Essay Sample on Functional Health Patterns: Nursing Assessment Tool

Introduction

Functional Health Patterns is a method that was devised by Marjory Gordon to be used by healthcare professionals in the nursing process. The purpose of the plan was to provide a nursing assessment of a patient. The assessment was meant to be more understood and make the process more efficient (Dannenberg & Wernham, 2012). It is not all health problems that are assessed. Rather only the important ones, which are meant to play the function of providing an overview of the individual's health status and health practices that can be used during treatment for the wellness of the patient (Meurier, Brown & Crown, 2016).

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The physical exam typically consists of inspection, palpation, and listening. These steps progress from least to most invasive and proceed as the patient's trust of the practitioner improves. The practitioner should be able to characterize the patient as stable (Kemm, 2012), potentially unstable or unstable. This determination decides the urgency of the patient's treatment. The inspection also determines the approach to be used in the detailed exam (Keum & Kim, 2012). This is effective in trauma patients because it gives guidance in performing the physical assessment, for example, giving a limb with swelling gentle palpation to avoid patient discomfort.

The effects of elimination complexities can be experienced greatly by a family or patient who has been diagnosed with a certain disease. Some of these diseases include kidney failure. Such a condition that is associated with an elimination complexity will affect either socially, psychological, financial. Lack of control and helplessness, disruption of school and work, and disruption of leisure time. The lack of control and helplessness can be characterized by numerous signs that may be displayed by the patient and the family. This indication will be noticed in anger-loss, frustration, and guilt. It will also differ from one patient to another, depending on the extent and severity of the disease. In some cases, it may be so severe that the patient loses hope in his health.

Conclusion

In conclusion, functional health patterns are necessary for some conditions as it gives the past and current state of health of the patient. These patterns include different forms, such as listening. Assessment will give the doctor a choice of conducting a further thorough assessment. For example, a patient complaining of abdominal pain, correctly diagnosing that patient depends heavily on taking a thorough history and performing a physical examination. A good health assessment results to better healthcare benefits.

References

Dannenberg, A., & Wernham, A. (2012). Health impact assessment in the USA. Health Impact Assessment, 208-223. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199656011.003.0023

Kemm, J. (2012). Health impact assessment: past achievement, current understanding, and future progress. OUP Oxford. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199656011.001.0001

Keum, R., & Kim, S. (2012). Perceived Functional Health Patterns and Recovery in People with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 21(3), 238. doi: 10.12934/jkpmhn.2012.21.3.238

Meurier, C., Brown, J., & Crouch, A. (2016). Physical Assessment. Vital Notes for Nurses: Health Assessment, 148-233. doi: 10.1002/9781119302728.ch6