A Reflection on The Shadow Health Assessment Tests
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The Shadow Health virtual assessment platform has helped help understand how to approach patients, listen to their problems, analyze their symptoms and provide a diagnosis for their disorders. In the two study courses I took, there was the need for subjective and objective data to be recorded and analyzed; thus, this presented a real-life case scenario between a practicing nurse and their patient. A nurse must understand their patient clearly to make the diagnosis as accurate as possible.
A Reflection on The Shadow Health Assessment Tests
My vital areas were in the collection of objective data. Through personal observation and analysis of the information presented, I accurately evaluated the patient’s current health position and gave a reasonable approach to treatment. A high objective data score indicates that I am terrific at observation for the collection of data. The testing approach is reasonable as one picture themself as a nurse dealing with a patient. Objective data forms a critical part of diagnostics and treatment in healthcare. According to Raleigh & Allan, (2017) the nurse can get accurate information on a patient’s weight, height, body temperature, blood pressure, and other critical basic tests to test for issues within the body.
My subjective data collection scores were below expected. I consider that a low performance as it did not meet my expected score. Personal data collection, which involves listening to the patient and making a diagnosis from what they present to you as the healthcare provider, was relatively straightforward to get but challenging to interpret and give a proper diagnosis. For an accurate and understanding of the patient’s health problems, the patient is encouraged to be as honest and straight forwards as possible. The healthcare provider should also be taught proper diagnosis skills and be well-versed with infections, diseases, and symptoms; more so, learn the most prevalent health problems within a specific area.
Differential diagnosis is critical in achieving a high success rate in diagnostics in healthcare (Mahato et al., 2017). It involves the information obtained on the personal history of a patient and conducting physical tests. From my findings and experience, while interviewing the patient, personal questions, coupled with questions of disease history, provided the most help in seeking to get a diagnosis. Personal questions are asked to understand a patient’s private life and the type of food, relationships, and activities one has. These also help identify any stressors that may be causing emotional or physical pain to the patient’s body, thus developing other conditions or comorbidity of disorders. The disease history of a patient is engaged where there is no clear information on the symptoms described. In probing about occurrences in the past, the nurse should seek to understand the rate and intensity at which the patient has had health complications, thus, making the correct diagnosis and prescribing the best possible medication.
It is imperative that critical thinking be applied in diagnosis as it assures one of accuracy. My assessment was coupling up questions about the patient’s personal life and relationship with the parents, the disease history, and conducting physical tests that allowed for a firm decision on the issues affecting them. I carried out an intensive analysis of all findings obtained and related them to make the most accurate decision.
References
Mahato, K., Srivastava, A., & Chandra, P. (2017). Paper based diagnostics for personalized health care: emerging technologies and commercial aspects. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 96, 246-259.
Raleigh, M., & Allan, H. (2017). A qualitative study of advanced nurse practitioners’ use of physical assessment skills in the community: shifting skills across professional boundaries. Journal of clinical nursing, 26(13-14), 2025-2035.