AACN CCRN (Adult) Certification: Exam Review & Study Guide
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Ch 1: Patient Assessment & Diagnostics

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About This Chapter

Use the engaging lessons in this entertaining chapter to ensure you fully understand patient assessment and diagnostics. Feel confident in your ability to excel on an upcoming test by testing your knowledge using our mini quizzes and practice exam.

Patient Assessment & Diagnostics - Chapter Summary

Gain greater insight into geriatric assessments, developmental assessments, techniques for physical assessment and more by exploring this self-paced chapter. Fun lessons make it easy to comprehend the basics of patient assessment and diagnostics. Review them at your own pace to ensure you're able to:

  • Explain how a SOAP note can assist in initial patient assessment
  • Share guidelines for assessing pain and discomfort levels in patients
  • Describe techniques and data collection for geriatric assessments
  • Discuss the purpose and methods of diagnostic techniques
  • Detail ways to differentiate between normal and abnormal diagnostic test results
  • Provide details about the implementation, interpretation and follow-up of developmental assessments
  • List and describe techniques for physical assessment
  • Define and discuss the purpose of clinical assessment in psychology

Utilize any resources in this chapter that can effectively refresh or expand your knowledge of patient assessment and diagnostics. Review the lessons to get reacquainted with important topics, and take accompanying quizzes to check your understanding of the lessons. Our Dashboard lets you quickly revisit specific portions of this chapter and submit lesson topic questions to our experts. These resources are accessible 24/7 using any computer or mobile device.

8 Lessons in Chapter 1: Patient Assessment & Diagnostics
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Basics of an Initial Patient Assessment

1. Basics of an Initial Patient Assessment

Assessing a patient may seem like an overwhelming assignment, but using the simple tool of a SOAP note makes it manageable. This lesson describes the format of a SOAP note and how it will help to guide your initial patient assessment.
Assessing Pain & Discomfort Levels in Patients

2. Assessing Pain & Discomfort Levels in Patients

You are caring for someone who tells you they are experiencing pain. Is it really pain and how can you tell? The purpose of this lesson is to give you some guidelines as well as signs and symptoms that will alert you to whether or not a patient requires medication for pain.
Geriatric Assessments: Overview, Techniques & Data Collection

3. Geriatric Assessments: Overview, Techniques & Data Collection

Are you having a senior moment trying to remember how to perform geriatric nursing assessments? In this lesson we will review the basics of geriatric nursing assessments, including an overview, techniques, and collection and documentation of subjective and objective data.
Diagnostic Techniques: Purpose & Methods

4. Diagnostic Techniques: Purpose & Methods

In this lesson we will cover the purpose and methods of certain diagnostic testing. Following basic screening tests, further diagnostic testing is often needed to monitor or understand diseases or dysfunctions.
Interpreting Diagnostic Test Results: Normal & Abnormal

5. Interpreting Diagnostic Test Results: Normal & Abnormal

This lesson goes over some tips and examples of interpreting diagnostic test results. This includes things like vital signs and bloodwork and some notes on developmental and psychosocial tests as well.
Developmental Assessments: Implementation, Interpretation & Follow-Up

6. Developmental Assessments: Implementation, Interpretation & Follow-Up

As a nurse, you will often be required to assess a patient to learn more about their physical, cognitive, and emotional development. This lesson discusses some of the nuances of a strong developmental assessment.
Techniques for Physical Assessment

7. Techniques for Physical Assessment

In this lesson, we will identify the techniques used to complete a physical assessment. We will discuss the purpose for each technique as well as how they are performed to obtain a physical assessment.
What is Clinical Assessment in Psychology? - Definition and Purpose

8. What is Clinical Assessment in Psychology? - Definition and Purpose

There are three main clinical assessments that psychologists use to determine a diagnosis for a patient. Learn when it is appropriate to use clinical interviews, neurological and biological testing, and intelligence testing as well as what kind of information each one provides.
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Practice Final Exam
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