Tips for Physical Examination in Shadow Health Assessment

You might wonder how you will physically examine a digitally standardized patient. When immersed in the simulation exercises, you assume yourself as a professional nurse solving the healthcare needs of patients in the digital clinical setting. There are commands you use to facilitate the physical examination. You will follow the head-to-toe nursing assessment approach when conducting a full-body exam on the patient. Physical examination entails an exhaustive examination to check the health status of all the major body systems. In the case of Shadow Health, you will be conducting a problem-focused assessment to develop specific care goals. You must know when to inspect, palpate, percuss, or auscultate. Below are the essential tips:

1. Begin by obtaining a general overview of the patient’s health status. You can do this by:
2. Collecting vital signs including:
   • Checking heart rate
   • Measuring blood pressure
   • Taking body temperature
   • Respiratory rate
   • Pain levels assessment
   • Measuring height and weight and calculating BMI
   • Pulse oximetry
   • Blood glucose levels
   • Blood pressure
3. Check the hair, skin, and nails. Check facial and body hair, abnormal hair growth, scalp tenderness, hair distribution, rashes on the skin, edema, pressure areas, bruising, lesions, and skin texture.
4. Assess the head. Check the shape and palpate for nodules, masses, or depressions.
5. Examine the eyes. Test the peripheral vision, assess eye symmetry, perform visual acuity test, and check conjunctive and sclera.
6. Examine the nose. Palpate the nose and check its symmetry, check the septum and inside nostrils, check the sense of smell, and palpate sinuses.
7. Examine the mouth and throat. Check lips for color and moistness, inspect teeth and gum, look at the uvula and tonsils, assess the hypoglossal nerve, and the patient’s ability to swallow or taste.
8. Examine the ears. Check for drainage or abnormalities, test hearing, and look inside.
9. Palpate the lymph nodes, and check the neck and head movements.
10. Examine the chest (cardiovascular assessment). Listen to the heartbeat and palpate the carotid. Also, auscultate apical pulse.
11. Assess the respiratory system by auscultating the lungs, observing chest expansion, and palpating the thorax.
12. Assess the abdomen by inspecting it, listening to bowel sounds in all quadrants, palpating the four quadrants, and asking about bowel or bladder issues.
13. Check the extremities. Assess gait, handgrip strength, and palate the pedal and radial pulses.
14. Inspect the back area and spine and the buttocks or coccyx.

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