Question

A client comes to her health care provider's office because she is having abdominal pain. She has been seen for this

problem before. What type of assessment would the nurse do?
A) Initial assessment
B) Focused assessment
C) Emergency assessment
D) Time-lapsed assessment

Answer 1

A client with previous abdominal pain would receive a focused assessment from a nurse to identify changes or progress in their condition specifically related to the abdominal area.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a client comes into a health care provider's office with abdominal pain and has been seen for this problem before, the nurse would most likely do a focused assessment. A focused assessment is tailored to the specific problem that the client presents with and is more narrow in scope than the initial comprehensive assessment. In this case, since abdominal pain is not a new symptom and the client has a history of this problem, the nurse would concentrate on the abdominal area to determine changes or progress in the condition, rather than performing a comprehensive initial assessment. This could involve asking questions about the characteristics of the pain, any associated symptoms, and any factors that alleviate or exacerbate the pain. An emergency assessment would be more appropriate if the patient were exhibiting signs and symptoms that suggest a life-threatening condition, whereas a time-lapsed assessment is conducted to compare the current status to the baseline data obtained earlier.