ABSTRACT
The nurse’s goal is to focus on the patient’s chief complaint and the events leading up to the current problem (O’Hanlon-Nichols, 1998). The patient’s condition will determine the length and depth of interview. If the patient is unable to talk because of difficulty in breathing then nurses will need to gain information from family members, previous records and any other available documentation to confirm the information elected from your patient using closed questions. It can also be useful to provide the patient with a paper and pen. For each symptom focus on descriptive characteristics including:
n site n character n quality n quantity n severity n previous similar symptoms n timing (onset, frequency, duration) n precipitating factors or relieving factors n other associated symptoms.
