NURS 712: Advanced Health Assessment
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of the Graduate Program Coordinator; must be taken concurrently with NURS 713
Credit Hours: (2)
This course provides the advanced practice nurse with the advanced skills related to health assessment and clinical decision making.
Detailed Description of Content of the Course
1. Overview of Health Assessment: a) Comprehensive health history, functional assessment,
nutritional assessment, cultural assessment; mental health assessment; b) The physical
examination
2. Health promotion/prevention
3. Assessment of body systems and behavior: head and neck, eyes & ears, respiratory,
cardiovascular, abdomen, musculoskeletal, neurological and mental health
4. Clinical decision making : a) Diagnostic process; b) Abnormal assessments &
related
pathology; c) Developing differential diagnoses; d) Making clinical decisions; e)
developing plans of care
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
This online course may include but is not limited to seminar discussions (faculty
and student
led), lectures, guest speakers, case studies, and written projects and other teaching-learning
strategies as appropriate. Because the course is online, audio or video presentations/lectures,
discussion boards, chat rooms and other instructional technology strategies may be
used.
Goals and Objectives of this Course
By the end of the semester the students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate sound critical thinking and clinical decision making.
2. Identify data to be included in the comprehensive health history, the functional
and risk assessments, and the physical examination.
3. Develop an in depth understanding of body systems, including normal variations
and abnormal presentations.
4. Identify signs and symptoms of common emotional illnesses.
5. Identify the appropriate assessments for clients from special populations and
those with selected health problems.
6. Relate assessment findings to underlying pathology or physiologic changes.
7. Establish differential diagnoses based on the assessment data.
8. Develop an effective and appropriate plan of care for the patient that includes
consideration of culture, ethnicity, development, and life circumstances.
Assessment Measures
May include but are not limited to: Examinations; Student presentations; Written assignments; Case studies.
Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
Approved: April 2010