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School of Nursing & Midwifery

NU7516 Health and Physical Assessment (10 ECTS)

Learning Outcomes

Following completion of this module the student should be able to:

  • Demonstrate competence in history taking and consultation skills.
  • Demonstrate competence in advanced techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion, and
    auscultation as part of physical assessment
  • Demonstrate a comprehensive health assessment of the patient/client’s physical, psychological and social needs
  • Differentiate normal physiological alterations from pathological findings
  • Collect and accurately record the patients/clients current health status and document effectively

Methods of Teaching and Student Learning:

Seminar discussions, debate, group work, lectures, problem and enquiry based learning and pre-reading are
core aspects of this module. In addition, on line learning will be used.

Module Learning Aims & Rationale

This module is designed to enable the student to advance skills in assessment and clinical examination techniques
and includes the physical and psychosocial assessment of patients. Health assessment skills include obtaining
appropriate health histories and performing physical examinations on patients with complex problems, in a variety
of healthcare settings. In addition, the course emphasises documentation of data obtained. The module enables
student to develop skills of clinical reasoning so they differentiate abnormal from normal findings using physical
assessment techniques

Recommended Reading List

Indicative Resources

  • Doughlas G., Nicol F. & Robertson C. (eds.) (2014) Macleod’s Clinical Examination 13th edn, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, Edinburgh
  • Bickley L.S (ed) (2013) Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking. 11th edn. Wolters
    Kluwer/Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia..
  • Cox C. (ed) (2010) Physical Assessment for Nurses 2nd edn. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Epstein O., Perkin GD., Cookson J., Watt IS., Rakhit R., Robins AW., & Hornett GA (2008) Clinical Examination 4th edn. Mosby Elsevier, Philadelphia.
  • Jevon P. (2009) Clinical Examination Skills. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Japp AG., & Robertson C. (eds.) (2013) Macleod’s Clinical Diagnosis, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, Edinburgh.
  • Turner R., Angus B., Handa A. & Hatton C. (2009) Clinical Skills and Examination: The Core Curriculum 5th edn. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.

*Other readings will be provided by individual lecturers.