How a pyramid helps to unravel the stages of nursing assessment

Teaching nurses at one college's nursing and midwifery department how to assess patients and clients has been made easier with the help of a visual pyramid developed by one lecturer. The model highlights the need to distinguish between holistic, physical and specialist/specific assessment. The ability to assess clients and patients appropriately and accurately has always been a key part of nurses' responsibilities. Nurses now face meeting the requirements of the 'Making a Difference' (DoH, 1999) agenda, They will have to cope with the roles extended to them by the decrease in junior doctors' hours - one of which is that nurses will be involved in patient assessment to a greater level than in the past. 'The Scope of Professional Practice' (NMC, 2002) indicated that nurses 'must be satisfied that each aspect of practice is directed to meeting the needs and serving the interests of the patient or client'.