Unit Code: NUR552

Unit Name: Health Assessment and Clinical Decision Making

Description: This course will introduce you to an evidence-based assessment practice in nursing care. It will include the health interview and physical examination. A complete health assessment, methods of assessments, gathering data, and making a nursing diagnosis for the patient, will be discussed in-depth. It will outline the importance of history taking, performing physical examination, making nursing diagnosis, and clinical decision-making, and reporting pertinent abnormal finding to deliver optimum client care.

Learning Target Outcomes: On successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Discuss the approaches to health assessment and be able to utilize the health interview process. 2. Explain the methods and approaches to health assessment techniques, and nutrition assessments and dietary review. 3. Utilize the skills of physical assessment to assess the skin, hair nails, head, face and neck including regional lymphatic. 4. Apply the skills of physical assessment to assess the breast, regional lymphatic, thorax and lungs. 5. Apply the skills of physical assessment to assess the heart, neck vessels and the peripheral vascular system. 6. Utilize the skills of physical assessment to assess the abdomen and the genitourinary system. 7. Utilize the skills of physical assessment to assess the musculoskeletal system. 8. Utilize the skills of physical assessment to assess the neurologic system. 9. Conduct a complete health history and physical assessment of a patient to include documentation. 10. Demonstrate skills in assessing nursing competencies.

Prerequisite: NUR511, NUR521, NUR541 & NUR542

Prerequisite Sentence: N/A

Credit Point: 15

Offered In: Semester 2