How to Perform a Basic Head to Toe Nursing Assessment 

Hi! This was very helpful. I am in my first semester of nursing school and we have been doing head to toe assessments and medication administration in clinical. every time I do an assessment, there is always something I miss, but I am working on it! Three things I do that you didn't mention are: I ask the pt. to state his/her name, DOB, and if they have any known allergies all in one sentence so I don't forget. Also, when doing the extremities I check for sensation, asking the pt. if there is any numbness or tingling when I'm touching their arm/hand/leg. And one other thing I always do is check the elbows, back, buttocks, and heels or signs of skin breakdown!! This is super important to do during every assessment, as a beginning sign of a potential sore could develop in such a short amount of time if the pt. hasn't been repositioned. thank you for your help!

Hi Ashley! I'm just starting in my first semester nursing school and watching your videos has given me a lot of help and support in my health assessment class. The full head to toe has definitely been something that I think is a lot but you made it seem so easy, thank you!

As a new nurse I have been overwhelmed with trying to balance giving excellent patient care while accomplishing all of the tasks that need to be done. This video was so helpful and I think it will help me to get my routines down.

Thank you! This is the most detailed AND clear head to toe I've been able to find as a nursing student :)

Thank you for this video! I am a recent nursing graduate and start on my med/surg unit and this has really helped me!

Very, very thorough explanation of the Head to Toe Assessment; I enjoyed! Great video Miss H! :p

i'm going to start working my very first RN job soon (ahhhhhh!!!) and i freaked out because i asked myself if i even remember the head to toe assessment! i knew you had a video on this and ive been following you for quite a while and i just want to say that you sound and look so different! also, thank you so so so much for this video...it was short and concise and just what i needed! :)

Hi Ashley! I'm a nursing student from Brazil, and I really wanna thank you for your advices! I've got a internship and your videos helped me a lot, I really got inspired, so thank you again! And greetings from Brazil!

I just finished my 1st semester of nursing school and we will be going to the hospital next semester and so this is going to be sooooooo helpful. they highly stressed doing a head to toe assesment in about 5 minutes.

I'm going into my second semester of nursing school and I'm intimidated still by Head to Toe assessments this was so chill and informational. I loved the flow of the conversation and pace. Thank you! I'll be using this in clinicals. can you explain in depth head and toe assessment as well? I just would like to hear what you do to analyze. thank you!

Loved this video! Wish I would of watched it the summer before I started nursing school. Though now I have learned physical assessments, everyone does theirs a tiny bit differently so It was really interesting to hear about yours! Great idea for video! When I searched physical assessments back in the day there was no good videos and this one could help a lot of people! :)

This video is perfect for me a new nurse coming from being a Resp. Therapist our assessment is different, thank ypu this is very helpful

Thank you for this awesome video. Greatly appreciate it.

What an awesome video. Thank you, Ashley.

Would you be able to please make a video of how to structure these types assessments in your nursing documentation? :-)

Thank you I'm going on 3rd semester of Lpn program although I done head to toes def this helps 😊

Thanks! Going into my Second semester of nursing school and this helps tons!

This is a great video. Thank you!

Great info. love it.

I Came here because of the Web-Seminar from PICMONIC , Thank you for the great advice. I will definitely watch all your videos as well

Very helpful, thanks!

Great video, it was very helpful! :)

Thank you! So educating and quick.:)

Thank you!

Thank you again.

Thank you; this was helpful. I'm in my final semester towards my RN/ADN. I wonder about skin assessments on the back, buttocks, and heels looking for skin breakdown; are you also doing that as you inspect the extremities? I didn't hear specific mention of it but that's always included, correct? I also have asked patients to squeeze my fingers to check for muscle strength/neuro.

Yaaassss girl you did that 👏🏾

I LIKE THEY FLOW OF YOUR ASSESSMENT ROUTINE.

great..!

I am looking forward to seeing you all do more Hart sounds

Awesome 🤩

Hello Mrs. Adkins, I liked your video, Can you show us how to document to information that you just said onto a head 2 toe sheet. please. I am a nursing student. Thank you.

Hi Ashley. Thanks for showing the quick sequence. I would add hand grips and foot pushes and pulls to determine if they're equal. This was a good video.

Thank you

Nice video, but can you please make a video on pre-nursing?

Great video! Do you have this typed out anywhere? It'd be a great resource for (almost) nurses like myself! 😃

Do you routinely check cranial nerves? I find thosea bit indimidating and difficult to remember. Or is IT more if there is a head trauma, neurologial issues (such as blending, increased cranial pressure) ? Do you always listen to heart and lungs? Im a Norwegian nurse looking to become a nurse in the us (my husband is American). We do things a little different here. We structure our assesments through a cpr like system. Abcde. A for Airways, B for breathing C for circulatiol and D for disability. We asses a lot of the same things esentially but in a different system. Airways (Are they free, obstructed etc) and then B (lung sounds respiraton rate use of musles when breathing) C circulation (bloodpressure, temperature, check for signs of dehydreration), D - disability (GCS, mental status etc) etc. Its prioritized this way because it makes you tackle the most pressing thing first before you move on. But I think the American way makes more Sense tbh, you tend to take all the vitals at the same time . And you also tend to get a sense of your patiens neurological status in the beginning of the conversation. I do however find IT easier to remember everything through the abcde system.

Thanks for the video, it would be more helpful seeing you do it on someone.

Hi Ashley!! Great video describing a head to toe nursing assessment. You are very thorough! I teach LPN nursing students and would love to see you actually performing the head to toe assessment on a real person, so my students can see how that looks. Thank you so much for posting these videos!

I'll be done in December than I'll be applying for nursing school 😊

do you check muscle strenght and rom, or is not very used?

That's a lot haha, thank you!

👌🏽👏🏽

you pretty

Damn, she's gorgeous

Have you ever put a catheter in man or woman can u explain the proper procedure please

Some nurses are too damn smart and perky!!!!! lol No, she's great! good tips.

You look like Betty boop

Good but instead of talking about it and lecturing, you should show how you would do it on someone.... that would be helpful for skills practical. All I need is the steps....

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:5, Jesus Christ is the only way, KJV......

please, fellow nurses, watch the movie VAXXED.

people need school tips not what u do at work class and real life are different