GRAN CANYON UNIVERSITY reply another student – Description
EuniceThe physical assessment is critical for nurses to collect crucial information concerning a patient’s health condition. However, the physical assessment requires various strategies that depend on the patient’s age, understanding level, and many others. Hence, physical assessments for children and adults differ immensely. The physical assessment similarities of an adult and child entail recording comprehensive history, including the patient’s previous medical conditions, allergies, medications, and family history. Also, the assessment for both ages entails assessing vital signs like heart rate, temperature, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. The nurse assesses cardiac, gastrointestinal, and lung sounds for both patients. There is also a pain scale assessment or both (Mahmoud, 2019).The difference is that adult physical assessment entails a head-to-toe approach, while it starts with the least threatening order for children. Besides, adults are the source of information why. For a child, information is from observation of a third party, either apartment or caregiver. The child is included in the assessment when old enough. Besides, since adults have more health history, a child assessment will be based on growth and development, like measuring head circumference, weight, and height, which may not be necessary for adult assessments. The child assessment also entails measuring motor skills and language development. The nurse uses different tools for child and adult pain assessment (McKinney et al., 2021).During physical assessment, a nurse applies various strategies for instructions and explanations. The nurse utilizes age-appropriate language, like demonstrations and visual aids to help the child understand instructions. The nurse also simplifies instructions into smaller steps to enhance cooperation and understanding. A nurse should create a rapport with the caregiver while incorporating it into the physical assessment, including allowing the child to touch the equipment to eradicate anxiety. Also, minimize appearing intimidating. A nurse can use distractions and toys or involve parents during the assessment to enhance compliance and make the child less anxious. Nurse adapts communication to suit a child’s communication needs. For instance, one child may respond well to something and a calm approach, while the other may respond well to playful and energetic interactions. There, it is critical to observe and adjust appropriately (Dersch-Mills, 2019).The strategies for engagement include establishing a safe and relaxed environment for the child through storytelling and play. Also, giving the child choices and control where possible is critical. For example, allowing a child to sit or stand during an assessment empowers that child and encourages comfort. A nurse should also validate the child’s feelings and offer emotional support, like reassuring the child that it is normal to feel scared and that the nurse has no harmful intent. Finally, involve the child’s parents or caregivers during the assessment process (Dersch-Mills, 2019).
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