As nurses, you encounter situations each day that demand you to think critically and explore a variety of options that were not considered previously. In this assignment, you have the opportunity to choose an area in which you would like to gain more knowledge and/or skills in interpreting abnormal and emergent assessment findings. In addition, identifying salient interventions as well as including any pertinent examples from your experience may enrich this discussion for you and your classmates.

Task:

Select one of the physical assessment areas given below and choose one area in which you would like to develop additional knowledge and skills. Identify 3–4 abnormal as well as 1–2 emergent assessment findings related to the area chosen and describe appropriate actions that can be taken to provide safe and quality patient care. Incorporate any pertinent patient care experiences that are appropriate to this assignment.

• Skin, hair, and nails
• Head, neck, and regional lymph nodes
• Eyes
• Ears, nose, mouth, and throat
• Breasts and regional lymph nodes
• Thorax and lungs

Submission Details:

• Complete the assignment by constructing a chart to address the initial part of the assignment or provide a narrative response of 2–3 pages.
• Your response should be thorough and address all components of the assignment in detail. Include citations of all sources, where needed, according to the APA style. Demonstrate accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Use this APA Citation Helper as a convenient reference for properly citing resources.

By the due date assigned, copy your response from your document and paste it in the Discussion Area. In addition, post your Microsoft Word document as an attachment. Through the end of the module, review and comment on at least two classmates’ responses.

Do the following when responding to your classmates:

• Read your classmates’ responses.
• Provide substantive comments by doing some or all of the following:
  • Contribute new, relevant information from course readings, websites, or other sources
  • Build on the remarks or questions of others
  • Share practical examples of key concepts from your professional or personal experiences
• Respond to feedback on your posting and provide feedback to your classmates on their ideas.
• Make sure your writing:
  • Is clear, concise, and organized
  • Demonstrates ethical scholarship in the accurate representation and attribution of sources
  • Displays accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation