Types of

Assessment
1. Initial comprehensive assessment
2. Ongoing or partial assessment
3. Focused or problem oriented
assessment
4. Emergency assessment
 Initial Comprehensive
Assessment
 Collection of subjective data about client’s
perception about her health of all body parts,
past health history, family history and lifestyle
and health practices
 Collects subjective data especially those
related to the client’s overall function.
 Taken when client first enters a health care
system and periodically thereafter to establish
baseline data against which future health
status changes can be measured and compared
 Frequency depends upon the client’s age, risk
factor, health status, health promotion
practices and lifestyle
 Ongoing or Partial
Assessment
 Consist of data collection that occurs after
the comprehensive data base is established
 Consists of mini-overview of the client’s
body system or holistic health patterns are
reassessed in less depth to determine any
major changes (deterioration or
improvement) from the baseline data
 Done whenever a nurse has an encounter
with the client
 This type of assessment may be performed
in the hospital, community or home setting.
 Focused or problem
oriented assessment
 A thorough assessment of a
particular client problem
 Ex: ear pain
 Ask about hearing loss, dizziness,
ringing in his ears, personal ear care
 Emergency assessment
 A rapid assessment performed in
threatening situations (choking, cardiac
arrest, drowning), an immediate diagnosis
is needed to provide prompt treatment
 Ex: evaluation of the client’s airway,
breathing, and circulation (ABC) when
cardiac arrest is suspected
 Major concern is to determine the status
of the client’s life sustaining physical
functions