Chief Complaint

Last Updated: April 27, 2024

Chief Complaint

When a patient enters the hospital, they will need to give the nurse a statement or suggestion of the symptoms they are feeling. This symptom will be recorded and analyzed by the presiding nurse or doctor as their chief complaint.

1. Chief Complaint Template

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2. Sample Chief Complaint

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3. Chief Complaint Comprehensive Adult History

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4. Making Recording Analysis of Chief Complaint

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5. Chief Complaint Patient Interview Guide

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6. Patient Chief Complaint

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7. Chief Complaint History & Physical Format

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8. Acne Date of Service Chief Complaint Template

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9. Chief Complaint Classification

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10. Chief Complaint Patient Encounter Template

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11. Chief Complaint Epic Reference Guide

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12. Common Chief Complaints of Dental Patients

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13. Chief Complaint Initial Pain Management Template

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14. Patient’s Chief Complaint Documenting

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15. Chief Complaint Teledermatology Template

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16. Initial Appointment Chief Complaint Note Template

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17. Chief Complaint Case Presentation Template

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18. Chief Complaint Oral Case Presentation

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19. Medical History Main Exam Chief Complaint

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What Is a Chief Complaint

The chief complaint is the patient’s issue that has resulted in them being required to seek medical assistance. The chief complaint can be obtained by having a chief complaint interview with the patient if it is possible. Otherwise, they will need to use context clues to obtain the chief complaint from the patient. If you want to have a more in-depth look into the chief complaint, you may look into a sample chief complaint, chief complaint template, and chief complaint classification.

How to Document the Person’s Medical History with Chief Complaints

A person’s medical history will allow the presiding doctor to be able to administer the right treatment for the patient. Not only that but it will also act as the main reference for the hospital staff. The chief complaint is the only constant element of medical history that is required in all the different types of medical history.

1.) Create a Table with Elements of History and Type of History

A person’s medical history will allow the presiding doctor to be able to administer the right treatment for the patient. Not only that but it will also act as the main reference for the hospital staff. The chief complaint is the only constant element of medical history that is required in all the different types or classifications of medical history.

2.) Select the Type of History You Need to Make

After you have created the table, you must now select the specific type of history you are going to make. The type of history will dictate whether or not you will need to write specific elements of history. Note, the only element that is constant in all types of history is the chief complaint.

3.) Write Down the Chief Complaint

You must now write down the chief complaint on the specific cell. The chief complaint must be a concise statement that describes the problem or symptom that was being brought up by the patient.

4.) Complete the Table with all The Needed Elements of History

When you have finished writing down the chief complaint you will now need to complete the table with the specific elements of history. If you have chosen a problem-focused medical history then you will need to have the chief complaint, a brief description of the history of the present illness, and an applicable review of systems. A detailed medical history requires the chief complaint, a detailed description of the history of the patient’s illness, an expanded review of systems, and the apropos history of the patient. Lastly, a comprehensive medical history requires complete data of all elements of the history.


FAQs

How does the chief complaint interact with a nursing diagnosis?

The chief complaint is the accurate and succinct description or statement that describes the current situation the patient faces and why they are seeking medical help. While a nursing diagnosis is a technique that will assess the current predicament of the patient that is seeking medical help. The chief complaint will help the nurse connect the chief complaint to the nursing diagnosis to holistically assess the patient. Not only does the chief complaint help the creation of the nursing diagnosis, but it will also provide a foundation for the presiding doctors’ and nurses’ initial care for the patient.

What is the most common chief complaint?

There are plenty of common examples of chief complaints. One of the most common chief complaints is “My stomach hurts”, which is very broad and this symptom is very broad. Another common example of a specific chief complaint is “I am here for a follow-up for my migraines.” The broader the chief complaint the more commonly the said chief complaint is used.

Why is chief complaint important?

The chief complaint is the initial description of a feeling the patient felt that made the patient seek medical aid or help. This is important as the chief complaint serves as the foundation of the initial aid and assessment of the patient. Not only that but the chief complaint will also aid the doctor in their first impression of the illness the patient might have, and may indicate whether the illness is caused by a bacteria or a virus.

The patient’s initial statement of the sensation that prompted them to seek medical attention or assistance is known as their major complaint. The presiding physician will be able to deliver the best treatment for the patient based on the patient’s medical history. In conclusion, in order to evaluate the patient holistically, the nurse will use the chief complaint to link the chief complaint to the nursing diagnosis.

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