dumb question

I typically do mine early in the shift, and do focused assessments 1) if I suspect a problem or 2) as ordered -- for example, neuro checks q 1 hr.

You will assess every patient when you walk in the room. Full assessments will depend on your orders. I do a full assessment when I bring in medicine for the first med pass. Sometimes the patient has special orders for more frequent focused assessments. As someone else said, Q2 neuro or Q2 NIH assessment is common (in neuro nursing)

Assessment is the foundation of your nursing care. You'll get better, you'll find yourself quickly looking at veins and ankles when you're at the grocery store, and you'll find yourself popping off a list of possible causes without even a second thought. This is a good thing!

Your assessment as a nurse will never take as long as the assessments you do now in nursing school. What you learn in nursing school is a comprehensive assessment that is forcing you to consider the whole body, which you're not used to doing. Learn and master it, because it will be the most important skill you have at the beginning of your nursing career.

When it is my first shift with my assigned patients, I do a thorough head to toe during the first med pass. When/if it is my second/third/sometimes fourth shift with the same patients I can usually do a quick assessment to see if there are any changes vs previous day/night when I walk in to say hello and write my name on the board.

Nursing student here too. During clinicals most nurses seem to do them after receiving report, maybe while doing thir first med pass. When there is a change, the assessment is usually focused on that area/body system.