Physical Nursing Assessment

Physical nursing assessment is a systematic and organized approach in the techniques which requires a trusted relationship between the patient and nurse. A trusted relationship between both nurse and the patient is required because it can reduce the stress experienced by the patient while examining him/her physically exposed. If the nurse explains the things that is to be done physically and the reason for the physical examination, then the patient naturally get relaxed and cooperate with the nurse for the examination. Even though physical assessment enables the nurse to identify the condition more accurately, the focus is more on the responses of the patient to actual problems.

Physical nursing assessment is the initial step of the process as it provides basic foundation for the care plan in which the observations of a nurse is important in the estimation, intervention as well as evaluation phases. Both subjective as well as objective findings are included in this assessment. Objective findings are taken from physical examination and subjective findings are taken from health history as well as reviews of body systems. Subjective findings are relevant only when the patient is affected and some of the examples for subjective data are worrying, itching and pain. Objective findings are the findings of the observer or tested according to the accepted standards. Some of the examples of objective data are discoloration of the skin, reading of blood pressure and emotional outburst of the patient like crying.

Physical nursing assessment is used to get both mental and physical data of the patient. This kind of assessment helps the nurse to diagnose the problem accurately and thereby possible to plan the patient care. It helps the health care professionals to solve the problems identified. In order to obtain a more accurate evaluation of the patient, the nurse has to establish a good rapport with the patient. It is essential to explain the procedure of physical examination to the patient well before performing the examination. The nurse should obtain the verbal consent of the patient for the physical assessment.

The physical data of the patient should be confidential and the nurse should choose a place where other people cannot see or overhear the patient. The nurse should inform the patient that who all will see the recorded data. Avoid circumstances of unnecessary exposure of the patient by ensuring privacy of the patient by closing the doors and by draping the body using clothes. Special instructions should be communicated with the patient. Physical nursing assessment is performed by using certain basic techniques such as inspection, palpation, auscultation and percussion. Inspection is performed by visual examination and palpation means examining the patient by touching the body of the patient. Listening to the sounds produced by the body is known as auscultation. Percussion means tapping the body of the patient with fingers.