NURS 6512 Discussion: Building a Health History

Week 1- Nurs-6512N-47 Advanced Health assessment     

85-year-old white female living alone with no family in declining health

Introduction

My assignment is based on working with an 85-year-old white female living alone with no family in declining health. While working on this task, I assume the patient is my mother, and I interrogate him with empathy, knowing that she is an elderly person who is likely to be more isolated and lonelier than individuals living with their loved ones. Here, I need to create an interviewing strategy to employ in assessing this patient’s medical condition, taking into account his advanced age that his health is declining.

Communication is a difficult endeavor that requires empathy and courtesy, especially when dealing with senior individuals. It’s critical to observe, listen, and gather information when pertinent information is offered when speaking with these kinds of patients. To preserve a constant pace with the patient, the medical practitioner not only should go slowly and be very patient (Ball et al., 2019). Furthermore, by observing, the healthcare professional can connect to and be brought into the environment of the elderly. It is critical to comprehend the participant’s reality and the circumstances that may impact their responses. It’s critical for health care professionals to establish a good connection with patients in the interview session to create a favorable interaction.

The nurse tells the patient to introduce themselves to create familiarity and as the patient settles in the interview. Showing sincerity is vital while getting to know the social circle’s nature and the living condition of the patient. The questions could be personal, but they are meant to know the situation of the healthcare provider.

Target Health Question

The impact of social determinants on patient health is an important issue to consider when assessing a patient’s health.  Food availability, social support, social position, and low-income levels, are all closely linked to premature death and higher incidents of sickness, based on empirical evidence. Inquiring into social determinants of health and how they affect the patient’s health can be a touchy subject (Ryan, 2019). As a result, I’d organize my queries in a way that respects the older patient while also demonstrating empathy and sincerity for their plight. Moreover, because such individuals may have difficulties communicating their conditions and ideas, I would be using effective listening skills.

Risk Assessment

The arranging of the patient’s health record through the Subjective Objective Assessment (SOAP) and Plan Problem Oriented Medical Record (POMR) would be appropriate tools for the assessment of this patient. The POMR tool is an effective instrument as it provides for a thorough recording and assessment of medical information about a patient (Pdhi.com, 2022). Furthermore, it enables the collection of data from all care team members in order to ascertain the diagnosis and develop an empirical medication regimen. POMRs often include the patient’s condition, complaints, test findings, and a care plan that enables the medical practitioner to address each issue individually, write patient records, and a review of discharge with instructions for follow-up (Feldman et al., 2021).

Health-Related Risk

Since the patient is elderly and has a declining health status, there are certain risks that are mainly linked to social health determinants. Old age put the patient at risk of falling (Abdi et al., 2019). As such, the health care provider should investigate if she has already incurred any injuries from falling.

Five Target Questions

On the first encounter, it is vital to first build a connection and therapeutic relationship with the patient to make them comfortable to open up. This way, there would be mutual understanding, which is essential in knowing the needs of the patients. Some of the questions, I would ask include;

1. Do you experience any pains?
2. What do you think could be the reasons for your symptoms?
3. Are you under any medication?
4. What do you think of your quality of life?
5. Have any medications triggered any allergies in you?

References

Abdi, S., Spann, A., Borilovic, J., de Witte, L., & Hawley, M. (2019). Understanding the care and support needs of older people: a scoping review and categorisation using the WHO international classification of functioning, disability and health framework (ICF). BMC Geriatrics, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1189-9

Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby

Feldman, R., Chiu, M., Lawson, A., & Sadavoy, J. (2021). Evaluating Caregiver Risk: The Dementia Caregiver Interview Guide. Psych, 3(4), 552-561. https://doi.org/10.3390/psych3040036

Pdhi.com. (2022). What is a Health Risk Assessment? | ConXus Platform. Pdhi.com. Retrieved 2 June 2022, from https://www.pdhi.com/ncqa/what-is-a-health-risk-assessment/.

Ryan, L. (2019). Clinical Applications of a Smart Physical Examination System for the Health Management in Elderly. Case Medical Research. https://doi.org/10.31525/ct1-nct03858660

I really liked the way you presented your discussion post; it was very organized and thought out. However, as a PMHNP student, I was inclined to read through a few articles and I came across the following Risk assessment tools that would assess the psychological issues associated with one’s LGBTQIA status.

The Gender Minority Stress and Resilience Scale (GMRS) is used to measure the difficulties associated with identifying as a gender minority and protective factors for psychological well-being.The 58 items were adapted from other measures and compiled into the GMRS to measure nine different constructs, including Gender-related Discrimination, Gender-related Rejection, Gender-related Victimization, non-affirmation of Gender Identity, Internalized Transphobia, Negative Expectations for Future Events, and Nondisclosure (Shulman et al., 2017).

Strength of Transgender Identity Scale (STIS)This assesses how strongly an individual identifies as transgender and how important transitioning is to them. Although largely related to identifying transgender people, it contains items that may be relevant to understanding someone’s gender identity and how that might change in therapeutic interventions. The STIS has six questions and no factors were identified in the original validation study. Example items include “I identify as trans,” “It is important to me that people I am close to know I transitioned,” and “The fact that I transitioned is important to who I am.”

Transgender Adaptation and Integration Measure (TG AIM) measure the stresses associated with being transgender and the individual’s efforts to cope with stress. The TG AIM has 15 items, and three factors were identified in the initial validation study that is scored as subscales: Coping and Gender Reorientation Efforts, Psycho social Impact of Gender Status, and Gender-related Fears. A fourth factor, Gender Locus of Control, was also identified but was not recommended for use due to poor internal consistency. Example items of the three recommended factors include “I fear discrimination,” “I take/have taken hormones,” and “Being transgender causes me relationship problems.”

References,

Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.

Shulman, G. P., Holt, N. R., Hope, D. A., Mocarski, R., Eyer, J., & Woodruff, N. (2017). A review of contemporary assessment tools for use with transgender and gender nonconforming adults. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 4(3), 304–313. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000233Links to an external site.

Effective nursing health assessment interview techniques. (n.d.). Walden University. https://www.waldenu.edu/online-bachelors-programs/bachelor-of-science-in-nursing/resource/effective-nursing-health-assessment-interview-techniquesLinks to an external site.