عدنان احمد حسن احمد

King Saud University

College of Nursing

Course Content

Course overview:

      The health assessment course is designed to provide student with clinical competence in interviewing techniques, approaches to health history taking and physical examination assessment techniques. The theoretical content equips the student with a current and thorough knowledge of physical examination approach and history taking in order to establish data- base on clients in various health setting. 

Course objectives:

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

1.     Utilize the principles of interviewing techniques in assessing client’s health status.

2.     Obtain a comprehensive health history from clients in various health setting.

3.     Acquire skill in performing the four fundamental techniques of health assessment “inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation.

4.     Perform a complete, thorough and systemic physical examination on both adult and pediatric clients in various health settings.

5.     Record and interpret finding of the health assessment accurately and completely.

Course requirement:

       The theoretical knowledge will be given in a simplified self-study module format. Students are required to fulfill the twelve modules pre requisite assignment (reading and homework) as scheduled prior to the teaching sessions. The course modules cover three major areas: health history, adult physical assessment techniques as well as infant and child assessment. 

Skills will be presented by the demonstration and return demonstration method in the clinical skills nursing lab. Provision by the faculty member facilitating the course will be made for each student to individually redemonstrate the procedures.

Course outline:                                                                              

Evaluation:

The overall evaluation will be based on the following:

Required Bibliography:

1.     Bates B, Bickley L. Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking. 9^th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott 2007.

2.     Barrow AN, Barbson CM, Kovach PA, et al. Physical Assessment Made Incredibly Easy. Pennsylvania: Springhouse 1997.

3.     Jarvis c. Physical Examination and Health Assessment. 2^nd ed. Philadelphia: W.B Saunders Com. 1992.

4.     Ellis R, Nowlis EA, Beutz PM. Modules for Basic Nursing Skills. 5^th ed. Vol 1. Pennsylvania: Lippincott 1992.