NS5901 - Extended Health Assessment for Nurse Practitioners

Credit points:	03
Year:	2009
Student Contribution Band:	Band 4
Administered by:	School of Nursing, Midwifery & Nutrition

This subject aims to provide Nurse Practitioner students with the requisite knowledge and skills to complete system-specific and comprehensive health histories and physical examinations utilising clinical decision-making skills necessary to provide competent and safe patient/client care. As such, it expands the nurse's knowledge of cognitive processes and psychomotor skills needed for comprehensive assessment of patients/clients across the lifespan required for an advanced and extended scope of practice. Techniques and processes of performing a physical, mental, developmental and nutritional assessment, obtaining a health history, performing selected diagnostic procedures, and recording findings are core components of the subject.

Learning Outcomes

• Assimilate developmental, bio-psycho-social and cultural perspectives wth experiential and practical knowledge for the conduct of comprehensive health assessments for both well and ill individuals, across the lifespan.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to adapt knowledge to new situations;
• The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The ability to deploy critically evaluated information to practical ends;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to reflect on and evaluate learning, and to learn independently in a self directed manner;
• The ability to manage future career and personal development;
• The ability to read complex and demanding texts accurately, critically and insightfully;
• The ability to speak and write clearly, coherently and creatively;
• The ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
• The ability to lead, manage and contribute effectively to teams;
• The ability to work with people of different gender, age, ethnicity, culture, religion and political persuasion;
• The ability to work individually and independently;
• The ability to select and use appropriate tools and technologies;
• The ability to use online technologies effectively and ethically.

Availabilities
Townsville, Limited, Study Period 1
Census Date 27-Mar-2009
Face to face teaching 11-May-2009 to 15-May-2009 (Flexible delivery requiring some on-campus attendance)
Coordinator:	Dr Rebecca Stewart
Lecturers:	Assoc. Professor David Lindsay, Dr Lea Budden.
Contact hours:	40 hours - 5 Days compulsory residential. Total workload for this subject is 150 hours. This indicates a workload of about 10hours per week. This time is divided between attending the residential, reading the study guide and recommended readings, and completing the activities. Additional time needs to be set aside for assignments (approx 6 hours for every 500 words of assignments). Clinical practicum is required concurrently
Assessment:	end of semester exam (50%); osce conducted during residential focusing upon health assessment skills. non graded pass/fail (%); assignments (20%); three comprehensive health histories and problem-based health assessments, including documentation (30%).
Restrictions:	An enrolment quota applies to this offering.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.