period of time. Examples are Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease. What is a talisman? What cultures might use this? - An object believed to contain certain magical or sacramental properties which bring about good luck or good fortune. Talismans are used among Asian, Native American and sometimes Hispanic cultures. If a patient has a Talisman, the nurse should make all attempts to let the patient keep it with them, if it is safe to do so. What is a cultural taboo? Give examples. - Practices to be avoided, typically thought to be "bad" according to a person's religious beliefs. Examples include: administration of blood in a Jehovah's witness, medication containing caffeine, and pork. What is spirituality? - Each person's unique life experience and his or her personal effort to purpose and meaning in life. What is religion? - "Belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed and worshiped as the creator or ruler of the universe." Patients can have both religion and spirituality, one but not the other, or none. What are best practices for communicating with a patient that does not speak English? - The best practices for communicating with a patient that does not speak English require a trained interpreter for full communication. American Sign Language (ASL) is also a form of communication, other than English, that requires a trained interpreter. What is acute pain? - Short term and self limiting, often resolves after injury healed. For example, lower back upon standing or shoulder pain when arms are raised. Also, pain prior to surgery (appendicitis). What is chronic pain? - Pain is diagnosed when the pain continues for 6 months or longer. Can be malignant (cancer related) or nonmalignant (arthritis fibromyalgia). What is visceral pain? - Originates from large internal organs, such as the kidney, stomach, intestines, gallbladder, and pancreas. Because organs do not contain nerve fibers, organ pain is usually referred. Example is heart ischemia is experienced as left arm or jaw pain. What is nerve pain? Give examples. - Also called neuralgia, can be caused by injury, inflammation, compression, and numerous diseases, including arthritis and fibromyalgia. How should we assess pain in an adult? In a child? - 0-10 scale is used for Adults. Wong Baker faces pain scale for children at least 4 years old, and depends on behavioral and physiologic cues. How should we assess or treat pain in an elderly patient? - Pain in the elderly should not be ignored and should be treated. Pain is not a normal part of aging. Temperature readings in an older adult are what? - Temperature readings are typically 2 degrees lower in an older adult than in a middle aged person. The nurse should be aware of this and know that a reading that is otherwise "normal," like 98.6, would actually be considered a low grade fever in an older adult. Tripod positioning in a patient indicates what? - Tripod positioning is indicative of respiratory difficulty. Culture is learned how? - Learned from birth through language acquisition and socialization. What is the basic belief of Western Medicine? - Biomedical based on germ theory. What is the basic belief of Eastern Medicine? - Naturalistic or Holistic What is yin and yang, as a theory for treating illness? - It is a basis for Eastern or Chinese medicine and commonly embraced by many Asian Americans. Yin foods are cold, and yang foods are hot. Cold foods are eaten with a hot illness, and hot foods are eaten with cold illness. What is the best wa