Functional patterns in nursing refer to a series of systematic assessment of a patient that informs diagnoses. The existence of databases that contain patients’ profiles and previous diagnosis is essential in the treatment of their current condition. It informs the nurse on what conditions they might be dealing with and the best possible action to take (Whitney, 2018).
The assessment is mainly done in two stages; checking the history and examination of the patient. History taking involves patients verbally informing the nurse about their state of health over the years to obtain what is termed as subjective data. The information can also come from the parent or guardian in cases where the patient is a minor or has communication challenges. Community representative perspectives are also essential in exceptional circumstances. The nursing history provided describes the patient’s functional patterns. Inquiry through questions is the best way to establish the previous and current state of health of the patient. The questions used must be organized and systematic to obtain critical information about the client's health. It also gives insight into successful health management practices applicable to a patient’s situation. From this, nurses can draw useful information that will help in profiling the client. A patient examination is essential since it can help show patterns that exist in the client’s medical record, termed as the objective data (Carpenito-Moyet, 2008). The information obtained during history taking can also be verified after an examination. Generally, history taking and systematic review are usually in line with all current nursing diagnoses.
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Nurses who specialize in a specific area may opt to conduct a more in-depth assessment to establish whether particular patterns exist. History and examination can also be expanded based on the disease, age, disability, and client-specific factors. For instance, the exercise patterns of a client will require an in-depth assessment in case the client has a condition that alters this pattern. For a disease associated with an elimination complexity, specifically adult bowel elimination complication, I will use the following questions to establish the client's history. Describe the bowel elimination pattern? What is the frequency of bowel elimination? Is there any discomfort? Do they have a problem controlling their bowel? After this, a detailed examination will be conducted, starting with general hygiene to screening in some cases. This will help me to come up with a final report on the client’s condition and its management solutions.
References
Carpenito-Moyet, L. J. (2008). Handbook of nursing diagnosis (12th ed.). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Whitney, S. (2018). Pathophysiology clinical applications for client health . Grand Canyon University. https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs410v/pathophysiology-clinical-applications-for-client-health/v1.1/#/chapter/3
