NUR 221

Course Description: 
                 
                  This course provide students with competencies necessary to assess individual health status during health and illness. Throughout this course, students are directed to use effective communication skills to collect data about health history, conduct comprehensive physical examination and document findings.
 
 
Instructional Methods: 
Lecture, Discussion, Problem Solving, Case Study, Lecture Demonstration, Return Demonstration

Required Texts: 

 
D’ Amico, D. Health & Physical Assessment in Nursing, 3rd Ed. (2016). Pearson, Cloth. ISBN-10: 0133876403 • ISBN-13: 9780133876406
 
 
Required Articles:
 
None.
 
 
 
Recommended Resources:
 

1. Bickley L. S. & Hoekelman R (2011). Bates guide to physical examination and history taking. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company
2. Jarvis C. Physical Examination and Health Assessment. St. Louis 7Th Ed. (2015). Missouri, Saunders Elsevier.
3. Kluwer, Wolters (2009) Assessment an Incredibly Easy Pocket Guide. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.2nd Ed. 2009
4. Mosby's Nursing Video Series Physical Examination & Health Assessment DVD-ROM. Mosby Elsevier.
5. Wilson, S.P. Giddens J.F.(2013). Health Assessment for Nursing Practice. Mosby Elsevier. 5th Edition.
6. Wilson, S.P. Giddens J.F... Health Assessment for Nursing Practice. Mosby Elsevier. 2009. Edition: 4th. ISBN: 978-0-323-05322-8.

 

Course Goals: 

 
            The goal of this course is to identify health assessment principles and techniques accentuating on the development of therapeutic communication skills and assessment of health individuals across the lifespan. The focus is on the use of general and specialized assessment skills as a basis for clinical decision making and develop the students’ performance for identifying actual and potential health problems which is an alteration of a health response as a first step of the nursing process, the core of the nursing practice.
 

Goals for Student Learning: 

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
 

1. Identify the principles of interview techniques used  in assessing the health status of the client;
2. Define the elements of a comprehensive health history obtained during data collection;
3. Demonstrate skills in history taking and interview when obtaining client information;
4. Describe and perform the skills in performing the four fundamental techniques of health assessment (inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation);
5. Perform a complete, thorough and systematic physical examination (head to toe assessment) among adult clients in various health settings;
6. Differentiate normal from abnormal findings;
7. Apply relevant anatomy and physiology in the health assessment process.
8. Develop critical thinking skills to be able to conduct a systematic health assessment and consider potential health promotion issues.
9. Interpret the findings relative to the health status of the client upon assessment.
10. Document all findings accurately and completely following a standard format.
11.  Integrate the nursing process during the health assessment.
12. Apply patient safety at all times in performing the procedures of physical examination.