Graduate Council
New, Modified or Deleted Course Form
This form has many drop-down menus. To activate the menu, click on the “Choose an item.” and click the arrow to the right.
1. Please complete this form and save the file as the subject and course number without spaces (ex: PSYC648).
2. Send it as an email attachment to Jennifer Bazaz (jbazaz@gmu.edu); remember to add any related documents (for new
courses, please include the catalog description with catalog credit format, e.g. 3:2:1 and the course syllabus).
3. Bring the signed original of this form to the Graduate Council meeting for our files. We will forward it on to the Registrar’s
Office for implementation.
-FOR COURSE CHANGES, PLEASE ONLY LIST THE MODIFICATIONS BEING MADE____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Request for a: New Course Unit: CHHS Department: School of Nursing
Subject and Course Number (if applicable, include cross listing): NURS 613
Health Assessment
Course Title: Advanced
Effective Term: (new/modified courses only): Fall 09 Final Term (deleted courses only):
Credit Hours: (Fixed) 2 OR (Var.)
to
For Labs or RCT:
or
Grade Type: Regular Graduate
Repeat Status: NR* Only use RD or RT when the course can be repeated for credit.
Total number of hours allowable for this course to be taken (must complete for RD or RT courses):
Schedule Type Code(s):
First code: LEC Second code (only for courses w/LAB or RCT component): LAB
Prerequisite or Corequisite: Prerq - Undergraduate-level Health Assessment course for degree credit
Please Note: For modified courses - review prerequisite or corequisite for necessary changes. For deleted courses - review other
courses to correct prerequisites that list the deleted course.
Description of Modification (if applicable- please be specific!): New 2 credit Advanced Health Assessment
Course
Special Instructions (major/college/class code restrictions, if applicable):
Submitted by/Contact Person: Dr. Joyce Hahn, Asst. Dean, Masters Division, School of Nursing
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Signatures:
Department/Unit Approval: _____________________________________________________________Date:
Grad Council Member: _____________________________________________________________Date:
Provost Office: _____________________________________________________________Grad Council Approval Date:
Please type into the chart those units outside of your own that may be impacted by this:
- Each of these units must approve this change prior to it being submitted to the Grad Council for approval.
UNIT APPROVER’S
UNIT APPROVER’S
NAME
SIGNATURE
UNIT NAME
DATE
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF NURSING
ADVANCED HEALTH ASSESSMENT
NURSING 613
SYLLABUS
George Mason University
School of Nursing
Nursing 613
Course Number: NURSING 613
Course Title:
Advanced Health Assessment
2 credit course (2:1:1:0)
Place in Curriculum: Required course in major. Students must be admitted to the Advanced Clinical Nursing,
Clinical Nurse Leader or Nurse Educator Pathway.
Pre-requisite: Undergraduate-level Health Assessment course for degree credit.
Course Description:
The course expands on undergraduate skills in systematic health assessment across the life span. The
student will learn advanced health assessment skills in specialty advanced nursing practice. Integration of skills
and techniques in collecting health assessment data towards appropriate decision-making, clinical assessments
and therapeutic interventions in select populations is emphasized in this lab and didactic course.
Course Objectives:
1.
Develop advanced history taking techniques appropriate for use in specialty settings.
2. Demonstrate sensitive communication skills for clients in specialty care settings
3. Demonstrate advanced examination techniques for clients in specialty care settings.
4. Develop a comprehensive database and episodic health care encounter for use in specialty care settings.
5.
Differentiate between variations in the illness or disease-based etiologies based on findings in the health
assessment data
6. Identify variations of individual, family, community, and culture in advanced health assessments
7. Apply clinical decision-making and synthesis of data collected to develop appropriate nursing diagnoses.
8. Evaluate the evidence to assess impact and effectiveness of interventions on patient outcomes.
Recommended Textbook:
Bickley, L. S. & Szilagyi, P. G. Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking (9th ED) Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins New York ISBN 0-7817-6718-0
The student MUST have the CD-ROM that comes with the text! Select case studies and exam
demonstrations will be used in the course.
On permanent reserve in the GMU Johnson Center Library, 1st floor: Mosby tapes “Physical
Examination Series” St Louis: Mosby Year Book (1995). The call number is RC 76.M64. The tapes must be
viewed in the library and returned after two hours. There are other health assessment tapes in the general library
for checkout as well. Students do not have to purchase tapes but are encouraged to review skills to maintain or
achieve proficiency.
An active GMU E-mail account is required for all students by the second week of class. All course
correspondence by E-mail will be sent to the student’s GMU account.
Activation of your Student GMU E-mail account
http://itusupport.gmu.edu/student.asp
Course Activities
Group presentations
Online assignments
Group discussions
Peer evaluations
Self evaluations
Audio-visual materials
A. Class participation/attendance
The student is expected to attend all classroom sessions, lab sessions and online sessions as
scheduled. Preparation prior to class, clinical laboratory and online participation is required. In the event
of an illness or delay the student is expected to inform the instructor PRIOR to class time. Remediation
for missed sessions will be at the discretion of the course instructor. Greater than two unexcused
absences may impact on your class participation grade.
B. Physical Examination Skills Proficiency (30% of grade; pass/fail)
1. Physical Examination Practice:
a. In addition to class times, the student should allow for about an hour of practice time each week
for the interviewing and physical exam skills. The student should be prepared to perform all aspects of the
physical assessment skills as outlined in each unit’s exam check sheets.
b. For practice physical exam skills, the student is encouraged to dress in comfortable attire, such as
exercise or work out clothing, or swim wear. Privacy will be provided in the lab with screened exam tables
and limited access to the lab facility during class time.
c. It is recommended that each student select a lab partner and practice the physical assessment
skills with the same person each week. Faculty encourage students to practice individual skills outside of the
course schedule; practice improves proficiency.
2. Demonstration examination checkout
a. Students are required to demonstrate mastery of basic health assessment skills, and include
advanced practice physical examination skills. The student should be prepared to perform all aspects of the
physical assessment skills as outlined in each unit’s exam check sheets.
b. The performance checkout is pass-fail. Passing is considered to be a minimum of 80% accuracy
at the graduate level. The student must be able to pass the exam performance demonstration to pass the
course. The student may be asked to repeat the performance testing as necessary to demonstrate mastery of
the practicum skills.
C. Online Assignments (20% of grade)
1. Family Pedigree
2. Posting URL’s of health assessment web sites
Each student must send a URL’s of a health assessment web site for discussion and review by the class. The sites
should highlight health assessment content from an advanced nursing practice perspective. Examples: heart sounds,
dermatological abnormalities, psychiatric assessment tools.
3. Change Model
3. Evaluation of assessment tools or instruments
a. Each student evaluates a scholarly article that relates to the advanced
assessment of a clinical specialty.
b. Each student evaluates an evidenced based intervention and therapeutic
efficacy in your specialty area.
D. Written Examination (10% of grade)
1. Final exam
E. Presentations (40% of grade)
Details discussed later in syllabus
F. Evaluation and Grading
1. Presentations
2. Final Exam
3. Online assignments
5. Performance Demonstration
40%
10%
20%
30% Pass/ Fail
Students may be required to repeat the assignments if the instructor does not determine that course objectives have been
met as demonstrated in submitted work. Students must pass the performance demonstration in order to pass the course.
Students must pass the course with a minimum grade of “C” prior to entering clinical rotation courses.
Grading Policy
In accordance with the University Grading System, the following Graduate grading scale is used by the College
of Nursing and Health Science:
A
4.00
94-100%
A-
3.67
90-93%
B+
3.33
87-89%
B
3.00
83-86%
B-
2.67
80-82%
C
2.00
70-79%
F
69% and below
Any numeric grade ending in a decimal will be rounded to the next highest whole number if it ends in greater than
or equal to “0.5”. The grade will be rounded down to the next lowest whole number if it ends in less than or equal
to “0.4”.
If there is any extenuating circumstance that affects the student’s ability to successfully complete all coursework,
it is the student’s responsibility to contact the course instructor and/ or the student’s advisor.
If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please contact the
Disability Resource Center (DRC) @ 703-993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged
through the DRC.
Resources used:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing ( AACN) 1998. The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professiona
Nursing Practice. Washington DC: AACN.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) 1996. The Essentials of Master’s Education for Advanced
Practice Nursing. Washington DC: AACN.
Clinical Nurse Specialist: The Journal for Advanced Nursing Practice.
http://www.medscape.com/viewpublication/876index
Dains, J. E., Baumann L.C., Scheibel, P. (2003) Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Diagnosis in Primary Care,
2nd ed. St. Louis MO: Mosby.
Doenges M.E., Moorhouse M.F., and Burley J.T. (2000) Application of Nursing Process and Nursing Diagnosis: An
Interactive Text for Diagnostic Reasoning . 3rd ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.
Hamric, A.B., Spross, J.A., and Hanson, C.M.. (2000). Advanced Nursing Practice: An Integrative Approach. 2nd ed.
Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co.
1. Chapter 13: Patricia S.A.
Sparacino, “The Clinical Nurse Specialist.”
Johnson, M., Bulecheck, G., Dochterman, J.M.,Maas, M. and Moorhead, S. (2001) Nursing Diagnoses, Outcomes, and
Interventions: NANDA, NOC and NIC Linkages. St. Louis MO: Mosby.
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS). Statement on Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice and
Education. September 1998. Harrisburg, PA: NACNS. www.nacns.org
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Service Administration. Bureau of Health
Professions. Division of Nursing. The registered nurse population, March 2000. Findings from the National Sample
Survey of Registered Nurses.
http://www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/rnsurvey/rnss1.htm
Types of CNS certification
http://www.nursingcenter.com/prodev/cecertification.asp
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
http://www.ncsbn.org/
Group Presentations
Presentations for Advanced Health Assessment of a Specific System
1. Describe a brief review of anatomy and physiology.
2. Discuss pertinent history for symptoms and diseases related to the specific system. Include significant
individual and family history, genetic component, and cultural issues.
3. Discuss pertinent assessment tools and diagnostic procedures.
4. Demonstrate advanced health assessment; perform the exam.
5. Develop a case study that incorporates nursing diagnoses, health prevention and documentation of the
specific system.
6. Discuss strategy to assess effectiveness of interventions on patient outcomes.
7. Distribute a scholarly website or article regarding the advanced assessment of the specific system. This may
be done by email.
8. The presentation is about 45 minutes, followed by 15 minute break and then time for students to practice the
exams.
9. Provide a peer review evaluation for your colleagues to complete.
10. Be creative; may use power point presentation, videos, slides, handouts, demonstration. Encourage group
to participate.
40% of final grade
Presentation Evaluation Form
System Presented: ___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Presenter:___________________________________________________________
Date:__________________________________________________________________
Possible
Points
I.
II.
III.
Organization
25
A. Logical development of ideas demonstrated
5
B. Handouts and/or audio-visual aides used and of high quality 10
D. Supported group participation
10
Earned
Points
______
______
______
Level of Scholarship
A. Presentation accurate; performed exam skillfully
B. Relevant assessment tools, information and issues
C. Case study encouraged critical thinking in the assessment
of the specific system
D. Documentation of assessment is clear
60
15
15
______
______
15
15
______
______
Presentation Style
A. Appropriately used time and adhered to time limit
B. Clearly presented ideas
C. Demonstrated originality and creativity
15
5
5
5
______
______
______
Total:
Constructive Comments:
100
Evaluator___________________________