NURS 6512 Discussion Week 5 Assessment of Head, Neck, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat

NURS 6512 Discussion Week 5 Assessment of Head, Neck, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat

Emily, age 15, is brought to your clinic complaining of chills, aches, and a sore throat. Without any testing, consider all of the possible diagnoses. It could be a cold, the flu, bronchitis, or even something more serious, such as meningitis or mononucleosis. Assessing the actual cause will involve much more than simple visual inspection. Some conditions are so subtle that they require the use of special instruments and tests in addition to a trained eye and ear.

This week, you will explore how to assess the head, neck, eyes, ears, nose, and throat. Whether dealing with a detached retina, sinusitis, meningitis, or even cough, advanced practice nurses need to know the proper assessment techniques in order to form accurate diagnoses.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Apply assessment skills to diagnose eye, ear, and throat conditions
• Apply concepts, theories, and principles relating to health assessment techniques and diagnoses for the head, neck, eyes, ears, nose, and throat

Learning Resources

• 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.
• Chapter 11, “Head and Neck” This chapter reviews the anatomy and physiology of the head and neck. The authors also describe the procedures for conducting a physical examination of the head and neck.
• Chapter 12, “Eyes” In this chapter, the authors describe the anatomy and function of the eyes. In addition, the authors explain the steps involved in conducting a physical examination of the eyes.
• Chapter 13, “Ears, Nose, and Throat” The authors of this chapter detail the proper procedures for conducting a physical exam of the ears, nose, and throat. The chapter also provides pictures and descriptions of common abnormalities in the ears, nose, and throat.
• 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.
• Chapter 15, “Earache” This chapter covers the main questions that need to be asked about the patient’s condition prior to the physical examination as well as how these questions lead to a focused physical examination.
• Chapter 21, “Hoarseness” This chapter focuses on the most common causes of hoarseness. It provides strategies for evaluating the patient, both through questions and through physical exams.
• Chapter 25, “Nasal Symptoms and Sinus Congestion” In this chapter, the authors highlight the key questions to ask about the patients symptoms, the key parts of the physical examination, and potential laboratory work that might be needed to provide an accurate diagnosis of nasal and sinus conditions.
• Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Head and neck: Student checklist. In Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
• Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., & Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Head and neck: Key points. In Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
• Document: Episodic/Focused SOAP Note Exemplar (Word document)
• Document: Episodic/Focused SOAP Note Template (Word document)
• Document: Midterm Exam Review (Word document)

Shadow Health Support and Orientation Resources

• Frey, C. [Chris Frey]. (2015, September 4). Student orientation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfd_8pTJBkY
• Shadow Health. (n.d.). Shadow Health help desk. Retrieved from https://support.shadowhealth.com/hc/en-us
• Document: Shadow Health. (2014). Useful tips and tricks (Version 2) (PDF)
• Document: Student Acknowledgement Form (Word document)
• Note: You will sign and date this form each time you complete your DCE Assignment in
• Shadow Health to acknowledge your commitment to Walden University’s Code of Conduct.
• Document: DCE (Shadow Health) Documentation Template for Focused Exam: Cough
• (Word document)

Optional Resource

Use the following resources to guide you through your Shadow Health orientation as well as other support resources:

• LeBlond, R. F., Brown, D. D., & DeGowin, R. L. (2014). DeGowin’s diagnostic examination (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Medical
• Chapter 7, “The Head and Neck” (pp. 178–301)

This chapter describes head and neck examinations that can be made with general clinical resources. Also, the authors detail syndromes of common head and neck conditions.

Assessment of the Head, Neck, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat – Week 5 (29m)