A common practice on telemetry floor health assessment starts from a bedside overview. Later, tell monitor observation is done to ensure they are in rhythm. Then follows a comprehensive assessment of the patient through an evaluation of medical history, a general survey, and an examination of the patient. The comprehensive health assessment provides an insight into the patient’s condition by examining self-reported symptoms, observation and physical assessment, and evaluation of vitals (Wilson et al. 2020).
The examination involves an assessment of the patient patient’s level of consciousness, a neuro-check if needed, investigation for radial or pedal pulses, and assessment of edema and peripheral IV sites. Physical examination includes assessing different zones and functions: skin; neurological function; ears, eyes, nose, and throat; respiratory function; cardiac-pulmonary system; abdomen; limbs, shoulders, hips, ankles, and feet. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of the patients’ current health condition is built.
In telemetry, a patient is identified according to the facility protocol. To ensure privacy, it is necessary to properly close the door to the patient’s room and close the curtains surrounding the bed. I must clearly introduce myself and my clinical role to the patient and family members present. Provide the necessary information regarding telemetry monitoring and/or comfort if the group seems anxious. Generally, patients of various age groups can be seen on the telemetry floor.
During the interaction with elderly patients, nurses must be clear and direct. This patient group often has multiple chronic conditions and might be vague in describing their complaints. Therefore, focusing on current concerns would be more beneficial before assessing the patient based on the chief complaint. Furthermore, deviating from the traditional interview structure might help obtain an accurate health history. Open-ended questions help depict a more precise overview of patients’ self-assessment, but in some instances, it is necessary to focus on yes/no questions or simple-choice questions.
Reference
Wilson, Susan Fickertt, and Jean Foret Giddens. 2020. Health Assessment for Nursing Practice-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.