Journal Article Review
Introduction
‘Taking a patient history: the role of the nurse’ is an article written by Tonks Fawcett, a senior lecturer in nursing studies, and Sarah Rhynas, a teaching fellow at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. The article was published in Nursing Standard in February 2012 and it discusses the function of the professional nurse in obtaining a thorough medical history from a patient based on the nursing process, with a focus on improving this skill.
Summary of Article
Historically in the nursing profession, nurses were not active in acquiring patient histories as this was primarily performed by physicians. With the implementation of the nursing process it became necessary for nurses to know the patient’s history in order to make a proper assessment and develop their plan of care. “Taking a patient history is increasingly being undertaken by nurses as their roles and responsibilities expand” (Fawcett & Rhynas, 2012, p. 41). The emphasis of this article is a “person-centered approach” (Fawcett & Rhynas, 2012) to history taking which differs from the physicians’ method that focuses more on completing a group of questions designed to elicit information to use in formulating the diagnosis. …show more content…
Patients tend to offer a more detailed history in this environment enabling the nurse to establish their deficits and make reasonable outcomes for their care together. The family should also be included as they can impart knowledge from a different perspective. Meaningful communication revolving around the patient’s concerns and symptoms, directed at identifying problems, is needed to set mutual goals for resolution. Obtaining a detailed history is an integral part of providing comprehensive care that is inclusive of the patient as a whole
Introduction
‘Taking a patient history: the role of the nurse’ is an article written by Tonks Fawcett, a senior lecturer in nursing studies, and Sarah Rhynas, a teaching fellow at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. The article was published in Nursing Standard in February 2012 and it discusses the function of the professional nurse in obtaining a thorough medical history from a patient based on the nursing process, with a focus on improving this skill.
Summary of Article
Historically in the nursing profession, nurses were not active in acquiring patient histories as this was primarily performed by physicians. With the implementation of the nursing process it became necessary for nurses to know the patient’s history in order to make a proper assessment and develop their plan of care. “Taking a patient history is increasingly being undertaken by nurses as their roles and responsibilities expand” (Fawcett & Rhynas, 2012, p. 41). The emphasis of this article is a “person-centered approach” (Fawcett & Rhynas, 2012) to history taking which differs from the physicians’ method that focuses more on completing a group of questions designed to elicit information to use in formulating the diagnosis. …show more content…
Patients tend to offer a more detailed history in this environment enabling the nurse to establish their deficits and make reasonable outcomes for their care together. The family should also be included as they can impart knowledge from a different perspective. Meaningful communication revolving around the patient’s concerns and symptoms, directed at identifying problems, is needed to set mutual goals for resolution. Obtaining a detailed history is an integral part of providing comprehensive care that is inclusive of the patient as a whole