TEACH FOR NURSES LESSON PLAN
Chapter 28: The Complete Health Assessment: Adult
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1. Use recommended techniques to perform a complete history and physical examination for an adult.
STUDENT RESOURCES
understand
• Video clips (Evolve)
• Textbook Chapter 28
• Sherpath for Medical-Surgical Nursing*
• Animations (Evolve website)
apply
• Case Studies (Evolve)
• Elsevier Adaptive Quizzing*
synthesize
• SimChart*
• Simulation Learning System*
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INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES
before class
• Nursing Curriculum Standards (below)
in class
• PowerPoint Presentations (Evolve)
* Sold separately from textbook.
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Content Focus
Content Highlights
Learning Activities
THE HEALTH HISTORY
GENERAL APPEARANCE
MEASUREMENT
Discuss how to multitask
by making observations
while interviewing the
patient.
Explain how general
• Activity: Have students make their own checklist for the health history. Have them exchange
checklists with another student for constructive criticism.
• Activity: Have students work with a preceptor to perform a number of both complete and focused or
follow-up examinations.
• Activity: Have students work with a preceptor in different health care settings, such as long-term
care facilities, to experience and compare the differences in developmental care for the young adult
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TEACHING STRATEGIES
Content Focus
Content Highlights
Learning Activities
NECK
HEART
UPPER EXTREMITIES
FEMALE BREASTS
LOWER EXTREMITIES
MUSCULOSKELETAL
NEUROLOGIC
Discuss how to inquire
about environmental
Instruct students to make
a thorough examination of
the breasts, reminding
them that most breast
cancers are found in the
upper outer quadrant.
Discuss the best way to
remember all the
neurologic function testing
areas.
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TEACHING STRATEGIES
Content Focus
Content Highlights
Learning Activities
MALE GENITALIA
MALE RECTUM
FEMALE GENITALIA
about this phenomenon.
Examine reasons for
obtaining vaginal and
rectal specimens.
able to withstand legal
scrutiny. Provide some
examples of both
adequate and inadequate
documentation.
DOCUMENTATION AND
Emphasize that
• Clinical Activity: Have students bring in the documentation from the health assessment they
IN-CLASS/ONLINE CASE STUDY
M.P. is a 45-year–old woman who presents to the family practice for a yearly check–up.
Subjective Data
Married
Exercises daily
Objective Data
Vital signs: T 36.7 BP 108/62 HR 62 Resp 14
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Allergy to PCN = Hives
Questions
1. How should the nurse proceed with the physical exam?
2. What interventions can help make the patient more comfortable during the physical examination?
3. What pointers or tips can the experienced nurse give to a new nurse who wants to improve his or her technique?
4. What are the components of the general survey?
5. How should the nurse perform the abdominal assessment?
Answers
1. Each nurse has a unique way of performing the head-to-toe assessment. Starting with less invasive examination procedures will allow time
3. Tips for success include the following:
4. Components of the general survey (collected during the history) are the following:
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NURSING CURRICULUM STANDARDS
QSEN/NLN COMPETENCIES
• Patient-Centered Care/Human Flourishing
NURSING CONCEPTS
The following conceptual themes and specific concepts match those presented in Giddens, J. F. (2017). Concepts for nursing practice (2nd ed.).
St. Louis: Elsevier. The specific exemplars chosen and listed below for each concept have been tailored specifically to correspond to the Jarvis
textbook.
A full Concept-Based Curriculum Map covering the entire book can be found in the “Download by Resource Type” folder on Evolve.
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THEME: Nursing Attributes and Roles
BSN ESSENTIALS
• Essential V: Healthcare Policy, Finance, and Regulatory Environments
o Recording the Data