The nursing assessment should be thorough and should include the patient’s nursing history before the physical examination. This procedure opens up the rapport of the nurse with the patient and the patient’s family for a thorough understanding of all aspect of his actual or perceived medical condition.
An individual’s history is necessary in the nursing assessment which includes his health status, the symptoms and course of the present ailment, how the illness is being presently managed and the medical history of the client including that of his immediate family, his or her social history and how he or she perceives his symptoms.