Another way to put the patient at ease during moments like this is for the nurse to be absolutely certain that she is not showing any signs of being judgmental. If this happens, it could throw the patient off guard and create an uncomfortable situation where the patient no longer feels comfortable being honest with the nurse. Once this happens, the nurse will have an inaccurate patient history and the patient runs the risk of not being treated properly for the underlying symptoms.
In order for the history to be as accurate as possible, the nurse should ask questions regarding several issues that may affect the patient's health. The patient's past medical history is vitally important to the process because it can serve as a guide to what has worked in the past and what treatments are ineffective. The patient's mental health is also important. This will give the nurse any indications if the patient is not mentally stable. The state of mental health of the patient is important since it is now a known fact that a positive mental outlook does play a role in medical recovery (45).
The nurse should always ask the person about any medication he is taking. This includes prescription medication as well as over the counter. This is important in order to prevent any type of drug interactions. The patient's family history as well as social history is also important. The family history is important because many illnesses and diseases are genetic and passed down from generation to generation. The nurse needs...
Patient History The patient's medical history involved a resected colorectal carcinoma at the age of 60, with no evidence of metastatic disease. Liver function was normal at the time of surgery. Three years later, the female patient was found to have serum bilirubin levels of 20 ?mol/L. The serum levels for aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were 23 U/L and 820 U/L, respectively. Interpretation of the Laboratory Tests High serum levels
Patient histories can often provide a great deal of information about their condition and what the underlying causes may be. As such, taking an accurate patient history can be one of the most important aspects of a patient's visit to a medical facility. There are a number of factors that are important with respect to taking a patient's history, and they include one's ability to gain accurate information, one's
Health History This health history involves the health needs and characteristics of a 23-year-old Caucasian male. Reason for Care The reason this patient is seeking care is multi-fold. He bears all the signs of an intravenous drug user and has an infection in his arm, clearly from injecting substances into his body with unclean needles or in unsanitary manners. The patient demonstrates an extreme shortness of breath, dry mouth, constricted pupils and
Digestive Disorder: Diverticulitis Patient history The patient is a 37-year-old female with a family history of colorectal cancer mandating regular colonoscopies before the age of 40. The patient's diverticulosis was discovered during a routine colonoscopy at age 35. She was asymptomatic for 2 years, but developed diverticulitis at age 37. When she began experiencing significant pain her lower left abdominal area, she suspected diverticulitis, called her gastroenterologist who referred her to the
Patient Handoffs Majority of the medical errors take place in the patient's handoffs. A shift among the doctors is a common practice. There are a number of old patients who approach around 16 different doctors in a year, while young patients who are healthy refer to normal physicians and to specialists as well (Philibert, 2008). In a hospital normally, less attention is given to the patient by his primary doctor, while
Patient's History The expanding roles that nurses play in the healthcare field include taking the health history of patients. There are many important components to the task of taking patient histories, and this paper reviews those important aspects and components that are published in the Nursing Standard article by Lloyd H. Craig. Craig says taking the history of patients is "…arguably the most important aspect of patient assessment" (Craig, 2007, p.
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