NURS 6512 Week 3 Discussion: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children
Sample Answer for NURS 6512 Week 3 Discussion: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children Included After Question
When seeking to identify a patient’s health condition, advanced practice nurses can use a diverse selection of diagnostic tests and assessment tools; however, different factors affect the validity and reliability of the results produced by these tests or tools. Nurses must be aware of these factors in order to select the most appropriate test or tool and to accurately interpret the results.
Not only do these diagnostic tests affect adults, body measurements can provide a general picture of whether a child is receiving adequate nutrition or is at risk for health issues. These data, however, are just one aspect to be considered. Lifestyle, family history, and culture—among other factors—are also relevant. That said, gathering and communicating this information can be a delicate process.
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For this Assignment, you will consider the validity and reliability of different assessment tools and diagnostic tests. You will explore issues such as sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. You will also consider examples of children with various weight issues. You will explore how you could effectively gather information and encourage parents and caregivers to be proactive about their children’s health and weight.
To Prepare
- Review this week’s Learning Resources and consider factors that impact the validity and reliability of various assessment tools and diagnostic tests. You also will review examples of pediatric patients and their families as it relates to BMI.
- By Day 1 of this week, you will be assigned to one of the following Assignment options by your Instructor: Adult Assessment Tools or Diagnostic Tests (option 1), or Child Health Case (Option 2). Note: Please see the “Course Announcements” section of the classroom for your assignments from your Instructor.
- Search the Walden Library and credible sources for resources explaining the tool or test you were assigned. What is its purpose, how is it conducted, and what information does it gather?
- Also, as you search the Walden library and credible sources, consider what the literature discusses regarding the validity, reliability, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, ethical dilemmas, and controversies related to the test or tool.
- If you are assigned Assignment Option 2 (Child), consider what health issues and risks may be relevant to the child in the health example.
- Based on the risks you identified, consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.
- Consider how you could encourage parents or caregivers to be proactive toward the child’s health.
The Assignment
Assignment (3–4 pages, not including title and reference pages):
Assignment Option 1: Adult Assessment Tools or Diagnostic Tests:
Include the following:
- A description of how the assessment tool or diagnostic test you were assigned is used in healthcare.
- What is its purpose?
- How is it conducted?
- What information does it gather?
- Based on your research, evaluate the test or the tool’s validity and reliability, and explain any issues with sensitivity, reliability, and predictive values. Include references in appropriate APA formatting.
Assignment Option 2: Child Health Case:
Include the following:
- An explanation of the health issues and risks that are relevant to the child you were assigned.
- Describe additional information you would need in order to further assess his or her weight-related health.
- Identify and describe any risks and consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.
- Taking into account the parents’ and caregivers’ potential sensitivities, list at least three specific questions you would ask about the child to gather more information.
- Provide at least two strategies you could employ to encourage the parents or caregivers to be proactive about their child’s health and weight.
By Day 6 of Week 3
Submit your Assignment.
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A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NURS 6512 Week 3 Discussion: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children
Title: NURS 6512 Week 3 Discussion: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children
I enjoyed reading your entry. The targeted questions you suggested would help you gather more information about the patient. On a scale of 0-10, 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain, how can you rate your headache? The patients’ pain level can help you understand how critical the pain may be effecting the patient. Depending on the severity of the headache you have to monitor for other healthcare issues he could possibly be facing. The patient would most likely be open to explain how bad the headache is hurting him. Do you smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or use any recreational drugs? This question is a good question because some of these things aggravate a headache even more and some recreational drugs can enhance a headache. Recreational drugs cause a risk to a patients’ health and may enhance a patients want to self harm. Also there are negative impacts of cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs on the patients’ health. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, and cancer (Health effects of cigarette smoking, 2021). Do you feel safe at home? How much sleep do you get? Do you feel depressed? Do you feel like hurting yourself? These four questions help the provider understand the patient’s mental health level. The patient safety and mental health is important to address when addressing medical issues. The patients’ frequent flyer status at the hospital may be a indicator of situations sometimes characterized by physical, mental, spiritual, and social deprivation of their home situations (Huang, van der Borght, Leithaus, Flamaing, and Goderis, 2020). The patient may no be that open to answering these questions because they may seem invasive to him. I would try to make the patient feel comfortable and safe before assessing him. What coping skills/mechanism works for you when you are stressed? The patients coping skills is important to address because the patient is a frequent flyer to the hopital. The patient may be lacking coping skills and may be reluctant to open up about his coping mechanisms. Patients with maladaptive coping mechanisms are more likely to engage in health risk behaviors (Algorani & Gupta, 2022). What do you do for a living? Although this is a good question, I don’t believe this would help you gather information about the patients chief complaint.
The questions that would apply to my patients is the questions about coping mechanisms, safety, depression, and self harm. My patient is a transgender male that recently came out so his mental health status may be a risk for depression and possible self harm. My patient has also had losses in employment and had to move back home with his parents so his coping skills may be questioned on how he is dealing with the recent transitions in his life. My patient also may face a lot of bias, discrimination, and stigmas with his recent transition to male which could place him in harms way. The question about smoking, alcohol, and drugs would also apply to my patient because he smokes cigarettes and marijuana.
Algorani EB, Gupta V. Coping Mechanisms. [Updated 2022 Apr 28]. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559031/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, October 29). Health effects of cigarette smoking. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/#health-risks
Huang, M., van der Borght, C., Leithaus, M., Flamaing, J., & Goderis, G. (2020). Patients’ perceptions of frequent hospital admissions: a qualitative interview study with older people above 65 years of age. BMC geriatrics, 20(1), 332. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01748-9Links to an external site.
A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: NURS 6512 Week 3 Discussion: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children
Title: NURS 6512 Week 3 Discussion: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children
Child Health Case
The rising prevalence of obesity in children has become a major concern in healthcare. According to statistics, the prevalence of obesity in children 2-5 years is 12.7% and 20.7% in children aged between 6 and 11 years (CDC, 2022). Obesity puts children at risk of poor health outcomes in childhood and adulthood. According to Sanyaolu et al. (2019), children who are obese are likely to remain that way even in adulthood, putting them at risk of developing chronic conditions including stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, among other top ten leading causes of death in America. Hence, monitoring a child’s weight is essential in preventing potential obesity. In most cases, obesity is due to lifestyle and living conditions. In the chosen case study, an overweight five-year-old child has parents who are overweight and working all the time, which reveals a great deal of information regarding the child’s socioeconomic circumstances and risk factors for poor health outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the boy’s case and identify the risk factors he is exposed to owing to his surroundings and family lifestyle.
Health Issues and Risks
The child is overweight, which is of great concern because it puts the child at risk of obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for multiple conditions that impact a child’s functioning, growth and development, and overall well-being. Children with overweight and obesity issues are likely to develop sleep disorders, type 2 diabetes, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallstones, liver problems and early puberty. In addition, being overweight or obese can also lead to low social competence in children. The likelihood of overweight or obese children being bullied is 63% greater than other children (Sanyaolu et al., 2019). Bullying has sociopsychological effects on children, including isolation, low self-esteem, poor body image, depression, suicide, and anxiety. In the case study, the child is only five years old, and experiences of bullying and its sociopsychological implications can negatively impact his growth and development.
Additionally, the boy’s weight indicates that he is not eating healthy foods and snacks physical activity. Indulging in high sugar content and processed foods more than healthy choices leads to being overweight. Since the parents are working almost all the time, they do not have time to prepare proper meals; hence rely on first food and soft drinks for meals. A lack of healthy meal options means that the boy does not get enough nutritional nutrients that he needs at his stage for proper growth and development (Dains et al., 2019). This puts him at risk of deficiencies and poor health outcomes because of low immunity that cannot sufficiently fight off pathogens causing diseases. For example, he can be susceptible to infections. Moreover, both parents are overweight, which points to the possibility of the overweight being a genetic issue. Nevertheless, whether genetic or not, being overweight puts the patient at risk of obesity and other health issues.
Additional Information
The child’s background suggests that he comes from a low socioeconomic background. Therefore, additional information would be focused on evaluating the child’s social determinants of health and other issues that impact weight. For example, information about the child’s eating habits and availability of basic needs, including healthy meal choices. This information will help to know what the child’s nutrition is like and whether it is the cause of his overweight. Additionally, information on the child’s physical activity will also be an essential part of the assessment (Srinath et al., 2019). For example, asking the child if they enjoy playing out with friends or if he spends most of his time in the house watching television and playing video games. If the child is living a sedentary lifestyle without engaging in physical play, it can contribute to their overweight. The living conditions also can impact the child’s health; for example, if they live in a place with a playing field or have no space for playing, it discourages physical activity while encouraging a sedentary lifestyle (Smith et al. 2020).
Health Risks
The child’s well-being and health are at stake because of being overweight. The first health risk is obesity. I would collect information by measuring the child’s weight and height and then calculating the BMI. Secondly, the child is at risk of developing one or more chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart problems. I would assess this information by asking about the child’s health, including recent hospitalizations, if any. The child may also be at risk of psychosocial development because being overweight affects interaction with peers. Hence, it does not give the child opportunity for proper psychosocial development. Further information would be collected by asking the parents about the child’s social life, interaction with other children, and emotional displays that might point to a problem (Ball et al., 2019).
The physical growth and development of the child are also a concern. For example, according to the development theories, at age five, a child is physically active and should demonstrate better coordination and balance. The boy’s low socioeconomic status is a risk factor for poor health outcomes; for example, unsafe and congested living conditions can lead to injury and infections (Ball et al., 2019). Further information would be gathered by asking about the child’s socioeconomic background. While doing the assessment and health interview, it is essential to observe confidentiality, privacy, and respect for the patient’s culture.
Specific Questions
Does your child have any health issues?
What kinds of meals do you prepare at home?
Do you earn enough to support the family’s needs, particularly the essential needs?
Where do you live?
How many people live in your household?
Does your child like to play and interact with other children?
Strategies for Promoting Healthy Weights
I will use the Health Promotion Model (HPM) to educate the parents and caregivers on the dangers of being overweight and the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight (Narzisi & Simons, 2021). Secondly, I would educate the parents on proper nutrition and suggest foods they can include in their child’s diet, such as plenty of fruits and vegetables, more grains, and less fast-food and processed foods. The parents will also be encouraged to limit snacks and substitute unhealthy snacks with healthy choices such as nuts. Another strategy is to educate the parents on the importance of physical education. If the parents adopt physical activity in their lifestyle, it will influence the child also to become more physically active and lose weight.
Conclusion
Statistics show that childhood obesity is rising, putting more children at risk of poor health outcomes. The child in this case study is a five-year-old boy who is overweight. Both parents are also overweight, and he spends time with his grandmother, as the parents are busy working. The child is at risk of developing obesity, which would make him susceptible to chronic conditions including diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, and cancer. The boy presumably lives in a low-socioeconomic neighbourhood, further exposing him to negative health outcomes. To mitigate potential negative health risks, the parents must adjust the boy’s diet to incorporate foods with more nutritional value and avoid processed foods and soft drinks. Additionally, the family need lifestyle adjustment to adopt physical activity to help them maintain healthy weights.
References
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
CDC. (2022, May 17). Childhood Obesity Facts: Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in the United States. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html#:~:text=Prevalence%20of%20Childhood%20Obesity%20in%20the%20United%20States&text=The%20prevalence%20of%20obesity%20was,to%2019%2Dyear%2Dolds.
Dains, J. E., Baumann, L. C., & Scheibel, P. (2019). Advanced health assessment and clinical diagnosis in primary care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Narzisi, K., & Simons, J. (2021). Interventions that prevent or reduce obesity in children from birth to five years of age: A systematic review. Journal of Child Health Care, 25(2), 320–334. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367493520917863.
Sanyaolu, A., Okorie, C., Qi, X., Locke, J., & Rehman, S. (2019). Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States: A Public Health Concern. Global Pediatric Health, https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X19891305.
Smith, J. D., Fu, E., & Kobayashi, M. A. (2020). Prevention and Management of Childhood Obesity and Its Psychological and Health Comorbidities. Annual review of clinical psychology, 16, 351–378. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-100219-060201.
Srinath, S., Jacob, P., Sharma, E., & Gautam, A. (2019). Clinical Practice Guidelines for Assessment of Children and Adolescents. Indian journal of psychiatry, 61(Suppl 2), 158–175. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_580_18.
Grading Rubric
| Performance Category | 100% or highest level of performance
100% 16 points |
Very good or high level of performance
88% 14 points |
Acceptable level of performance
81% 13 points |
Inadequate demonstration of expectations
68% 11 points |
Deficient level of performance
56% 9 points |
Failing level
of performance 55% or less 0 points |
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Presentation of information was exceptional and included all of the following elements:
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Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all of the following elements:
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| Application of Course Knowledge
Demonstrate the ability to analyze and apply principles, knowledge and information learned in the outside readings and relate them to real-life professional situations |
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all of the following elements:
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Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all of the following elements:
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Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in the all of the following elements:
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