NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay

Walden University NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay-Step-By-Step Guide
This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Walden University NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.
How to Research and Prepare for NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Walden University NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.
After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.
How to Write the Introduction for NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
The introduction for the Walden University NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

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How to Write the Body for NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
After the introduction, move into the main part of the NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.
Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.
How to Write the Conclusion for NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.
How to Format the References List for NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.
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Sample Answer for NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay Included After Question
Effective communication is vital to constructing an accurate and detailed patient history. A patient’s health or illness is influenced by many factors, including age, gender, ethnicity, and environmental setting. As an advanced practice nurse, you must be aware of these factors and tailor your communication techniques accordingly. Doing so will not only help you establish rapport with your patients, but it will also enable you to more effectively gather the information needed to assess your patients’ health risks.
For this Discussion, you will take on the role of a clinician who is building a health history for a particular new patient assigned by your Instructor.
Photo Credit: Sam Edwards / Caiaimage / Getty Images
To prepare:
With the information presented in Chapter 1 of Ball et al. in mind, consider the following:
- By Day 1 of this week, you will be assigned a new patient profile by your Instructor for this Discussion. Note: Please see the “Course Announcements” section of the classroom for your new patient profile assignment.
- How would your communication and interview techniques for building a health history differ with each patient?
- How might you target your questions for building a health history based on the patient’s social determinants of health?
- What risk assessment instruments would be appropriate to use with each patient, or what questions would you ask each patient to assess his or her health risks?
- Identify any potential health-related risks based upon the patient’s age, gender, ethnicity, or environmental setting that should be taken into consideration.
- Select one of the risk assessment instruments presented in Chapter 1 or Chapter 5 of the Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination text, or another tool with which you are familiar, related to your selected patient.
- Develop at least five targeted questions you would ask your selected patient to assess his or her health risks and begin building a health history.
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post a summary of the interview and a description of the communication techniques you would use with your assigned patient. Explain why you would use these techniques. Identify the risk assessment instrument you selected, and justify why it would be applicable to the selected patient. Provide at least five targeted questions you would ask the patient.
A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Title: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Building rapport with the patient
As advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), it is imperative to obtain a thorough health history from the patient interview process. The history is vital to guiding the physical examination and to interpreting physical exam findings ( Ball et al., 2019). One way to effectively build a health history during the interview process is to develop a rapport or relationship with the patient. Establishing a positive patient relationship depends on effective communication built on courtesy, comfort, connection, and confirmation (Ball et al., 2019).
Each patient is unique and must be treated as such. Communication and interview techniques for building a health history can differ with each patient based on age, learning abilities, and the patients’ reading level. The purpose of this discussion is to identify techniques in building a health history with an adolescent white male with no insurance seeking medical care for an STI.
Crucial factors of consideration
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adolescence is the phase of life between childhood and adulthood, from ages 10 to 19. It is a unique stage of human development and an important time for laying the foundations of good health (2022). Even through the adolescent years, there are significant diseases/illnesses and injuries. During this phase, adolescents establish patterns of behaviour – for instance, related to diet, physical activity, substance use, and sexual activity – that can protect their health and the health of others around them, or put their health at risk now and in the future (WHO, 2022). During the adolescent phase, it is important to provide correct age-appropriate sexual activity information.
Assessment
The collection and analysis of information regarding an individual’s current and overall health is a health assessment and is provided by the patient subjectively (Ball et al., 2019). Considering this patient is coming to the appointment for concerns for an STI, it is imperative for the APRN to not be judgemental. This will allow the patient to feel comfortable sharing information such as signs and symptoms of the probable STI, number of partners, past history of an STI, and their gender identity. The physical assessment is just as important as obtaining a health history.
Physical exams should include inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation of the patient to verify the patient’s report objectively (Ball et al., 2019). As part of the physical assessment, the APRN may also conduct a male genitalia examination and obtain cultures of fluid to test for certain STIs such as, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Labs may also be ordered to check for those certain STIs.
At the end of the examination, targeted needs would be beneficial to address. For example, this patient does not have medical insurance. Since the patient is an adolescent, one would assume they are on their parent’s medical insurance as a dependent. Sometimes, adolescents are too afraid and uncomfortable to tell their parents and/or guardians any reproductive issues. Oftentimes, adolescents come into clinics secretly and say they do not have medical insurance so their parents/guardians do not find out about the visit once billed.
Asking questions such as why don’t you have insurance? Do your parents/guardians have medical insurance? Do they know about your visit to the clinic today? Can help identify any patterns or concerns without being assumptive. Providing support and comfort can help alleviate any hesitancy in answering the above questions. Finding and establishing important resources can help make sure the patient is getting the care they need outside of the clinic.
Specific targeted questions
Asking appropriate questions and avoiding stereotypes is essential to providing care that is tailored to the individual patient (Ball et al., 2015). With this particular patient, sexual information should be obtained in a non-judgemental manner. Targeted questions such as 1) What brings you to the clinic today? 2) How many partners do you currently have? 3) What are your current sexual practices (anal, oral, vaginal)? 4) What protection do you use to prevent STIs? 5) Have you had any STIs in the past? 6) What are your symptoms? And when did they start? Utilizing the screening tool PACES would also be beneficial for this patient. PACES stands for parents/peers, accidents/alcohol/drugs, cigarettes, emotional issues, and sexuality/school (Ball et al., 2019). PACES identifies these categories specifically for adolescents because oftentimes they are what is important to this age group.
Conclusion
A successful health assessment and interview process between an APRN and their patients requires a good rapport/relationship as the foundation. Identifying considerations and tailoring specific targeted questions to individual patients can be beneficial. Patient-centered care is an important contributor to a positive patient care experience (Dang et al., 2017). Actively engaging and listening to each patient is important. This will help the patient feel more comfortable expressing their concerns and needs.
References
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Dang, B. N., Westbrook, R. A., Njue, S. M., & Giordano, T. P. (2017). Building trust and rapport early in the new doctor-patient relationship: a longitudinal qualitative study. BMC medical education, 17(1), 1-10.
World Health Organization. (2022). Adolescent health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/health-
Effective quality care begins with obtaining a detailed medical history for the patient. This, therefore, requires developing a therapeutic relationship with the patient to foster trust, which allows the patient to divulge information to build an accurate health history.
A Sample Answer 4 For the Assignment: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Title: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Brief summary of interview
The patient in the scenario is an 80-year-old white male with angina who lives on a farm 80 miles away from a healthcare center. The patient present with a complaint of worsening chest pain and a feeling of heavy weight on his chest. He reports a squeezing pain and tightness in the chest that worsen when he does activities around his farm but goes away with rest. Past medical history includes type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension.
He reports he takes Metformin, Atorvastatin, and lisinopril medication in the morning and evening. He is allergic to penicillin. The patient reports both parents are deceased, but his mother was hypertensive and died from a stroke at 70 years old, while his father had diabetes. The patient reports he smokes 1/2 pack of cigarettes daily, chew tobacco and drinks 1-2 beers with dinner.
Communication technique
Every patient is different, and as such special consideration and care should be taken to identify and address factors that can affect the ability to gather information from the patient. The patient in the scenario is an elderly male, and with older patients, careful attention should be given to the communication techniques used. According to Ball et al. (2019), Communication can be more difficult with the older patient due to the changes in cognitive abilities and sensory deficits.
Therefore, in the interview with this patient, communication techniques include speaking clearly and slowly. This allows the patient to gain a better understanding of what is being asked and be able to provide answers. Additionally, identifying if the patient has a hearing deficit and which ear is the stronger side allows for better positioning to ensure the patient can still see the provider’s face and have easier hearing. Sitting close to the patient and providing a quiet area for the interview can enhance the communication process.
Older adults may have difficulties with memories or get confused easily, therefore, it is important to use short open-ended questions that are uncomplicated and free from medical jargon when assessing the patient. It also helps the gain collateral information from a relative or caregiver of the patient once permission is obtained, as this can gain greater accuracy and yield more information.
Risk assessment instrument
One risk assessment instrument applicable for this patient is obtaining a personal and social history. Personal and social history helps to obtain information on the patient’s lifestyle habits. This includes nutrition and diet patterns, smoking, and alcohol use, along with self-care habits such as exercise. This assessment instrument must be included as these lifestyle factors are major contributors to the patient’s angina condition.
According to Ruan et al. (2018), risk factors such as smoking, alcohol drinking, fruit/vegetable intake (diet), and physical activity (exercise) influence the risk of angina across different ethnic groups. Furthermore, the information is crucial to treating the patient’s condition as he reports smoking and alcohol use. Therefore, providers must establish a baseline of these lifestyle factors to suggest and plan for modifications that can improve the patient’s condition. Significant priority should be placed on optimizing lifestyle factors in addition to preventive medications to reduce complications associated with angina (De Lemos, 2021.)
As patient’s get older it is important to have good access to health care resources as their health is at greater risk to deteriorate. The personal and social history consist of the assessment of the patient’s access to care. The patient in the scenario lives far away from the health center. It is important then to assess the patient’s ability to access transportation for care, his regular pattern in seeking care and identify and address any worry the patient might have in regards to his access to care to manage his existing conditions and his present complaint of angina.
Target questions to be addressed to the patient includes:
1)What is the reason for your visit? When did these symptoms start, and is there anything that makes it worse or better?
Do you have any existing medical conditions? Does anyone else in your family has/had these conditions?
Do you smoke/chew tobacco? If yes, what do you smoke, and how much per day?
Do you drink alcohol? How much per day?
How physically active are you on an average day?
What type of diet do you follow at home and outline your average meal for the day.
How often do you seek medical attention and follow up with your doctor?
Explain any alternative therapy or home herbs used to manage presenting symptoms?
References
Ball, J. W., Danis, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination: An Interprofessional Approach. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, Inc.
De Lemos, J. A. (2021). Diagnosis and management of stable angina. JAMA, 325(17), 1765. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.1527
Ruan, Y., Guo, Y., Zheng, Y., Huang, Z., Sun, S., Kowal, P., Shi, Y., & Wu, F. (2018). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and associated risk factors among older adults in six low-and middle-income countries: results from SAGE Wave 1. BMC Public Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5653-9
Welcome to the course! We have lots to cover in these 11 weeks. This course will be the foundation for all other clinical courses. In this course as in all courses you must turn in all assignments to get a passing grade. Please be sure to do so in a timely fashion.
This week we are working on building a health history. For this week we have a discussion to participate in. Here is how you will know what case to work on.
We will go based on the first letter of your last name.
NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion Building a Health History Sample Essay A/B/C/D/E/F: Case B 14-year-old biracial male living with his grandmother in a high-density public housing complex
G/H/I/J/K/L: Case C 38-year-old Native American pregnant female living on a reservation
M/N/O/P/Q/R: Case E Adolescent Hispanic/Latino boy living in a middle-class suburb
S/T/U/V/W/X/Y/Z: Case G Pre-school-aged white female living in a rural community
A Sample Answer 5 For the Assignment: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Title: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
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A/B/C/D/E/F: Case B 14-year-old biracial male living with his grandmother in a high-density public housing complex
Discussion: Building a Health History
The patient in this scenario is a 14-year-old biracial male. The first step in interacting with the patient is to build a trustworthy rapport with the patient and determine his fluency in communication and speaking the English language, as any language barriers can hinder the effectiveness of the communication, it is important to ensure the client understands the language of communication (Brooks et al., 2019). Effective communication is required needed in any patient-healthcare provider interaction. The language assessment is important in making communication easier.
Communication Techniques
Furthermore, the use of verbal techniques will be ensured in the communication process (Wang et al., 2018). However, caution will be taken not to offend the client in the conversation. The meaning and interpretation of the non-verbal techniques tend to vary from one cultural group to another (Sullivan, 2019). Therefore, considering that the client is from another cultural group and young, understanding their values would be necessary to reduce the conflicts in the communication process. I will also be empathetic to the client (Ball et al., 2019).
Subsequently, active listening is also important when interacting with the patient. Listening actively help

the healthcare provider to capture important information about the patients and their possible health needs (LeBlond et al., 2014). On the other hand, some clients may be too talkative and so the healthcare provider must be able to control and ensure that the relevant information is obtained from the interaction. Controlling the conversation also helps in managing the time used in the interaction. The HEEADSSS risk assessment tool will be used when interviewing the patient because it will help in understanding the client’s home environment and education experiences among other areas of interest.
Target Interview Questions
- Whom do you live with at home?
- What is your relationship with the parents and siblings?
- What is it that makes you happy about your family?
- Who is your best friend?
- What do you like doing during your free time?
Conclusion
Finally, communication is important in the interaction between the patient and the healthcare providers. Both verbal and non-verbal communication matters in the interaction. Cultural values vary from one patient to another and this could be a major hindrance to effective interaction between the patient and the healthcare providers. Therefore, the nurses must demonstrate cross-cultural competencies and interact with their clients accordingly without judging them or looking down upon their cultural values.
References
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Brooks, L. A., Manias, E., & Bloomer, M. J. (2019). Culturally sensitive communication in healthcare: A concept analysis. Collegian, 26(3), 383-391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2018.09.007
LeBlond, R. F., Brown, D. D., & DeGowin, R. L. (2014). DeGowin’s diagnostic examination (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw- Hill Medical.
Sullivan, D. D. (2019). Guide to clinical documentation (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.
Wang, Y., Wan, Q., Lin, F., Zhou, W., & Shang, S. (2018). Interventions to improve communication between nurses and physicians in the intensive care unit: An integrative literature review. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 5(1), 81-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2017.09.007
A Sample Answer 6 For the Assignment: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Title: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Thank you for your very informative and well-composed post. You did an excellent job of identifying highly pertinent questions necessary for an effective health history. I would like to suggest an additional assessment that I think would be extremely useful in this particular clinical case. This patient is a Native American living on a reservation, and a woman. Unfortunately, this places her into a high risk category for domestic violence of all types, sexual assault, and likely lacking in resources to allow for safe and secure pregnancy and domesticity.
Research indicates that Native American women are more likely to be victims of violent crime than any other demographic in the United States, and that 70% of sexual assaults on Native women go unreported, meaning that the number is likely much higher. Studies demonstrate that 70% of these violent crimes are perpetrated by persons of another race (not Native), also making Native women the largest target for interracial violent crime (Crossland et al., 2013).
It is imperative that advanced practice providers familiarize themselves with their patients’ cultural background and potential health risks that may be specific to that population, and that they screen their patients accordingly. The risk screening tool HITS would be an appropriate and effective tool in this clinical case. This assessment asks “In the past year, how often has your partner: Hurt you physically? Insult or talk down to you?
Threaten you with physical harm? Scream or curse at you?” (Ball et al., 2019). This assessment could be instrumental in protecting the health and safety of both the patient and her family, including her unborn child. The provider should also include in his health screening a physical assessment for indications of physical abuse, as with all other patients seen. Thank you again for your excellent post!
References
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). Elsevier Mosby.
Crossland, C., Palmer, J., & Brooks, A. (2013). Nij’s program of research on violence against american indian and alaska native women. Violence Against Women, 19(6), 771–790. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801213494706
Thank you for your very informative and well-composed post. You did an excellent job of identifying highly pertinent questions necessary for an effective health history. I would like to suggest an additional assessment that I think would be extremely useful in this particular clinical case. This patient is a Native American living on a reservation, and a woman.
Unfortunately, this places her into a high risk category for domestic violence of all types, sexual assault, and likely lacking in resources to allow for safe and secure pregnancy and domesticity. Research indicates that Native American women are more likely to be victims of violent crime than any other demographic in the United States, and that 70% of sexual assaults on Native women go unreported, meaning that the number is likely much higher. Studies demonstrate that 70% of these violent crimes are perpetrated by persons of another race (not Native), also making Native women the largest target for interracial violent crime (Crossland et al., 2013).
It is imperative that advanced practice providers familiarize themselves with their patients’ cultural background and potential health risks that may be specific to that population, and that they screen their patients accordingly. The risk screening tool HITS would be an appropriate and effective tool in this clinical case. This assessment asks “In the past year, how often has your partner: Hurt you physically? Insult or talk down to you?
Threaten you with physical harm? Scream or curse at you?” (Ball et al., 2019). This assessment could be instrumental in protecting the health and safety of both the patient and her family, including her unborn child. The provider should also include in his health screening a physical assessment for indications of physical abuse, as with all other patients seen. Thank you again for your excellent post!
References
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). Elsevier Mosby.
Crossland, C., Palmer, J., & Brooks, A. (2013). Nij’s program of research on violence against american indian and alaska native women. Violence Against Women, 19(6), 771–790. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801213494706
To build a strong therapeutic relationship between the patient and the nurse, it is essential to obtain relevant and personal information about the patient by taking a thorough health history. According to the case study that was assigned, the 72-year-old man who was admitted to your Intensive care unit after having a severe stroke was rendered unconscious and unable to communicate. But, his wife claimed in an interview that they don’t have any advanced directives. But, she was certain that her husband would prefer not to live that way.
Their daughter, however, was convinced that her father would have preferred to be kept alive if there was a prospect for a positive outcome. The use of proper communication skills, such as the use of open-ended questions, active listening, empathy, and enabling the patient to only tell his tale once, will be required given the patient’s serious condition (Ball et al., 2019). The aforementioned communication strategies will enable the client to respond without becoming angry, frustrated, worn out, or bored.
The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) will be used because the patient has already experienced a severe stroke that has rendered him nonresponsive and unable to communicate. The scale evaluates hemi-inattention, extraocular motions, visual fields, limb strength, facial muscle function, sensory abilities, coordination, communication, and speech (Zöllner et al., 2020). The NIHSS is suitable for this patient because it will improve patient care by serving as an initial evaluation tool and by aiding in the planning of post-acute care disposition (Alkhouli & Friedman, 2019).
While the patient is unconscious, his wife will serve as the historian. The following specific inquiries will be displayed (Masci et al., 2019):
- Could you explain your husband’s medical history?
- What other medical conditions is your husband dealing with?
- Does your husband currently take any medications?
- Does anyone in the family experience comparable cardiovascular issues?
- When was the last time your husband visited for a check-up or follow-up assessment?
References
Alkhouli, M., & Friedman, P. A. (2019). Ischemic Stroke Risk in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 74(24), 3050–3065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2019.10.040
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Masci, A., Barone, L., Dedè, L., Fedele, M., Tomasi, C., Quarteroni, A., & Corsi, C. (2019). The Impact of Left Atrium Appendage Morphology on Stroke Risk Assessment in Atrial Fibrillation: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study. Frontiers in Physiology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01938
Zöllner, J. P., Misselwitz, B., Kaps, M., Stein, M., Konczalla, J., Roth, C., Krakow, K., Steinmetz, H., Rosenow, F., & Strzelczyk, A. (2020). National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) on admission predicts acute symptomatic seizure risk in ischemic stroke: a population-based study involving 135,117 cases. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60628-9
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Title: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Building a Health History
The case concerns an 85-year-old female living in a long-term care facility. She has marked cognitive decline, renal failure, and CHF, and her physician mentioned she was in her last days. The patient cries in agony after being pricked and can hardly tolerate the lab draws to check her INR. She inquires if continual monitoring of the INR is necessary. This paper will explain interview and communication techniques to use and identify a risk assessment tool for this patient.
Summary of the Interview and Communication Techniques
When interviewing a patient with a terminal illness, I would employ open-ended discussions without structured questions. This would allow the patient to provide content on which I would create further questions. I would begin the interview by asking her to talk about her thoughts during this period of her life. I would also ask her about her experience with the terminal illness and how it affects her identity (Auriemma et al., 2021).
In addition, I would ask about her current quality of life, personal goals, hopes, worries, fears, memories, attitude, and emotions toward dying. Communication techniques include carefully phrasing questions, which results in more accurate responses. I would ask one question at a time to avoid bombarding the patient, which could discourage her from responding (Ball et al., 2021). Furthermore, I would use complex reflection statements to clarify what the patient meant or felt when talking.
Risk Assessment Instrument
The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) can assess three primary aspects of hopelessness: loss of motivation, feelings about the future, and expectations. It can also assess suicidal thoughts and attempts (Balsamo et al., 2020). BHS applies to this patient since she seems hopeless about her condition and does not consider continuation of treatment as necessary.
Targeted Questions
- How would you describe your current quality of life?
- What goals do you wish to accomplish before passing?
- What hopes do you have about your life?
- What uncertainties do you have surrounding your condition and its progress?
- What is your most pleasant and meaningful memory?
Conclusion
Open-ended questions would be used to ask the patient about her perceptions of life, experience with the disease, quality of life, goals, and memories. I would phrase questions for more accurate responses and use complex reflection statements. The Beck Hopelessness Scale can assess the patient’s degree of hopelessness.
References
Auriemma, C. L., Harhay, M. O., Haines, K. J., Barg, F. K., Halpern, S. D., & Lyon, S. M. (2021). What matters to patients and their families during and after critical illness: a qualitative study. American Journal of Critical Care, 30(1), 11-20. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2021398
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2021). Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination-E-Book: An Interprofessional Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Balsamo, M., Carlucci, L., Innamorati, M., Lester, D., & Pompili, M. (2020). Further insights into the beck hopelessness scale (BHS): Unidimensionality among psychiatric inpatients. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 727. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00727
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
Title: NURS 6512 Week 1 Discussion: Building a Health History Sample Essay
SAMPLE 4
Our book refers to “building” a health history as opposed to “taking” one as the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) and the patient are partners in a joint effort, who are building the history together (Ball et al., 2019). This encourages patient-centered care and heavily involves the patient to gain rapport and gather the most accurate information. This ensures that the APRN has a whole understanding of the patient and their past while at the same time, the patient feels heard, understood, and like they are just as equally involved in their care. The purpose of this discussion post is to provide a patient profile and specific interview techniques, to identify a risk assessment based on the patient’s needs, and to develop targeted questions to ask the patient.
Patient Profile and Interview
Communication and interview techniques should differ with each patient depending on the different factors that influence a patient history as well as social determinants. Diamond-Fox writes that we must consider a patient’s understanding of health literacy, culture, and language (2021). Some other patient factors to consider include a patient’s age and gender as well as social determinants such as a patient’s race, ethnicity, and living condition (Hacker et al., 2022). Case E involves an adolescent Hispanic/Latino boy living in a middle-class suburb.
This case has many factors that will determine the best way to communicate with the patient. An adolescent requires a different approach than an adult would. Adolescents need to feel like they can trust a provider, especially when discussing uncomfortable or sensitive topics that they might now be willing to share with their parents. The APRN needs to build rapport with the adolescent before any deep questions are asked. This can be done by first asking the patient’s parents to leave the exam room for privacy.
The patient will be more inclined to answer honestly when alone with the provider. The APRN also should explain confidentiality laws in a way that the adolescent can understand. The patient needs to be assured that the provider will not share any information discussed unless it poses a threat to the patient. This patient being of Hispanic/Latino background may prove some cultural or language differences depending on the provider. The APRN should be aware of this and modify the interview accordingly such as resources in Spanish and acknowledgments of cultural differences regarding Western medicine.
Risk Assessment
Adolescents will have their own set of concerns that might differ compared to the adult patient. Some common concerns for an adolescent boy include height concerns, concerns with penis size, worry about sexual preference, sex, STDs, substance and alcohol use, parents, friends, bullying, school, and mental health concerns such as self-harm and suicide (Ball et al., 2019). Taking these into consideration, the APRN can choose risk assessment tools to aid in the assessment of these adolescent patients.
A couple of popular assessments are HEEADSSS and PACES. HEEADSSS includes the topics of home, education, eating, activities, drugs, sexuality, suicide/ depression, and safety (Ball et al., 2019). PACES include the topics of parents/ peers, accidents/ alcohol/ drugs, cigarettes, emotional issues, and school/ sexuality (Ball et al., 2019).
Between these two assessment instruments, most of the common topics and concerns are addressed. As mentioned previously, it is important for the APRN to establish trust with the patient as these topics are sensitive for the adolescent. Either tool would be beneficial in building a health history with the adolescent boy.
Targeted Questions
Along with focusing on building trust with the adolescent patient, it is also extremely important for the APRN to make sure that the patient is safe. HEEADSSS and PACES both include talking points regarding safety. The APRN should ask the patient if they have ever had thoughts of hurting or killing themself. This is an extremely sensitive question and may make the patient uncomfortable, but it is important to know. Another question to ask is if they have ever felt pressure to try something that they did not want to try. This could be more specific to substances or sexual encounters, depending on the patient.
A third question that can be asked is if they have any concerns about their body. This can be phrased as things that they like as well as things that they do not like. Body image concerns are very prevalent among adolescents and should be addressed. Another question to ask is regarding a patient’s hobbies and interests. This might help identify any social issues or concerns for the patient.
A fifth question that can be asked is if the patient has anything they want to ask an adult, the APRN, that they might not want to ask their parents. This is a more open-ended question but can be beneficial to adolescents who do not have a great relationship with their parents. These are just a few questions that can be asked to form a solid health history of the adolescent.
Conclusion
In conclusion, building a health history is an important foundation for having a relationship with a patient. Every patient will have different needs, as well as different factors that determine the style of communication from the APRN, needed to be effective in the interview. Assessment tools are a great way to address concerns when still building a history with the patient. Overall, the APRN needs to be aware of differences that will occur and conduct patient interviews accordingly.
References
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). Elsevier Mosby.
Diamond-Fox, S. (2021). Undertaking consultations and clinical assessments at advanced level. British Journal of Nursing, 30(4), 238–243.
Hacker, K., Auerbach, J., Ikeda, R., Philip, C., & Houry, D. (2022) CDC’s approach to social determinants of health. JPHMP Direct. Retrieved May 29, 2023. https://jphmpdirect.com/2022/10/07/cdcs-approach-to-social-determinants-of-health/

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