Improving Assessment Skills

Specialties Correctional

Published

I have been working at a correctional facility for a year and two months. However, I mostly work on the med carts and don't do a lot hands on care with the inmates. Recently, I have been working as a Sick Call nurse, and many times I am unsure if I'm assessing the inmate correctly. Also, when it comes to skin conditions, I'm not always sure what I'm looking at. I am reviewing these concepts in some of my nursing textbooks. Are there any addition resources that you all would recommend? Thanks in advance.

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Skin conditions are really tough! We had a prn nurse that worked in a derm office for 26 years. I learned a lot from her. She told me that If there is no one else around to brain storm with, to check with "Dr Google" for pictures. If you can't identify the rash, and hydrocortisone cream doesnt fix it,

or the i/m comes back with the same rash more than once, ...put him in to see the doc!

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Skin conditions are really tough! We had a prn nurse that worked in a derm office for 26 years. I learned a lot from her. She told me that If there is no one else around to brain storm with, to check with "Dr Google" for pictures. If you can't identify the rash, and hydrocortisone cream doesnt fix it,

or the i/m comes back with the same rash more than once, ...put him in to see the doc!

That makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

1 Votes

OK so Ive been a jail nurse for 9 months now. Here are my tips I have learned:

1. are they on Bactrim or another sulfa drug, you might be seeing fixed drug eruptions...essentially an allergic reaction. I have seen this several times now as smallish blisters on palm of patients hands. We have lots of IVDU getting bactrim

2. diffuse rash on trunk: lots of little red spots evenly spaced, can be syphilis rash!

3. I see lots of Tinea Versicolor, its a good one to research

4. scabies

5. athletes foot can show as maceration and splits or cuts in the space between the toes

6. I always check first do they have any new meds...I go straight for allergies and try to rule that out

7. uptodate.com is a great resource

8. I dont give out hydrocortisone unless im pretty sure its contact dermatitis

9. dont underestimate the power of soap and water

10. If that wound/skin infection/whatever isnt improving on an antibiotic they have taken before get orders for a culture. Seen so many resistant infections.

Happy hunting!!!!

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Specializes in Case Manager/Administrator.

To hone your assessment skills I would go to Universities on line and google nursing assessments, they have some wonderful Utube videos. Additional try courser, this website is a combination of more well known universities that have banded together and offer courses online free of charge. As an added bonus you can take the course for certification if you pay a very low fee.

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