Identify how your performance could be improved and how you can apply “lessons learned” within the assignment to your professional practice.

In what ways did this assignment affect your development into proficiently interviewing and assessing patients?

            The Esther Park Abdominal Assessment tests one’s ability to concisely collect a patient’s history of present illness and how to leverage such information in determining the best course of action. Since the assessment requires comprehensive inspection and evaluation, alongside such physical examinations as palpation and percussion, I was able to master how to proceed with these activities, and the vital patient responses to note during the assessment. I believe this experience will help me practice better when handling patients presenting with similar complaints.

One aspect of my performance during this assessment that needs improvement is time management when collecting subjective data. The need to collect an extensive patient history in relation to the present illness, while at the same time seeking to minimize the time spent interviewing a patient can be particularly challenging. However, I realized that by efficiently documenting patient responses and providing empathic or educative feedback makes the process smoother and faster. This is because such personalized interaction makes it easier for the patient to provide detailed, yet specific responses regarding their problems. I intend to leverage this aspect of patient interviewing into my practice going forward.

References

Setya, A., Mathew, G. & Cagir, B. (2020). Fecal Impaction. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448094/