6512 wk1.docx - Week 1 Building a Comprehensive Health...

Week 1: Building a Comprehensive
Health History
According to a 2011 Gallup poll, nurses are ranked as the most trusted
professionals in the United States. One of the most admired nursing skills is
the ability to put patients at ease. When patients enter into a health care
setting, they are often apprehensive about sharing personal health
information. Caring nurses can alleviate the hesitance of patients and
encourage them to be forthcoming with this information.
The initial health history interview can be an excellent opportunity to develop
supportive relationships between patients and nurses. Nurses may employ a
variety of communication skills and interview techniques to foster strong
bonds with patients and to effectively facilitate the diagnostic process. In
conducting interviews, advanced practice nurses must also take into account
a range of patient-specific factors that may impact the questions they ask,
how they ask those questions, and their complete assessment of the
patient’s health.
This week, you will consider how factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and
environmental situation impact the health and risk assessment of the
patients you serve. You will also consider how these factors influence your
interview and communication techniques as you work in partnership with a
patient to gather data to build an accurate health history.
Learning Objectives
Students will:

Analyze communication techniques used to obtain patients’ health
histories based upon age, gender, ethnicity, or environmental setting

Apply concepts, theories, and principles related to patient interviewing,
diagnostic reasoning, and recording patient information
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Learning Resources
Required Readings
Note: To access this week's required library resources, please click on the
link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of
your Syllabus.
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2015).
Seidel's guide to physical examination (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier
Mosby.

Chapter 1, “The History and Interviewing Process” (pp. 1–21)
This chapter explains the process of developing relationships with patients in
order to build an effective health history. The authors offer suggestions for

adapting the creation of a health history according to age, gender, and
disability.

Chapter 26, “Recording Information” (pp. 616–631)
This chapter provides rationale and methods for maintaining clear and
accurate records. The authors also explore the legal aspects of patient
records.
Sullivan, D. D. (2019). Guide to clinical documentation (3rd ed.). Philadelphia,
PA: F. A. Davis.

Chapter 1, "Medicolegal Principles of Documentation" (pp. 1–14 and
abbreviations, pp. 19)

Chapter 2, "The Comprehensive History and Physical Exam" (pp. 23-32)
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