vcc.ca
NURS 1399: Health Assessment
Effective date
August 2022
Department
LPN Bridging to BSN
School
Health Sciences
Description
Health Assessment is the integration of art and science of nursing. This course is designed to help a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) transition to a Registered Nurse (RN) practice with a solid understanding of knowledge, skills and abilities required to make strong patient focused clinical decisions at the bedside. The course begins with an overview of the complexity of health care by examining trends in the health of Canadians, the health care system and nursing practice. The Vancouver Community College (VCC) BScN Framework for Healing and Health Promotion will be introduced as a conceptual model to illustrate the role of the nurse in promoting health and healing while recognizing the unique values, beliefs, abilities, and needs of the person at the center of care and understanding the myriad of factors influencing health and health care. The course will connect accumulated knowledge from the LPN program related to anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, lab values and common diagnostic tests to health assessment. In addition, there will be a strong emphasis on reviewing and advancing physical, technological and communication skills to obtain objective and subjective data necessary for comprehensive health history and physical assessment. While a full health assessment is the focus, neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary system will be highlighted to further understanding of how acute and chronic physiological changes in each system impact other systems. The clinical component of the course will be in an acute care setting.
Credits
6.0
Year of study
2nd Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
NURS 1357.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Maintain professional responsibility and accountability of nursing practice, and professional conduct.
- Apply clinical judgment in nursing practice based on evidence from nursing science, other sciences and humanities.
- Collaborate relationally with the interdisciplinary team to provide healthcare services in the best interest of clients.
- Uphold and promote the ethical standards of the nursing profession.
- Demonstrate consistent application of knowledge, skills, attitudes, judgment, and professional/ethical conduct to promote patient safety at an individual and system level.
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
None
Hours
Lecture, Online, Seminar, Tutorial: 30
Clinical, Lab, Rehearsal, Shop, Kitchen, Simulation, Studio: 30
Practicum, Self-Paced, Individual Learning: 90
Total Hours: 150
Clinical, Lab, Rehearsal, Shop, Kitchen, Simulation, Studio: 30
Practicum, Self-Paced, Individual Learning: 90
Total Hours: 150
Instructional Strategies
This course is delivered through lectures with group discussions/exercises/online modules, laboratory (practice & simulated experiences) and clinical experiences. These professional practice experiences provide opportunities to safely apply knowledge gained in theory and laboratory course. Active participation is a foundation of professional practice, critical thinking and capacity building.
Grading System
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Passing grade
72% plus satisfactory completion of all evaluation components
Evaluation Plan
|
Type |
Percentage |
Assessment activity |
|
Lab Work |
10 |
Integrations |
|
Assignments |
40 |
|
|
Midterm Exam |
25 |
Math Assessment: Must achieve 100% on Math Assessment to pass the course (3 attempts allowed) |
|
Final Exam |
25 |
|
|
Clinical Examination |
S/U |
Clinical self and instructor evaluation |
Course topics
- Trends in Health of Canadians and Nursing Practice
- Vancouver Community College Framework for Healing and Health Promotion
- Oxygen Supply and Demand Framework
- Clinical Reasoning and Decision-making Approach
- Health History and Physical Assessment
- Neural, Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Renal, and Gastrointestinal Case Studies
Notes:
- Course contents and descriptions, offerings and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Students are required to follow all College policies including ones that govern their educational experience at VCC. Policies are available on the VCC website at:
https://www.vcc.ca/about/governance--policies/policies/. - To find out if there are existing transfer agreements for this course, visit the BC Transfer Guide at https://www.bctransferguide.ca.