Taking A Patient History Summary

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Pages: 3

Journal Article Review

Introduction

“A guide to taking a patient history” is an article appeared in volume22, issue 13 of the Nursing Standard Journal in December 2007 written by H. Lloyd and S. Craig. The article talks about the steps and strategies to follow when taking a patient history. It is important to acquire good techniques in assessing a patient starting by the environment, communication skills, and a systematic approach. One must be able to collect accurate data in order to facilitate the procedure.

Summary

The article starts by emphasizing on the environment when taking a patient history. The environment should be safe for both patient and nurse. The environment should be quiet and ideally, there should be no interruptions (Lloyd & Craig, 2007). For proper gathering of the patient’s history, the environment should be prepared well in advance.
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In order for adequate communication to happen between the patient and the nurse, there must be sufficient interaction between the two. Bothe verbal and nonverbal skills are needed. Questions should not judgmental. Open questions give more general information about the patient. Calgary Cambridge framework is one of the method that one utilizes. The nurse should treat the patient with respect and dignity and to do everything possible to retain confidentiality.

Moreover the patient needs time to provide a complete history. It is best to avoid technical terms that the patient may not be able to understand. It is important for the nurse to express herself clearly to avoid confusion. Before starting the process, patient consent is required. It is also imperative to ask the patient about health beliefs and