During the head-to-toe nursing assessment, you will be assessing the cranial nerves. In this article, I want to break down how to assess cranial nerves I through XII (1-12) as a nurse. Why do we assess cranial nerves? In short, to see if the neuron/nerve works! Why wouldn’t a cranial nerve “work”? In many neuro […]
Abdominal Assessment Nursing
This article will explain how to assess the abdomen as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. During the abdominal assessment you will be: Inspecting Auscultating Palpating/Percussing Video Demonstration on a Nursing Abdominal Assessment Abdomen: Switches to Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, and […]
Upper and Lower Extremity Assessment
This article will explain how to assess the upper and lower extremities as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. During the extremity assessment you will be assessing the following structures: arms hands legs feet Video Demonstration on Upper and Lower […]
Chest Assessment Nursing (Heart and Lungs)
This article will explain how to assess the chest (heart and lungs) as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. During the chest assessment you will be assessing the following structures: Overall appearance of the chest Lung Sounds: includes abnormal lung […]
Head and Neck Assessment Nursing
This article will explain how to assess the head and neck as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. During the head and neck assessment you will be assessing the following structures: Head includes- face, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, […]
How to Assess the Eyes (Nursing)
This article will explain how to perform an assessment of the eyes as a nurse. This assessment is part of the nursing head-to-toe assessment you have to perform in nursing school and on the job. The eye assessment includes: Inspection of the eyes for abnormalities Testing the cranial nerves responsible for eye function: III, IV, […]
Head-to-Toe Assessment Nursing
This article will explain how to conduct a nursing head-to-toe health assessment. This assessment is similar to what you will be required to perform in nursing school. As you gain experience, you will conduct the assessment in a way that works for you and will become faster overtime. Also depending on what specialty you are […]
Health Assessment NCLEX Review Questions
These are two NCLEX review questions for health assessment. These questions provide two scenarios about performing a head-to-assessment on a patient and requires you to use nursing knowledge in how you will proceed with the assessment, along with identifying lymph nodes in the neck. This question is one of the many questions we will be practicing […]
Costovertebral Angle Tenderness Exam
Learn how to assess for costovertebral angle tenderness, also called CVA tenderness, in patients who are suspected of having a kidney infection. Assessing for CVA tenderness is quick and easy! The video and tutorial below will guide you in how to check for this tenderness. Who is at risk for costovertebral angle tenderness? Anyone who […]
Auscultating the Heart
During the nursing head-to-toe assessment, the nurse will be listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Auscultating the heart allows the nurse to assess the heart’s rhythm, rate, and sound of valve closure. The nurse will be assessing S1 and S2 while noting if there are any S1 and S2 splits or extra heart sounds […]
Heart Sounds Explained
Learning how to listen to heart sounds takes practice. It is vital that you learn as a student how to distinguish S1 from S2 and how to identify extra heart sounds like S3, S4, and heart murmurs. In this article, I am going to highlight the most important things you must know about heart sounds. […]
Heart Sounds & Assessment Quiz
This heart sounds quiz will test your ability on how well you know the location of heart sounds and the causes of extra heart sounds. As a nurse or nursing student, you are required to know the basic heart sounds S1 (lub) and S2 (dub) and their location, along with extra heart sounds, such as […]
Carotid Artery & Jugular Vessel Distention | Nursing Head-to-Toe Assessment
During the nursing head-to-toe assessment the nurse will assess the carotid artery and vessels of the neck for distention. This assessment is particularly important in middle-aged to older adults, especially those who have a history of cardiac disease. The nurse assesses for a bruit which can be a sign of atherosclerotic narrowing, the amplitude/contour of the […]
How to Check Vital Signs | Checking Vitals
Checking vitals is an essential skill nurses learn in nursing school. The vital signs assessment is performed routinely in all health care settings by both nurses and nursing assistants. Vital signs allow the nurse to know how well the patient is doing or responding to treatment. In this article, I will demonstrate how to check vitals […]
Achilles (Heel) Deep Tendon Reflex Assessment
As a nurse and nursing student, you will learn how to assess the deep tendon reflexes. In this article, I will discuss how to assess the achilles tendon reflex along with a video demonstration. The deep tendon reflex examination is part of the neuro assessment for the nursing head to toe assessment. This assessment is […]
Patellar (Knee) Deep Tendon Reflex Assessment
As a nurse and nursing student, you will learn how to assess the deep tendon reflexes. In this article, I will discuss how to assess the patellar tendon reflex along with a video demonstration. The deep tendon reflex examination is part of the neuro assessment for the nursing head to toe assessment. This assessment is […]
Biceps Deep Tendon Reflex Assessment
As a nurse and nursing student, you will learn how to assess the deep tendon reflexes. In this article, I will discuss how to assess the biceps tendon reflex along with a video demonstration. The deep tendon reflex examination is part of the neuro assessment for the nursing head to toe assessment. This assessment is usually […]
Brachioradialis Deep Tendon Reflex Assessment for Nurses & Nursing Students
As a nurse and nursing student, you will learn how to assess the deep tendon reflexes. In this article, I will discuss how to assess the brachioradialis tendon reflex along with a video demonstration. The deep tendon reflex examination is part of the neuro assessment for the nursing head to toe assessment. This assessment is […]
Triceps Deep Tendon Reflex Assessment for Nurses & Nursing Students
As a nurse and nursing student, you will learn how to assess the deep tendon reflexes. In this article, I will discuss how to assess the triceps tendon reflex along with a video demonstration. The deep tendon reflex examination is part of the neuro assessment. This assessment is usually conducted during the head-to-toe nursing assessment. […]
How to Take a Pulse | Taking a Pulse Clinical Nursing Skills
Patients may need to have their pulses taken for a variety of reasons. The most common reason patients have their pulses taken is because they have a medical illness, such as heart disease. Nurses must keep a record of their patients’ pulse rate to make sure that they are in good enough condition to take […]
How to Take a Blood Pressure using the Two-Step (2-Step) Method
The two-step method for taking a blood pressure is similar to the one-step manual blood pressure method, but requires that you take the blood pressure by feeling the brachial artery and then using a stethoscope. So, in a sense you will be taking the blood pressure twice using the same arm but with two methods. The 2-step […]
How to Take Blood Pressure Manually | Clinical Nursing Skills
Taking a patient’s blood pressure is a common aspect of any doctor’s office visit. When nurses take their patient’s blood pressure reading, they are ensuring that their health is up to standards to receive medical treatments. Nurses have manual, electric, and digital blood pressure machines that can be used to take the patient’s blood pressure. […]