Any good tips for head-to-toe assessments?

[JOLIEDAME]

Hello everyone,

I am going into my third week of nursing school and we are practicing head-to-toe assessments...any suggestions?

[APBT mom, LPN, RN]

I put an attachment for the one that I use at clinicals.

What I do is start on the front of the body and then the back. I listen to the lungs and heart all in one step, go to the bowels and listen, then palpate the stomach, then I start asking my questions (last BM, pain,...) while I check for the peripheral pulses, any signs of edema, skin turgor. Then I have the patient either sit up or roll over to one side and listen to the lungs, check for decub., then do the same on the other side.

It takes aqhile to get a rhythm for it. Practice on anyone who will let you. Your kids (if you have any), nieces, nephews, boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife. You'll find what works out for you.

general assessment.doc

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

unless your instructors have given you a form, you have to scrounge one from somewhere else or make up your own as you go. there is an assessment form in the middle of taber's cyclopedic medical dictionary that is 7 pages long. some care plan books have assessment forms in them. we have a thread on this forum for assessment and you may find a form posted on it. if not, there is certainly a lot of assessment information there from which you can develop your own form.

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/health-assessment-resources-techniques-forms-145091.html - health assessment resources, techniques, and forms
  

[greenfaery]

Hello everyone,

I am going into my third week of nursing school and we are practicing head-to-toe assessments...any suggestions?

I would really focus on trying to do it all by memory without relying on a piece of paper to follow as a guide. One of my first patients was on isolation precautions, and my instructor expected me to already have it all in my head- including pertinent subjective history questions! Be prepared for that.