Applying Assessment and Health Education Skills, Free Essay Sample

Bateman (2001) argues that in nursing, assessment entails data and information that are collected and grouped in a given order and are necessary for taking care of a patient and their general requirements. The first step is obtaining a detailed history from the patient or from those who are with the patient in case there cannot be proper communication with the patient due to patient's condition. Next assessment consists of the physical examination of the patient to do a thorough check of the extent of the disease. On the other hand, health education skills constitute an approach of developing or taking continuous maintenance of healthy lifestyles through ways such us the enhancement of knowledge and required important skills through using of learning experiences gained from any level or form of education. Hence there is need to apply appropriate assessment on health education skills.

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According to Bateman (2001), a comprehensive physical assessment of a patient enables us to have a full detail information about the patient and use the information to examine the patient fully. Through physical assessment, one can develop very significant assessment skills including observation or inspection skills, tactual exploration skills, percussion skills that are used to help in gathering information about the patient's health condition. The skills gained from the physical examinations are of use during assessment such that the inspectional skills which include the visual assessment of the patient body and general behavior to come up with the information, for example during physical examination for the abdomen, one can have a close look on the patient's abdomen to observe the changes in the abdominal distention, and try to come up with the possible causes of any observed sign. The percussion skills can be integrated into practice when examining a part of the body that need to be tapped gently for the purposes of diagnosis, for instance, in the case of abdominal percussion, it is done continuously to assess the patient's abdominal changes. While palpation skills are used when examiner suspects abnormal tenderness in some given parts of the body, it involves carefully having a continuous touch of the body to determine the abnormal changes.

Jones Thomas and (2005) continue to argue that readability of health education materials consist of different methods that are used by nurses to examine the readability of the written materials which includes patient health information and continuous assessment of the patient condition. A number of skills are gained while assessing the readability of health education materials which includes understanding, interpreting, evaluating the patient written materials, to enhance the validity and correctness of the result.

Jones Thomas and (2005) again added that health literacy in patient health is of much importance because it enables them to have the full understanding of the health systems and take necessary nature of their well-being. It also enhances communication between the patient and the nurses. It is of use when the readability of materials is required and during the applications of the readability skills.

References

Bateman, N. (2001). Advocacy Skills for Health and Social Care Professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley. Health Education, 101(4), pp.187-188.

Thomas, M. and Jones, S. (2005). The impact of group teaching on the acquisition of key skills to teach personal, social and health education. Health Education, 105(3), pp.164-185.