Reference no: EM132470153

A nurse is examining a 62-year-old Caucasian client with complaints of severe, diffuse headaches over the past few months. She states that at times they are so intense she has to stop whatever she is doing and lie down. During the interview, the client states that she has been experiencing a lot of anxiety and stress lately, which she thinks may be the cause of the headaches. The headaches last for hours, which has made it difficult on some days to go to work or attend classes. The client works 30 hours a week as an auditor at a local bank, which requires long periods of time reviewing complicated data. She is a graduate student attending a business program to further her career, and she is in the process of completing her thesis. The client has noticed that the headaches correlate to extended time working on the computer. She informs the nurse that she does not take any medication, not even over-the-counter drugs for pain relief. She does not believe in taking any type of pharmaceutical. She drinks herbal teas to relieve the headaches, but those have not seemed to help lately. The nurse notices that the client is rubbing her forehead as she speaks.

1. Based on the information provided by the client, how should the nurse proceed with the assessment?

2. What changes in the physical assessment of the head and neck would the nurse expect to find in an older adult client?