This document provides guidelines for weekly write-ups for a nursing assessment course. It states that weekly assignments include a complete health history for week 1 and 2-paragraph focused write-ups for weeks 2 through 7. Each write-up should include subjective information from the patient and objective findings from the exam. Formatting requirements, such as using 2 paragraphs and samples from the textbook, are outlined. Tips are provided, such as avoiding vague terms, fully describing abnormalities, and staying in third person.

1. Tips for Weekly Write Ups
Nursing 3300 Health Assessment
Governors State University

2. Weekly assignments
 Week 1- a complete health history
 Week 2 to 7
 Focused write ups- 2 paragraphs
 Subjective and Objective (S and O from a SOAP note)
 Most weeks have more than one body system
 A separate write up is required for each body system
 Sample write ups appear in your textbook
 Subjective information = questions to assess symptoms in text
 Objective information = complete assessment in text

3. Format for weekly Write Ups
 Perform a focused assessment on a volunteer
 OK to use a pt as long as they give permission
 Write up your assessment and submit by midnight on
Sunday at midnight of the week.
 Format = 2 paragraphs
 1st – subjective data – what the pt tells you. Use your
textbook – “questions to assess symptoms”
 2nd- Objective Data –Your findings- Use your
textbook
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Samples are in your text book

4. Tips
 Be sure to follow the correct format. Only include the
subjective information you would gather from the review
of systems in the history and the objective data gathered
from the physical assessment. See the examples posted
under “class resources”.
 Don’t use “Appears or Seems” in your write ups. They
make you look uncertain of your findings and are old
fashioned.
 Don’t use “normal or WNL”. Fully describe your findings
even if they are normal.

5. Tips
 Don’t use descriptive words that can mean different
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things to different examiners like “good, average or
moderate”. Give precise information.
Don’t use lay terms like “ear drum, belly button or arm
pit”
Be careful of words that sound similar. Ie “Ancillary and
axillary or palpable and palatable”.
Stay away from descriptive words that can be interpreted
as judgmental such as “nice, pretty, God fearing”.
Be sure to fully describe any abnormal findings.

6. Tips
 Measure anything that can be measured such as “scars,
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edema or birthmarks”.
Be complete and comprehensive in your write up.
Don’t include interventions in the focused write up.
Don’t use assessments taken from patient charts.
You don’t have to write in full sentences but make sure
your write up is easy to read by using formatting such as
separate paragraphs, underlining, bolding or bullet
points.

7. Tips
 Stay in third person in write ups. Don’t use “I” to refer to
yourself.
 Put pt. comments in quotations.
 Don’t narrate the assessment