NSD103- Health Assessment

This document contains:

Assessment requirements and background information. 

Detailed instructions for completing the task. 

A list of resources to assist you to complete the task. 

Criterion Reference Assessment (CRA) Rubric that markers use to grade the assessment task.

Learning outcomes measured:

1. Conduct a health assessment using a range of data collection methods and accurately document these findings. 

2. Apply professional communication skills in line with culturally safe practice to undertake effective health assessments. 

3. Apply critical thinking and reflection skills to analyse health assessment practice. 

Learning outcomes 

At the end of this chapter you will be able to:

1 Describe the general approach to assessment observations undertaken for all patients.

2 Discuss factors affecting respiratory rate and heart rate.

3 Describe the characteristics that are included in an assessment of the pulse.

4 Discuss factors influencing body temperature.

5 Describe factors influencing blood pressure and blood pressure measurement.

6 Discuss pulse oximetry assessment.

7 Obtain a patient’s vital signs.

8 Conduct an assessment on a patient experiencing pain

9 Identify legal and ethical considerations for the health assessment and physical examination.

10 Identify the components of the complete health assessment and physical examination.

11 Conduct a comprehensive health assessment and physical examination on a patient.

12  Conduct a focused health assessment and physical examination on a patient.

13 Document a complete health assessment and physical examination.

Task description:

The purpose of this activity or experience is for you to observe how people interact. Then you will critically analyse what you have observed to provide a health assessment for two people of different ages. This assessment will demonstrate how effectively observation can be used to identify clients’ issues needs or concerns without having the benefit of verbal interaction during interview. 

You will be required to observe the prescribed videos of real life interactions between a child and their carer or an adult, an older person and their carer, or two adults.  

Your task is to observe and reflect on how the people interacted, the non-verbal communication between all  four people and assess the general health status of two people. Consider important differences developmentally, in non-verbal communication techniques, physical and psychological presence during the interactions. 

2.Respond to the three task instructions below, ensure you address each part of the task. Draw from the literature to support your discussion and refer to those sources to demonstrate your literary knowledge. Literary sources may be from your prescribed texts and any other quality reference material in peer reviewed journals or web sites from professional bodies.   

2. 1 Describe the non-verbal communication techniques and processes that you observed between each member of the 2 groups. This could include factors such as personal space, attention/distraction, body language and/or facial expression, use of positioning and mirroring. 

2.2 Select a significant person from each interaction. (i.e. one from each group), for example the child, the older person.   Using the General Survey on p. 815 and p. 137-142 in the prescribed text  (Estes et al., 2016) as a guide, assess the general health status of each significant person’s physical and psychological presence and note any distress and or pain observed.  

2.3 Using the STARL reflective model reflect on the learning that you have gained from this observational task.  Identify and use each step of the STARL model to demonstrate the reflective process accurately and productively to identify at least 4 factors and / or skills for further learning. Explain how these skills / factors will be of benefit to your future practice.