Physical And Health Assessment
- Health Sciences
- 200 level
- 2 credit units
- 99 pages
- 8 units
This course provides students with knowledge and skills in health and physical assessment across the lifespan. It focuses on interviewing, health history, comprehensive health assessment, and physical assessment of body systems. The course uses a systems approach for data collection, including subjective data from interviews and objective data from physical examinations. It aims to develop proficiency in health assessment skills for effective decision-making in nursing care.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 45 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, practical, case study
- Practical work
- Yes
- NSC 102
- NSC 103
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Computer marked assignments
- Laboratory practical sessions
- Performance examination
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of NSC209, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
NSC209 · UNIT ONE: AN OVERVIEW OF HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Health assessments are used by nurses to gather information about a patient's condition. This information is used to formulate a nursing plan of care for the patient, manage problems, evaluate patient’s condition, prepare discharge teaching, and advocate for the patient.
What you should be able to do
- Conduct a comprehensive nursing health history.
- Perform a systematic physical examination.
- Analyze subjective and objective data to identify health alterations.
- Demonstrate competency in documenting and communicating health assessment data.
- Develop therapeutic plans of care based on assessment findings.
What it prepares you for
- Registered Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Public Health Nurse
- Healthcare Administrator
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Long-Term Care Facilities
- Public Health Departments
- Home Health Agencies
- Stethoscope
- Otoscope/Ophthalmoscope
- Reflex hammer
- Penlight
- Tuning fork
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 3: Assessing the Individual from Head to Toe
Unit 6: The integumentary, neurological and muscular system
Requires detailed knowledge of dermatological conditions and ability to differentiate various skin lesions based on visual inspection and palpation.
- Module 3: Assessing the Individual from Head to Toe
Unit 7: From the Shoulders Up
Requires precise palpation techniques to identify subtle abnormalities in thyroid size, shape, and consistency, along with auscultation skills to detect thyroid bruits.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 39 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: General Considerations
Unit 1: An Overview of Health Assessment · 3 hours
Read the introduction to understand the importance of health assessment in nursing.. Identify the principles that guide health assessment practices.. List and describe the components of a comprehensive health assessment.. Discuss the role and responsibilities of a nurse in health assessment..
- Week 2Module 1: General Considerations
Unit 2: Types of Assessment · 3 hours
Distinguish between comprehensive, focused, and emergency assessments.. Identify situations when each type of assessment is most appropriate.. Discuss how to investigate and interpret client symptoms effectively.. Practice symptom investigation techniques..
- Week 3Module 1: General Considerations
Unit 3: Nursing Assessment of Pain · 3 hours
Define pain and its dimensions, including physical, emotional, and psychological aspects.. Learn how to assess pain using various scales and methods.. Discuss the factors that influence pain perception and response.. Practice pain assessment techniques..
- Week 4Module 2: Clinical Nursing Assessment
Unit 4: Nursing History and Physical Examination · 3 hours
Understand the components of a nursing history, including past health information and functional health patterns.. Learn how to collect important health information through effective interviewing techniques.. Discuss the different functional health patterns and their significance in nursing assessment.. Practice taking a comprehensive nursing history..
- Week 5Module 2: Clinical Nursing Assessment
Unit 5: General Survey and Physical Examination Techniques · 3 hours
Describe the components of a general survey and its importance in physical assessment.. Learn the four major physical examination techniques: inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.. Discuss how to use each technique effectively to collect objective data.. Practice physical examination techniques on different body systems..
- Week 6Module 3: Assessing the Individual from Head to Toe
Unit 6: The integumentary, neurological and muscular system · 3 hours
Describe the components of integumentary assessment.. Describe the components of neurological assessment.. Describe the components of musculoskeletal assessment..
- Week 7Module 3: Assessing the Individual from Head to Toe
Unit 7: From the Shoulders Up · 3 hours
Describe the components of head and neck assessment.. Describe the components of eyes, ears, mouth, nose and pharnyx assessment..
- Week 8Module 3: Assessing the Individual from Head to Toe
Unit 8: The Torso · 3 hours
Describe the components of breasts and regional lymphatics assessment.. Describe the components of thorax and lungs assessment.. Describe the components of heart and neck vessels assessment..
- Week 9Module 1: General Considerations
Review of Module 1 · 3 hours
Review Module 1 Units 1-3. Complete TMA's for Module 1.
- Week 10Module 2: Clinical Nursing Assessment
Review of Module 2 · 3 hours
Review Module 2 Units 4-5. Complete TMA's for Module 2.
- Week 11Module 3: Assessing the Individual from Head to Toe
Review of Module 3 · 3 hours
Review Module 3 Units 6-8. Complete TMA's for Module 3.
- Week 12Module 2: Clinical Nursing Assessment
Comprehensive Health Assessment Practice · 3 hours
Practice taking comprehensive health histories.. Simulate physical examinations on different body systems.. Review documentation and communication of health assessment data..
- Week 13Module 3: Assessing the Individual from Head to Toe
Final Revision · 3 hours
Review all course materials and key concepts.. Focus on areas of weakness and seek clarification.. Prepare for the final examination..
Preparing for the exam
- Create detailed concept maps linking assessment techniques to specific body systems (e.g., palpation of abdomen, auscultation of lungs).
- Practice differentiating normal vs. abnormal findings through case studies and simulations.
- Develop mnemonics for cranial nerve assessment and musculoskeletal range of motion.
- Review common pathological conditions and their corresponding assessment findings.
- Time yourself during practice exams to improve speed and accuracy in answering questions.
Questions students ask about this course
What is NSC209 about?
This course provides students with knowledge and skills in health and physical assessment across the lifespan. It focuses on interviewing, health history, comprehensive health assessment, and physical assessment of body systems. The course uses a systems approach for data collection, including subjective data from interviews and objective data from physical examinations. It aims to develop proficiency in health assessment skills for effective decision-making in nursing care.
How many units does NSC209 have?
NSC209, Physical And Health Assessment, has 8 units across 3 modules, over 99 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is NSC209?
NSC209 carries 2 credit units, at 200 level in Health Sciences.
Is NSC209 hard?
NSC209 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, practical and case study work, and it has a practical component.
How long does NSC209 take to study?
About 45 hours of study, spread across its 8 units.
How is NSC209 assessed?
NSC209 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments, computer marked assignments, laboratory practical sessions, performance examination and final examination.
What do I need before starting NSC209?
NSC 102 NSC 103
What can I do with NSC209?
Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Public Health Nurse and Healthcare Administrator.