I have a Clinical check off and i need an insight on a few things

[Dabighawk79]

I am a male nursing student and the situation is that i can't do a complete head to toe check off without forgetting something, is there any other way to do it?

[fultzymom]

I am not sure if this is what you are looking for but are you talking about a head to toe assessment? If so, I try to do my assessments by the systems, starting with the head and ending with the feet. This is the way my instructor told us. I hope this helps you some. Good luck!!

[CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN]

Just as if you were an actor, write yourself a script and include all of the systems from head to toe. Memorize the script and preferably practice on someone while you go through the motions of assessment. Have someone critic your assessment prior to the clinical exam, noting those areas you need extra work on. Good luck!

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

Practice, practice, practice. Practice on your friends, family, cat, etc, etc...

[DudeNurseRN]

Hmm. I guess, whatever would be easiest for you to remember.

In a perfect world in nursing you should be doing head to toe assessments 2x a day, but in reality a lot of us only have time to do it 1x a time or just a focused assessment based on a person's need (if they have a reduced LOC check their neuros, if they are having trouble breathing, get them help right away, but when things calm down listen to their lungs and so on).

Not that I am saying that you shouldn't focus on a good head to toe now, but figured I would let you know how things really are in our not so perfect world.

My advice is simplify it and repeat it back to yourself, and do it on someone else or go through it in your head over and over.

Break things down to the easiest to remember components i.e.:

Respiratory and Circulatory Systems are all about how the "air goes in and out, and the blood goes round and round".

Head Check =

Ask'em "Who are you, where are you right now, why are you here, and do you have the time"... LOC

Check their melon outside for stuff like bumps, lumps and so on

Check out the ears "Can you hear me now."

Flash a light in their eyes

Open the mouth and check that out

Check out their neck to see if that's got anything going on and

...

that's roughly he head part of a cephalocaudal assessment my friend.

Bust things down and break them apart whenever you can to make them more simple.

[aholdridge123]

I'm also in nursing school. Although, it has been a while since my check off for head to toe, I will try to help. I remember to do the head to toe in sections.

I check the eyes right when I walk in and then I go to

Major systems:

Cardio: listen to the heart, check pulses, capillary refill etc.

Lungs: listen to breath sounds, watch for chest excursion, etc.

Skin: note color, warmth, skin turgor, mucous membranes

Muscular: push pulls, hand grips, ROM

GI: bowel sounds in all 4, abdomen tender, distended, last BM?

Genitourinary: voids, color, etc.

It just takes a little time to get your system down.

[leslymill]

Practice is it. I agree. In your sleep practice, just like you should practice what you would do in a code. Also read the care plan and go by the chief complaint. Usually the hospital admitting forms have all the bases covered and you can use it as an outline. Consentrate on therapeutic communication, your patient knows what is wrong, better than you do...usually.