Nursing assessment is used to determine an individual’s health status. As the individual’s health is primarily impacted by their lifestyle, social development, or personal beliefs, it is considered valuable information to his health status. Collecting such data and combining objective with subjective, or in this case, the nursing assessment, provides detailed and precise data on the patient. By combining the data and choosing one of the 11 frameworks of assessment, nurses can construct health patterns relatable to the individual’s lifestyle. In order to use Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns in an individual’s health assessment, one should start by collecting the data on an individual such as health history and individual’s perceptions in the form of an interview (Edelman et al., 2014). Next, one should choose one of the frameworks to guide the further assessment. After conducting needed examinations, one should combine the data and differentiate which one of the 11 functional health patterns fits the case.
The use of Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns adds a subjective point to the assessment process and greatly helps in nursing interventions. Providing inner context helps with the accuracy of the diagnosis and effectiveness of interventions (Edelman et al., 2014). The interviews with individuals also let the nurses spread awareness of the impact well-being has on the health status and measures needed to maintain an individual’s health.
I regularly participate in screening interventions for problems that need yearly checkups. As the body and its organs change with time, and their functions might worsen with time, preventing is key, in my opinion. The screening interventions I take regularly include physical and eye examinations and testing. I also think regular screenings of cholesterol and blood sugar are important for anyone.
Reference
Edelman, C., Mandle, C., Kudzma, E.C. (Eds.). (2014). Health promotion throughout the life span (8th ed.). Elsevier Mosby.