Practice Question
What is the first thing a nurse should do when conducting a health assessment on a client? Answers:
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Correct Answer:
Verify the client's identity
Rationale:
⭐ The very first step in any health assessment is to verify the client’s identity using at least two identifiers (such as full name, date of birth, or hospital ID number). This ensures patient safety and prevents errors such as assessing or providing care to the wrong client.
⭐ Confirming identity before beginning establishes the foundation for trust and accuracy in the nurse–patient relationship.
⭐ Performing assessments or documenting findings without proper identification could lead to serious legal and ethical issues.
⭐ Verifying identity also complies with safety protocols such as those outlined by The Joint Commission, which emphasize correct client identification as a national patient safety goal.
⭐ Once identity is confirmed, the nurse can then proceed to establish rapport, gather health history, and perform the physical assessment safely and effectively.
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This question is from Health assessment which contains 10 questions.
More Questions from This Exam
When performing a physical assessment, which of the following is the first physical assessment technique that should be used?
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The nurse enters the room to assess a newly admitted client. Which statement best describes the purpose of a general survey?
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Which of the following should always be followed by the nurse when practicing assessment techniques? Select all that apply.
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5. Which of the following aspects of the complete physical assessment can be delegated by the nurse to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?
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Which of the following assessment findings is not a part of the general survey?
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: Examplify Exam(s)
- Domain: Health Assessment
- Answer Choices: 4