Module: Advanced Physical Health Assessment Skills

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Advanced Physical Health Assessment Skills
Module Code	NUR1123 (ITS: NS5066P)
Faculty	Nursing, PsyT & Comm Health	School	Science & Health
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10

Description

The module aims to strengthen core knowledge and skills needed to undertake a comprehensive patient physical/health assessment. Techniques to include interviewing, subjective and objective data collection approaches used to aid assessment strategies and identify deviations from normal parameters. It sets out to enable the nurse to identify, expand and maintain skills and competencies to deliver safe, high quality care to a range of patients presenting in healthcare settings.

Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate key priority areas of focus in planning a comprehensive patient health assessment including physical, psychosocial and cultural considerations.
2. Undertake a comprehensive health assessment based on presenting symptoms, history taking, review of systems and physical examination.
3. Demonstrate advanced health assessment skills to distinguish between normal, variations of normal and abnormal findings in patient data recognizing influential factors and their clinical significance.
4. Integrate knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology to inform systematic health assessment.
5. Demonstrate competence in monitoring, recording and interpretation of subjective/objective patient data.
6. Demonstrate the ability to work effectively as a member of the multi-disciplinary team.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	12	Lecturer- supervised learning (face to face).
Clinical laboratory	20	Simulated Learning Environment.
Clinical laboratory	4	Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
Tutorial	12	Structured support for learning on the module involving synchronous and asynchronous engagement with module tasks, including skills practice/ videos to support learning in the clinical skills laboratory.
Independent Study	202	Student motivated activities including: Skill acquisition, reflective practice.
Total Workload: 250

Section Breakdown
CRN	20837	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Siobhan Rothwell	Module Teacher	Kristin Powers Solimani

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)	Objective Structured Clinical Assessment (OSCE).	50%	Week 3
Written Exam	Multiple Choice Questionnaire, examining on knowledge and skills for patient health assessment.	30%	n/a
Assignment	Case study	20%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Comprehensive Holistic Patient Assessment
The purpose, rationale for and key planning priorities are explored.

Principles of Physical Health Assessment
Key focus on health history/interviewing skills; physical examination tools/ observations and techniques; equipment used to gather and record patient data, key diagnostic tests and investigations to aid diagnosis.

Anatomy and Physiology
Review of anatomy and physiology as it relates to patient assessment strategies.

Systems Approach to Assessment
Systematic approach to assessment for a range of conditions.

Recognition of Parameters
Identifying/ interpreting normal and abnormal/variations in physical health findings to inform clinical judgement and decision-making.

Epidemiology
Epidemiological, bio-psychosocial & health promotion principles that underpin/inform health assessment.

Collaborative Practice
Inter-professional team working within healthcare environments; professional nursing role and accountability for professional practice.

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Lynn S. Bickley,Peter G. Szilagyi: 2021, Bates' Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, 13th, Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia, PA, 1034, 9781469893419
Masters K: 2016, Role Development in Professional Nursing Practice, 4th, Jones and Bartlett, 9781284078329
Kathryn L. McCance,Sue E. Huether,Neal S. Rote: 2018, Pathophysiology, 7th, Mosby, St Louis, 1690, 9780323583473
Ruth McCaffrey,Humberto Reinoso: 2021, NP Notes, 10th, FA Davis Company, 0803666608

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None