Nursing (NURS) 326

Overview

Nursing 326: Health Assessment assists nursing students in the development of interviewing and history taking skills as well as skills in physical examination and psychosocial assessment. The collection of data through these skills is the first step in the nursing process: the data are used as the basis of nursing diagnoses and nursing interventions to promote health, prevent illness, or manage illness.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of NURS 326, the student will achieve or exceed the following learning outcomes:

• Identify the components of a complete health assessment;
• Identify the equipment and skills required to perform a complete health assessment;
• Identify developmental and cultural considerations in the performance of a health assessment;
• Collect and document a complete health history with a healthy adult volunteer;
• Conduct and document a physical examination with a healthy adult volunteer;
• Adapt the techniques of health assessment for children and older adults;
• Identify the relationship between health assessment and the nursing process; and
• Identify patient teaching and health promotion activities appropriate for a healthy adult volunteer.

Course Structure

• Unit 1: Health Assessment: Learning About Your Client
• Unit 2: Health History and Physical Examination: Learning About Your Client's Story
• Unit 3: Assessment of Skin, Hair, and Nails
• Unit 4: Assessment of Head, Neck, and Eyes
• Unit 5: Assessment of Nose, Mouth, Throat, and Ears
• Unit 6: Assessment of Breasts and Regional Lymphatics
• Unit 7: Assessment of Thorax, and Lungs
• Unit 8: Assessment of Cardiovascular System
• Unit 9: Assessment of Peripheral Vascular, and Lymphatic Systems
• Unit 10: Assessment of Abdomen
• Unit 11: Assessment of Musculoskeletal System
• Unit 12: Assessment of Neurologic System
• Unit 13: Assessment of Genitalia, Anus, Rectum, and Prostate
• Unit 14: Putting it All Together: Knowing Your Client

Evaluation

To receive credit for NURS 326, students must complete and submit all of the required assignments and achieve an overall composite grade of a C (64 percent). Effective January 1, 2010, all papers submitted must follow the guidelines of the APA Publication Manual (6^th ed.) (2010).

The assignments and weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.