Follow directions on the [Undergraduate Course Registration] form to register in the course. Online course materials cannot be accessed prior to your course contract start date.
Overview
NURS 326: Health Assessment is designed to assist 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 then used as the basis for the formulation of nursing diagnoses and nursing interventions to promote health, prevent illness, or manage illness.
Outline
NURS 326: Health Assessment includes 14 units:
Unit 1: Health Assessment: Learning About Your Client
Unit 2: Health History: Your Client’s Story and Approach to the Clinical Setting
Unit 3: Assessment of Skin, Hair, and Nails
Unit 4: Assessment of Head, Face, Neck, including Regional Lymphatic System, and Eyes
Unit 5: Assessment of Nose, Mouth, Throat, and Ears
Unit 6: Assessment of Thorax and Lungs
Unit 7: Assessment of Cardiovascular System
Unit 8: Assessment of Peripheral Vascular and Lymphatic Systems
Unit 9: Assessment of Abdomen
Unit 10: Assessment of Musculoskeletal System and Nutritional Assessment
Unit 11: Assessment of Neurological System
Unit 12: Assessment of Breasts and Regional Lymphatics
Unit 13: Assessment of Male and Female Genitourinary Systems, Anus, Rectum, and Prostate
Unit 14: Putting it All Together: Knowing Your Client
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of NURS 326, the student will be able to
Identify the components of the complete and focused health assessments;
Identify developmental and cultural considerations in the performance of complete and focused health assessments;
Describe and document a complete and focused health history;
Explain the components of a physical examination for each body system; and
Identify client teaching and health promotion activities.
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). All papers submitted must follow the guidelines of the current APA Publication Manual
The assignments and weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Assignment 1
30%
Assignment 2 Health Assessment Quiz (unlimited attempts) (Minimum Pass: 100%)
0%
Quiz: Proctor U invigilated. (Students are permitted two quiz attempts)
30%
Final Examination
40%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
The Quiz will be an invigilated quiz located in the course study guide (the quiz is not booked through the myAU or the Exam Center). It is your responsibility to arrange invigilation directly through Proctor U.
Materials
Jarvis, C. (2019). Physical examination & health assessment (3rd Canadian edition) (A.J. Brown, J.MacDonald-Jenkins, & M.Luctkar-Flude). Toronto: Elsevier. (Print)
Bickley, L. (2015). Bates' visual guide to physical examination (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams, & Wilkins. (Audio/Video)
Other Resources
A variety of textbook online study resources, electronic journal articles and websites are used in the course. Paper copies are not included in the course package.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
Opened in Revision 8, July 17, 2019
Updated July 15, 2021, by Student & Academic Services