DNP804 Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (3 cr.)

This course builds upon health assessment skills of the practicing critical care nurse and focuses on health assessment across the human lifespan. Skills for efficiently obtaining a patient’s history with regard to social determinants of health including psychosocial, economic, and cultural differences are discussed. Students perform a focused history and physical assessment, incorporating diagnostic information, and determine an appropriate plan of care.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

1. Utilize interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients and their families.
2. Distinguish physiological differences found throughout the lifespan.
3. Demonstrate the ability to obtain a comprehensive patient history and conduct a logically-sequenced physical assessment.
4. Document problems and needs in individuals from data discovered during the health history and physical examination.
5. Discuss the implications of social determinants of health including cultural values, socio-economic status, psychosocial characteristics, and environmental conditions on overall wellness. 
6. Demonstrate the ability to identify basic abnormal physiologic conditions and to describe their nature.