Course Syllabus

Course Information

Title:

NURS 220- Nursing Health Assessment

Course Description:

This course provides theory and technical skills to perform health and physical assessment. The legal and ethical aspects of the examination and documentation will be included. A holistic approach to nursing health assessment is emphasized as well as the role of the nurse as a diagnostician, collaborator, communicator, and teacher. The focus will primarily be on assessment of the adult client but assessment of children, the pregnant woman and older adult is also discussed.

Dates:

January, 2017-May, 2017

 Modality/Location:

This is a hybrid course and there will be five face-to face meetings. The face-to-face meeting will take place at the Newtown campus in Grupp (Penn) Hall 438.

Meeting requirements:

 Mandatory 5 face-to-face meetings.

This is NOT a self-paced course.

Assignment deadlines apply.

Weekly contribution to discussions is required.

Prerequisite(s):

·           BIOL  181 and BIOL 182 (C or better), LPN license

·           Ability to use web applications and the Internet.

·           Competency using Word, email, and browsers.

 Faculty

Ann Marie Strecker, RN, MSN, CEN, CHSE  

Associate Nursing Professor

Simulation Coordinator

NURS 220 Health Assessment Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

1.     Complete a head to toe physical assessment in a systematic manner.

2.     Document accurately the findings from the health interview and    physical assessment.

3.     Analyze the health assessment data and be able to formulate statements relative    to their findings.

4.     Discuss the ethical and legal implications of the data collected by the nurse in diagnosing and managing care.

5.     Analyze the abnormal findings of the health and physical assessment.

6.     Compare and contrast assessment findings of an adult client with that of an older adult and pediatric client.

The student will learn nursing assessment by:

1.     The use of effective interviewing skills with clients in order to collect valid assessment data.

2.     The use of critical thinking skills to make clinical judgements based on the analysis of a client’s condition.

3.     Integrating knowledge of anatomy and physiology with assessment techniques to make appropriate clinical decisions and perform a physical assessment.

4.     Integrating into client interviews and physical assessment teaching/learning principles.

5.     Discussing the expanded assessment role of the nurse in relation to decision-making/diagnosing, research, and professional nursing practice.

6.     Describing appropriate screening programs for the health promotion of specific populations.

7.     Describing the role of the nurse in reducing risk for specific populations.

Text and Materials

Textbook

Other Resources

Lippincott Coursepoint is required for this course which includes online access to the textbook and resources.

Jensen, S. (2015). Nursing Health Assessment: A Best Approach (2nd edition). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health.

ISBN: 9781496303134

You will be expected to utilize the resources available with Coursepoint at http://lww.thepoint.com

Attendance and Withdrawal Policy

Attendance/Participation:

In order to successfully complete this class, you must commit to:

·         at least 3 hours per week

·          completing assigned readings, quizzes, tests and assignments

·         participating in online discussions on a regular basis

·         perform physical assessment techniques correctly

·         attend 5 mandatory face-to-face meetings

Withdrawal:

Should you wish to withdraw from the class, please see semester calendar for dates at http://www.bucks.edu/events/t4.do?f=week&lang=en and notify Mrs. Strecker at Ann.strecker@bucks.edu

Communication and Support

Communication:

Please use your bucks e-mail to communicate with me @ Ann.strecker@bucks.edu. You can expect a response within 24 hours (a bit longer on the weekends). You can meet me in person or online during my office hours Tuesdays from 2:30pm to 4:00pm. My office is Grupp (Penn) Hall 443.

 Support:

Please do not let yourself get frustrated with any of the tools you are working with. If you need technical support with Canvas, it is available 24/7 via live chat, phone, or email.  Use the HELP menu in the top right corner of Canvas to access 24/7 services.

If you need assistance with course materials or assignments, please first try messaging Mrs. Strecker, as mentioned above. If you cannot wait for a response when using Canvas' messaging system, you certainly may call me using the phone numbers listed on the course home page. 

For those auditory learners, you might want to check out the Natural Reader (Links to an external site.) website. Natural Reader is FREE software that allows you to listen to a webpage as you are reading it. Some of the information in this workshop is text-based, so if that's not your style you just might want to check out NATURAL READER.

Cheating &   Plagiarism

The expectation at Bucks County Community College is that the principles of truth and honesty will be rigorously followed in all academic endeavors. This assumes that all work will be done by the person who purports to do the work. Please read the cheating and plagiarism (Links to an external site.) Policy for Bucks County Community College.

Grading/Evaluation

All of the course materials and activities, including assignments and discussions, have been organized using Modules to structure the materials and activities in sequence.

This class will be graded using a combination of skills demonstration, tests, quizzes and assignments/discussions.

Assignments/Discussions

Assignment/Discussion due dates and details can be accessed by a variety of means. By going through the module, the Syllabus, via the Calendar, the Assignments/Discussion tools, and the To-Do list on the Dashboard page, to name a few.  

To keep the class flowing, assignments should be completed by the stated date and should be submitted using the Assignments tool unless other directions are given. Most assignments automatically close on the stated time/date, therefore late assignments cannot be submitted. Canvas is accessible from anywhere in the world where you can get an Internet connection.

In most assignments/discussions, the following will apply:

2 = either full discussion participation (initial post + participation in group work + follow-up posts to classmates) or completion of assignment

1 = either partial discussion participation (e.g. just an initial post) or partial completion of an assignment

0 = either no posts, did not follow directions at all, or did not submit an assignment

Successful and Meaningful Discussion; Participation is defined as:

·         regularly contributes discussion postings each week;

·         demonstrates clear evidence of understanding key concepts;

·         gives constructive feedback to the work of others;

·         responds readily to questions and/or comments from others;     

·         readily offers new interpretations and/or varied perspectives of discussion material;

·         expresses ideas clearly and concisely; and

·         consistently respects and recognizes the contributions of others in the workshop

Quizzes/Tests

You are required to take 3 quizzes for this course. Quizzes will evaluate knowledge and comprehension of the assigned materials. You will also be required to complete 3 tests/examinations which will evaluate the analysis and application of nursing health assessment.

Skill Assessment Demonstration

You will complete each skill assessment demonstration with another classmate as your partner. You will be required to perform a nursing assessment on specific topics as assigned. Specific expectations including a grading rubric will be discussed during orientation and post to Canvas. This group assignment will enhance your knowledge of the course material and acquire the skills needed to perform a comprehensive assessment.

 Due Dates, Lateness, Attendance

The week for this course begins each Wednesday at 0001 and ends each Tuesday at 2359.You must complete each assignment/discussion within the allotted time period.

No late work will be accepted.

You must attend all 5 (five) mandatory classes; 4 (four) examinations/skill demonstrations and 1 (one) orientation.

Grading Distribution

10% Class Participation/Discussions/Homework

15% Quizzes (3)= 5 each

30% Exams (2) = 15 each

20% Final Exam (1) = 20% each

25% Skills demonstration (4)= 6.25 each

Disability Accommodations

In compliance with the Bucks County Community College policy and equal access laws, appropriate academic accommodations can be made for students eligible for such support. Students are encouraged to register with the Disability Services Office (215-968-8463) to verify their eligibility for appropriate accommodations. Please contact me as early in the semester as possible about any requests for academic accommodations or any other concerns.