NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class

NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class

NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class

Introducing Tina Jones to your Class (Health Assessment)

Here at Shadow Health, we offer assistance for instructors and students. However, we have found the biggest factor that affects the success of courses is you. Our goal is to set you up for success, particular at the pivotal moment of introducing your class to this new technology.

The following resource is meant as a best practice for introducing your class to Tina Jones and for previewing each week’s assignment in Shadow Health.

Table of Contents

  

1. First Day of Class Presentation – Introduction to Tina Jones

 

1. Weekly Assignment Introductions
   1. Health History
   2. HEENT
   3. Respiratory
   4. Cardiovascular
   5. Abdominal
   6. Musculoskeletal
   7. Neurological
   8. Skin, Hair, and Nails
   9. Focused Exam: Cough
   10. Focused Exam: Chest Pain
   11. Focused Exam: Abdominal Pain
   12. Comprehensive Assessment

First Day of Class Presentation – Introduction to Tina Jones

The following resource is meant as a best practice for introducing your class to Tina Jones on the first day of class. Our best practice is to load an assignment with Tina Jones so that you can demonstrate the ease of interaction with her and our other virtual patients.

We have supplementary materials to help give your students on overview of Shadow Health. Here is a video of an instructor modeling and explaining best practices on how to introduce Shadow Health to students, https://youtu.be/Vs0F3huCMc0?t=43m26s. You can download her PowerPoint slides and other resources by visiting this link, http://frc.shadowhealth.com/spring-2016-updates-webinar-fantastic-first-day-workshop/.

We will cover in-depth the following steps for conducting this presentation:

• Sign into your Shadow Health instructor account
• Select an assignment to try as a student
• Download the Unity Web Player
• Model virtual patient communication strategies
  1. Greeting your patient
  2. Asking open ended questions – reason for visit
  3. Providing clarification
  4. Asking specific questions and providing context – ER medication
  5. Asking additional open-ended questions – current status and medical history
  6. Providing patient empathy
  7. Asking specific questions – past medical history
  8. Providing patient education

 

1. Sign into your Shadow Health instructor account

You will need to be signed into your Shadow Health instructor account in order to load an assignment in class.

If you have not yet activated your instructor account, please look in your email for a message from [email protected] titled “Activate your account”. If you do not see this email, please contact us at mailto:[email protected].

You can sign into your activated account by visiting http://app.shadowhealth.com/. Your credentials are your institution email address and the password you set when you activated your account.

If you don’t remember your password, that’s just fine – just click the “Forgot your password link”.

NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class

 

2. Select an assignment to try as a student

When you sign into your Shadow Health account, you’ll be brought to the “My Courses” page.

Click the name of your course, and you’ll be brought to its “Course Overview” page. Here, you can see the list of assignments in your course.

Then, click the name of the assignment that you want to load in class. We recommend using the Health History assignment for this introduction.

Click the teal “Try as student” button to load the assignment.

3. Download the Unity Web Player

You may be prompted to install the Unity Web Player. This is a small, web-based plugin that allows you and your students to manipulate the 3D environment in which our virtual patients live. It is a free download.

If you do not already have the Unity Web Player installed on your campus computer, we recommend doing this before your class session. It is not uncommon that administrator permission is needed to download a web plugin on classroom computers.

4.) Model virtual patient communication strategies

On the next page is an example transcript that you can follow when you are introducing Tina Jones to your class. We recommend having the Health History assignment open on your computer, and using the communication box to re-enact this example transcript live with your students. You can use the communication box (pictured below) to ask questions as well as make educational and empathetic statements.

This icon represents you in our transcript. You will see the question or statement you can type to Tina Jones directly to the right of this icon.

This icon represents Tina Jones in our transcript. You will see her responses to questions or statements directly to the right of this icon.

Below each segment of the transcript, we’ve added important rationale text that you can share with your students to reinforce key concepts of communicating with virtual patients.

NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class

1. Greeting your patient

Rationale: “I wanted to introduce you to Tina Jones.  She can be found in Shadow Health’s Undergraduate Health Assessment program, and will be your simulated patient for the course of the next semester.  She is a patient admitted to the hospital who is here to help you hone your subjective and objective assessment skills.  She will talk to you and answer your questions, and also allow you to assess her.  She will never rush you, and she will never judge you or the questions you are asking, so feel free to take your time and don’t be afraid about asking as many questions as you want to.”

Notes:

1. Asking open ended questions – reason for visit

Rationale: “You’re going to want to ask Tina some open ended questions, just like you would when you are first admitting any patient to the hospital.  This will allow you to get her impression of what is going on.  ‘Can you tell me what brought you to the hospital’ is usually a good place to start.”

Notes:

 

1. Providing clarification

Rationale: “Tina is telling us she’s in pain – and as you can see, she didn’t understand the first question I asked, so this box came up asking for a clarification of what I was trying to say.  Tina can answer many questions, but sometimes she will need clarification.”

Notes:

 

1. Asking specific questions and providing context – ER medication

Rationale: “You’re going to want to ask Tina follow up questions about her pain like what was she given, quality of the pain, etc.  Be specific with her.  As an example, in this question, instead of asking ‘do you know what they gave you in the ER’, ask, ‘do you know what medication they gave you’.  You may be able to ask a human being “what did they give you”, but when talking to Tina, you need to be more specific and provide context.”

 

Notes: 

 

1. Asking additional open-ended questions – current status and medical history

Rationale: “These are more examples of open ended questions to get the patient talking to you, telling you how she’s feeling and a little bit more about her history.  You can use these open ended questions to get general information, and take what you have learned from the patient’s response and ask more pointed, specific questions from there.”

Notes:

 

1. Providing patient empathy

Rationale: “You are going to ask Tina questions, but you are also going to have a chance to empathize with and educate Tina.  In the response to our previous question, Tina answers, but then she expresses that she is in terrible pain. So by saying ‘I’m sorry, I know it is hard to think of anything else when you’re in pain’, you are empathizing with the patient and letting her know that you hear her concerns.  In order to provide empathy, you are going to want to click on the ‘empathize’ button and type your response there.”

 

Notes:

 

1. Asking specific questions – past medical history

Rationale: “Again, you are going to want to ask specific questions about Tina’s past medical history and how she manages it.  It will become clear to you that Tina will need more education on this topic.”

 

Notes:

 

1. Providing patient education

Rationale: “You will be able to provide education to Tina by clicking the ‘educate’ button.  You can say something like, ‘It is incredibly important to check your blood sugar regularly in order to keep yourself healthy’, or some other educational statement to encourage Tina to take more of an interest in managing her condition.  In this case, since we are just meeting Tina and this is her health history, I will choose to say something more general, and be more specific with her in the following assessments.”

 

Notes:

Weekly Assignment Introductions

The following information is a resource for introducing students to each week’s assignment. For each assignment, you’ll see pertinent clinical information and example questions that you can review with your students.

For more information about an assignment in Shadow Health, we recommend reviewing the assignment’s Answer Key. The Answer Key for each assignment contains that assignment’s objectives, instructions, model documentation, exam findings, and post-exam activities. Here is an article from the Faculty Resource Center on how to retrieve the Answer Key for each assignment: http://frc.shadowhealth.com/how-to-find-answer-keys-for-shadow-health-assignments/

Click the name of the assignment below to review its introduction:

1. Health History
2. HEENT
3. Respiratory
4. Cardiovascular
5. Abdominal
6. Musculoskeletal
7. Neurological
8. Skin, Hair, and Nails
9. Focused Exam: Cough
10. Focused Exam: Chest Pain
11. Focused Exam: Abdominal Pain
12. Comprehensive Assessment

NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class

Health History

Pertinent Clinical Information:

 “Tina Jones is a 28 year old African American female who has been admitted to Shadow General Hospital after a fall at home 2 weeks ago.  In the fall, she scraped her right foot.  She is seeking medical care because that scrape has become infected and is painful.  She has a history of asthma and type 2 diabetes.

This week you will meet Tina and complete a comprehensive review of systems on her.  I hope you will enjoy talking with and getting to know her.  When taking a health history, whether practicing on Tina or talking with one of your patients in a clinical setting, it is important to be able to identify both pertinent positive and negative findings quickly in order to provide optimal care and create your plan of care for your patients.  You will use these skills every day, and we will continue to hone and refine your skill set throughout the semester.”

 

Notes:

 

 

Example Question	Tina’s Response
What brings you in today?	I got this scrape on my foot a while ago, and it got really infected. It’s killing me.
Which foot did you scrape?	My right foot.
Do you have any medical conditions?	Yeah…I have asthma and diabetes.
What type of diabetes do you have?	It’s Type 2.
What do you do to manage your diabetes?	I just watch what I eat and try to stay away from sweets.
Do you have any medical issues in your family?	My mom has some issues, and I think some of my grandparents did, too.

Below are example Health History questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

 

Notes:

HEENT

Pertinent Clinical Information:

 “Tina has a couple different things to pick up on during the HEENT exam.  First, she has some complaints of worsening vision over the last few years.  Vision 20/20 in left eye, 20/40 in right eye.  Mild retinopathic changes in the right eye.  Acanthosis nigricans noted on neck.

You will be performing an assessment of the Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat (HEENT) on Tina as well as an assessment of her skin.  These assessments are each in their own respect an important piece of the entire picture.  By performing a thorough HEENT assessment you can detect things like strokes (uneven smile), cranial nerve damage (asymmetry, as seen in bell’s palsy), and hearing loss.”

 

Notes:

 

Below are example HEENT questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

 

Example Question	Tina’s Response
Have you noticed any recent vision changes?	Um, it’s probably gotten a little worse in the past few years.
Have you noticed any blurry vision?	It definitely gets blurry or kind of fuzzy when I read. But that’s the only time I notice that.

 

Notes:

Respiratory

Pertinent Clinical Information:

 “Tina reports asthma and inhaler use, difficulty breathing around cats resolved with inhaler use. Expiratory wheezing, prolonged expiration (LLL, RLL, LML, RML).  Muffled voice sounds throughout.  No current respiratory distress.

The lungs work in conjunction with the heart to oxygenate the blood, and then circulate that blood through our bodies, thereby keeping us alive.  There are many different types of respiratory sounds that you will need to familiarize yourself with – consolidation, wheezing, and decreased breath sounds are among some of the most frequently seen in clinical practice.”

 

Notes:

Below are example Respiratory questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

Example Question	Tina’s Response
Do you feel short of breath?	No, my breathing is fine right now.
Do you wheeze only when you have an asthma attack?	When I have a full on attack, I wheeze. But I usually use my inhaler before it gets that bad.
Are you wheezing now?	No.
Do you take anything for your asthma?	I just use my inhaler.
What is the name of your inhaler prescription?	It’s just a regular Proventil inhaler.
How often do you use the inhaler?	Not often. Maybe two or three times a week.
What is the dosage of your inhaler?	I usually use two puffs from my inhaler, but lately I sometimes need three. [Nurse confirmed with Pharmacy: albuterol 90mcg/spray MDI]
Does your inhaler effectively alleviate your symptoms?	Yeah, it usually helps. But lately I’ve been using maybe an extra puff – like 3 instead of 2.

 

Notes:

Cardiovascular

Pertinent Clinical Information:

 “In this assessment, you will find that Tina has decreased peripheral pulses and mild edema (+1) in her right foot.  She has no murmurs, gallops, or bruits.

The human heart is one of the most important and complex organs in our bodies.  There is a lot to learn in order to be able to assess it properly.  We cannot use our eyes for the assessment, so we need to rely heavily on our ears and hands to do the work.  It takes a lot of patience and practice to be proficient at differentiating between bruits, murmurs, gallops, and normal heart sounds.”

 

Notes:

Below are example Cardiovascular questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

Example Question	Tina’s Response
Does your foot tingle?	No, it’s not tingling. It just hurts!
Is there any swelling around the wound?	Yeah, it looks swollen around the scrape.
Is your foot throbbing?	Yeah, it’s kind of a throbbing pain, but it gets sharp and kind of shooting if I try and put weight on it.

 

Notes:

NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class

Abdominal

Pertinent Clinical Information:

“Tina has lost 10 pounds this month, is eating more, drinking more, and voiding more.  She discontinued taking her metformin on her own about 3 years ago.  Protruberant abdomen with striae and normal BS.

Abdominal pain can be a daunting complaint to hear from a patient in your primary care office or hospital setting.  The diagnosis can range from something as benign as constipation, to something as acutely serious as pancreatitis or appendicitis.  It is important to understand the anatomy and physiology of both normal function and pathologic conditions of the abdomen to enable you to logically rule in or rule out specific conditions on your list of differential diagnoses.”

 

Notes:

 

Below are example Abdominal questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

Example Question	Tina’s Response
When were you diagnosed with diabetes?	I was diagnosed when I was 24.
How are you managing your diabetes?	I try to stay active and avoid sugar, and that seems to be working well. I feel better now than when I was taking diabetes medication.
Other than avoiding sugar, do you follow a diabetic diet?	I really try not to worry about what I eat, other than watching my sugar and trying to make healthy choices.
Do you eat any sugary foods?	I try not to eat too many sugary foods because of my diabetes, but sometimes I’ll have a treat, like a chocolate bar.
Do you drink sugary drinks?	No. I drink a lot of soda, but only Diet Coke.
Have you been taking medication for your diabetes?	No, I don’t take anything for my diabetes anymore.
What are you supposed to be taking?	No one told me to stop taking it or anything, if that’s what you mean. I just stopped.
So what medication were you taking?	It was Metformin.

 

 

Below are additional example Abdominal questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

Example Question	Tina’s Response
When is the last time you took the metformin?	I haven’t taken it in about three years, honestly.
Why did you stop taking the metformin?	I just got sick of dealing with it!
Did the metformin cause any side effects?	The pills made me gassy and sick all the time. It was really uncomfortable.
How often do you check your blood sugar?	I don’t check it very often, honestly. . . I think the last time was about a month ago.
What was your blood sugar at that time?	I don’t know the number — the ER nurse just said it was high. Honestly, I have trouble figuring out what the numbers mean.
Do you find that you’re often thirsty?	You know, I did notice lately that I’ve been really thirsty.
Do you drink a lot of water?	Yeah, I’ve been thirsty lately so I try to drink a ton of water.
Are you urinating frequently?	Yeah, but I’ve been drinking more water.

 

Notes:

Below are additional example Abdominal questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

Example Question	Tina’s Response
Do you get up at night to urinate?	Yeah, I definitely get up more than once during the night.
Have you had any recent changes in appetite?	Yeah, lately I’ve definitely been much hungrier than usual.
When did you notice the change in appetite?	I guess I started being starving all the time about a month ago. No matter how much I eat, I’m still hungry.
Have you noticed any recent changes in your weight?	Yeah, I’ve lost some weight recently.
How much weight have you lost?	It was about ten pounds in a little over a month, actually.
Was the weight loss intentional?	No, I’m not trying to lose weight, but I did lose a little recently without meaning to.

 

Notes:

Musculoskeletal

Pertinent Clinical Information:

“Tina’s right ankle: 1+ pitting edema, no masses, deformity, or discoloration.  2.5cm round wound noted on the ball of her foot.  Right leg is without swelling or deformity.  Right ankle is found to have limited range of motion and decreased strength.

The Musculoskeletal exam can be time consuming because it is a large system with a lot of different parts.  Back pain and neck pain are some of the most common presenting complaints no matter what setting you work in – whether you are a nurse in the hospital or a primary care office.  Discussing functional limitations, symptoms, past or recent injuries as well as using your eyes and hands to do you a physical assessment will give you a nice picture of your patient’s motor function.”

 

Notes:

Below are example Musculoskeletal questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

Example Question	Tina’s Response
Are you able to walk without any problem?	No, I can’t. I can’t put any weight on it without like, shooting pain
Are you able to work?	I worked most of the week, but two days ago, I had to call in because I couldn’t really get around on my foot.
Are you able to reposition yourself in the bed?	I can sit up and everything, but I’d definitely need some help to stand up or walk since my foot is still hurting so bad.
Do you have any joint pain?	No, I don’t usually have issues with joints—it’s just my ankle.
Do you have any joint stiffness?	My ankle’s still kind of stiff from spraining it, but that’s all.

 

Notes:

Neurological

Pertinent Clinical Information:

“Tina is alert and oriented x3, memory is good, denies numbness, tingling, recent mood changes, or history of depression or mental illness.  On exam it is uncovered that Tina does have decreased sensation in both her left and right foot.  Neuropathy like this is often seen in diabetic patients – especially in the extremities.

A thorough neurologic exam in order to use it as a screening tool or an investigative tool, and can tell you a great deal about your patient’s brain.  You will look at sensory and motor responses, reflexes, and talk with them to determine their memory and orientation to time, place, and day.  Putting all of the parts of your assessment together will give you a pretty clear picture of your patient’s neurologic health.”

 

Notes:

Below are example Neurological questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

Example Question	Tina’s Response
Have you noticed decreased feeling in your feet?	No, I don’t have trouble feeling my feet.
Do you have any numbness or tingling?	No, I don’t think so.
Have you noticed any changes in your mood?	No, I’m pretty even-keel.  I mean, I have good days and bad days like everybody, but nothing crazy.
Have you ever been depressed?	The closest I ever came to depression was after Dad died…I just felt sad all the time.
Do you have a family history of and mental illness?	No.  They’re crazy but nobody’s diagnosed with anything.

 

Notes:

Skin, Hair, and Nails

Pertinent Clinical Information:

“Tina has a 2.5 cm round wound on her right foot.  There is edema present, along with discharge.  The area is warm to the touch.

The skin is the largest organ in the body.  Performing a thorough assessment can tell us a lot about the patient’s general physical condition.  Cyanosis around the mouth or on the extremities can tell us about their oxygenation status, skin pallor can tell us a great deal about their hemoglobin level, and changes in nail thickness, splitting, discoloration, breaking, and separation from the nail bed may be a sign of a systemic condition.”

Notes:

Below are example Skin, Hair, and Nails questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Tina’s response.

Example Question	Tina’s Response
Where is the pain?	It mostly just hurts right on the bottom of my foot, where it’s scraped up.
Which foot is it?	My right foot.
Where is the wound?	It’s on the ball of my foot.
Is there any swelling around the wound?	Yeah, it looks swollen around the scrape.
Have you noticed any drainage coming out of the wound?	Yeah, there’s definitely pus.
Is there any redness around the wound?	Yeah, it’s red all around the scrape.
Does the area around your wound feel warm?	Yeah, it’s pretty warm.

 

Notes:

NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class 

Focused Exam: Cough

 Danny Rivera is an 8 year old boy who presents to the nurses office at his school with a cough.  He describes the cough as “gurgly and watery”.

Pertinent Positives/Negatives on Interview: He has been treating it with cough medicine his mother gives him.  It helps, but not for long periods of time.  The cough is worse at night and after activity.  It keeps him up at night.  He also reports a sore throat and frequent rhinorrhea.  Danny has had pneumonia within the last year, and he is overweight.  He has a history of frequent ear infections as a child.  His father smokes at home.

Pertinent Positives on Assessment:  Fatigued appearance.  Eyes are dull, pink conjunctiva.  No acute respiratory distress although his respiratory rate is increased, lungs are clear to auscultation, afebrile.  Rhinorrhea is present.  Boggy turbinate.  His throat appears red with visible cobblestoning in the back.  Mild tachycardia.

 

Notes:

Below are example Focused Exam: Cough questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Danny’s response.

Example Question	Danny’s Response
What brings you to the nurse’s office today?	My music teacher Mr. Hillman sent me here because he said I look sick. I have been coughing a lot. . . and I feel kinda tired.
When did your cough start?	I think the cough started two . . . No, it started three days ago.
How would you describe your cough?	My cough seems kind of gurgly and watery.
Does your cough produce mucus?	Is that the gross, slimy stuff? Yeah, I’ve been coughing some of that up. It’s clear.
How frequently are you coughing?	I just keep feeling like I have to cough every couple minutes or so. I think it gets worse at night.
What makes the cough worse?	My cough stays the same. I just felt tired during recess, so I went inside to use the classroom computer.
Does anything make your cough better?	The only thing that makes it a little better is the medicine my mom gave me.
What medications do you take?	My mom gave me some medicine this morning. . . that helped my cough a little. I don’t remember what it was called though, sorry.
Do you smoke?	No way! I know smoking is really bad–even for grown-ups. Papi smokes cigars sometimes. I don’t like how they smell.
Is your nose running?	My nose is always a little bit runny… but ever since I started coughing it’s been worse, I think.
What color is your snot?	You mean like when I blow my nose? It’s clear.
Is your throat sore?	It feels a little bit sore, yeah.
Do you have a history of breathing problems?	I breathe OK, but my nose is always kinda runny.

 

Recommendation:  The nurse recommends that someone comes to pick Danny up from school.  He should go home and rest and given cough medicine as needed.  He should see his primary care provider to rule out asthma.

Notes:

 

Focused Exam:  Chest Pain

Brian Foster is a 58 year old man who is 3 days post-operative after a successful prostatectomy due to benign prostatic hypertrophy.  He is complaining of 6/10 chest pain that began approximately 15 minutes ago.  He describes his pain is a “squeezing pressure” in his chest that is constant and increasing in severity.

Pertinent Positives/Negatives on Interview:  He denies that the pain radiates, but does report some pain in his left shoulder.  He is also reporting nausea, anxiety, and clamminess.  He denies emesis, shortness of breath, or palpitations.  He denies difficulty with urination or any problems with his surgical site.

Pertinent Positives on Assessment:  Elevated respiratory rate, evident distress, slight palor, diaphoretic, S4 present, occasional PVCs on monitor.

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Notes:

Below are example Focused Exam: Chest Pain questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Brian’s response.

Example Question	Brian’s Response
What brings you to the hospital today?	I was here for a prostatectomy, but now my chest is hurting…
Where does your chest hurt?	I feel it mostly in the middle of my chest, over my heart. There’s a little bit of pressure in my left shoulder but it’s the chest pain that’s really worrying me.
What does the pain feel like?	Well, it mostly feels like pressure. Like a heavy, squeezing pressure right in the middle of my chest.
When did you first notice this pain?	Only about fifteen minutes ago.
Have you ever felt pain like this before?	No, I’ve never felt this kind of sensation before.  It’s like a heavy pressure inside my chest. No, I’ve never felt this kind of sensation before.  It’s like a heavy pressure inside my chest.
Is the pain constant?	Yes, I guess it is. It hasn’t let up.
Have you been able to do anything to relieve the pain?	I didn’t take anything, the only relief I’ve gotten was when I sat down to rest for a few minutes.
How would you rate your current pain on a scale of 1 to 10?	I’d say maybe a…6? It’s just really uncomfortable…like there’s nothing I can do about it, and it feels like it is getting worse.
Does anything make the pain worse?	I really don’t know yet. It just started.
Are you feeling short of breath?	No, I can breathe just fine.
Are you having any abnormal heartbeats?	I don’t think so.  I haven’t noticed any.
Are you feeling more tired than usual?	I’m not more tired than normal.
Do you have any swelling?	I haven’t noticed any swelling
Do you feel nauseated?	I felt a little nauseous when I first noticed the chest pain, but I didn’t throw up or anything. Just a little queasy.
Are you sweaty?	No unusual sweating lately, though I do feel a little clammy right now.
Have you ever had a heart attack?	No.

 

Recommendation: Mr. Foster requires emergency intervention as per hospital guidelines.

 

Notes:

NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class 

Focused Exam:  Abdominal Pain

Esther Park is a 78 year old Korean American woman who presents to the Emergency Department with persistent, generalized abdominal pain she rates at a 6/10.  The reports that the pain started almost one week ago, and has gotten progressively worse.  The describes the pain as dull and crampy.

Pertinent Positives on Interview:  Decrease in appetite over the last week, an episode of mild diarrhea, then a lack of regular bowel movements since the diarrheal episode.  Low fiber diet.  History of abdominal surgery:  c section at 40 years old and a cholecystectomy at 42 years old.

Pertinent Positives on Assessment:  Asymmetrical appearance on the abdomen due to distention in the left lower quadrant, abdominal tenderness, scattered dullness upon percussion, upon palpation, a rope like mass consistent with fecal matter in the left lower quadrant.  Bowel sounds are normoactive in all quadrants.

 

Notes:

 

Below are example Focused Exam: Abdominal questions that you can review with your students. Next to each example question, you can find Esther’s response.

 

Example Question	Esther’s Response
What brings you to the hospital today?	I have pain in my belly. . . and I’m having some difficulty with going to the bathroom. My daughter was concerned.
What do you mean when you say you’ve had some difficulty going to the bathroom?	I haven’t. . . moved my bowels in several days, other than a digestive upset a few days ago.
When was your last bowel movement?	That was a few days ago. When I had a digestive upset. Diarrhea.
When did you have the diarrhea?	That must have been two. . . no, three days ago. It lasted for a day.
How long did the diarrhea last?	It came on all of a sudden and only lasted a day–a few bouts of it over the course of a day.
How many days did you have the diarrhea?	A few times, just for that one day. Three or four times. Something like that.
Have you ever been constipated?	I don’t usually have problems with this, but other than my. . . digestive upset. . . a few days ago, I haven’t. . . moved my bowels at all in five days.
When did your stomach pain start?	it all started. . . about five days ago. When I started having trouble going to the bathroom.
Has the stomach pain changed?	Well, the type of pain never changes. And it’s always in the same place. But it did get worse two or three days ago.
Is the pain in a specific spot?	It’s mostly in the lower part. Down in my lower belly.
How would you rate your current pain on a scale of 1 to 10?	Right now. . . 6 out of 10.
How would you describe your pain?	I’d say it’s crampy and. . . a dull, crampy feeling.
Is the pain constant?	Yes. Certain things can make it a tiny bit better or a tiny bit worse, I suppose. But it’s always there.
What relieves your pain?	When I rest and try not to move much, I feel better. But the pain is still there.
What makes your pain worse?	Moving around certainly doesn’t help. Neither does eating.

Recommendation:  A digital rectal exam, pelvic exam, and urinalysis.  Increase fluids, increase fiber in her diet, increase exercise.  Monitor closely.

 

Notes:

 

NR 509 -Introducing Tina Jones Health Assessment to your Class

Comprehensive Assessment

Tina Jones presents for a pre-employment physical.  Today, she denies any acute concerns.  She is feeling healthy, is taking better care of herself, and is looking forward to beginning her new job.  There are no abnormal findings to uncover in this assessment.

Recent Healthcare Visits: 

• Discharged from the hospital 6 months ago after an infected foot wound.
• 4 months ago she saw her gynecologist for a pap smear and was diagnosed with PCOS for which she was prescribed oral contraceptives.
• She is controlling her type 2 diabetes with diet, exercise, and metformin, which she restarted 5 months ago.
• She had an eye exam 3 months ago.
• Last dental exam 5 months ago.

 

In this assignment, your students will go though and take a health history, review of systems, and physical assessment in order to gather subjective and objective data.  Encourage them to start at the head and move downward in both their interview and assessment in order to keep the clinic visit organized.

 

Notes: