PODCAST · health

Health History

by Health History

Intro (Instructor):"Welcome to today’s nursing podcast on taking a health history. In this episode, we’ll follow a conversation between an instructor and a student as they walk through how to gather patient information effectively and compassionately. Let’s get started."Student: Hi! I know the health history is important, but where do we start?Instructor: We start by understanding that there are two main types of data we collect: subjective data and objective data.Student: Subjective data is… what the patient tells us, right?Instructor: Exactly. It’s the patient’s own words — like, “I called 911 because I had horrible chest pain and it was hard to breathe.” We document those quotes just as they are.Student: And objective data?Instructor: That’s what we can observe or measure — things we find in the physical exam, lab results, or imaging studies.Student: So how do we actually start the health history?Instructor: First, introduce yourself and make sure you have the correct patie