Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Undergraduate Academic Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Undergraduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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NU 2011 - Health Concepts and Health Assessment

4 lecture hours 6 lab hours 6 credits
Course Description
This course prepares nursing students for the role of the professional registered nurse and provides the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform a health assessment of individual clients of all ages. Emphasis is placed on understanding professional nursing practice in context of its social contract with society, learning the nursing process, and Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns. Student conducts a comprehensive health history using effective communication skills and physical examination inclusive of diagnostic tests and identification of normal lab values. Opportunities are provided to apply assessment skills in a variety of settings. Students apply the functional health patterns in the development of a behavioral change project to promote their own health. (prereq: CH 2261 , BI 256 , BI 1010  (C grade), BI 1020  (C grade), BI 1030  (C grade), BI 2040  (C grade), NU 220 , NU 2000 , or acceptance into B.S. in Nursing Accelerated Second Degree (BSN-ASD) program) (coreq: NU 290 , NU 2810 )
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  • Discuss factors that promote health and explain how healthy lifestyles can help maintain health and prevent illness (Level 1, Nursing Care)
  • Summarize one’s personal health and apply a health model to guide a personal behavior change (Level 1, Nursing Care)
  • Conduct a comprehensive health assessment of an individual client using the Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns as a framework (Level 2, Nursing Care)
  • Differentiate health assessment techniques appropriate for the developmental level and age of the client (Level 2, Nursing Care)
  • Distinguish normal and expected assessment findings from abnormal and unexpected findings gathered during history intake, physical examination, diagnostic tests, and from lab values (Level 2, Nursing Care)
  • Critically reflect on one’s approach and process to conduct a comprehensive health assessment (Level 2, Critical Thinking)
  • Demonstrate effective communication skills being sensitive to privacy and confidentiality when collecting assessment data from clients (Level 2, Communication)
  • Summarize health assessment findings and accurately record data (Level 2, Communication)
  • Accept personal responsibility and participate in own development toward the role of the professional nurse through acts of integrity, mutual respect, and actively seeking out opportunities to learn (Level 2, Professional Role)
  • State criteria that define nursing as a profession and identify various career paths within nursing (Level 1, Professional Role)
  • Describe the role of the nurse as a member of the health care team and provider of care (Level 1, Professional Role)
  • Appropriately select and operate biomedical technology to collect assessment data (Level 2, Technology)
  • Discuss relevant nursing literature related to health assessments (Level 2, Evidence-based Practice)

Prerequisites by Topic
  • None 

Course Topics
  • Introduction of health concepts and health assessment
  • Health/change models
  • Behavior change project
  • Professional nursing practice
  • Introduction of health assessment
  • Interview and history guided by Functional Health Patterns (FHP)
  • Comprehensive physical assessment guided by FHP
  • Documentation
  • Health assessment of the newborn and infant
  • Health assessment of children and adolescents
  • Health assessment of the older adult
  • Health assessment of the pregnant adult
  • Lab values and diagnostics
  • Summary analysis of health assessment findings
  • Case studies
  • Nursing process: assessment & diagnosis, outcomes, interventions, evaluation

Laboratory Topics
  • Health history
  • Physical assessment
  • Clinical experiences: well-elder, newborn and daycare assessment

Coordinator
Diane Dettinger



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