Dec 26, 2024  
2023-2024 SCC Catalog 
    
2023-2024 SCC Catalog Archived

NUR 138 - Basic Health Assessment Skills


Lecture Hours: 1 Lab Hours: 3 Clinical Hours: 0 Credits: 2

Description: This course is a study of the cognitive, psychomotor, and technological skills necessary to perform a basic health assessment for adult clients.

Corequisite(s): Take NUR 106  and NUR 120 .
Course Topics:
  • Introduction to the nursing process with a focus on “assessment.”
  • The use of the four assessment tools (inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation) to perform a head-to-toe nursing health assessment of the following body systems:
    • Mental status
    • Head and face
    • Eyes and ears
    • Mouth, nose, throat, neck, and sinuses
    • Musculoskeletal
    • Respiratory and thorax
    • Cardiac and peripheral vascular
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Neurologic
    • Integumentary
    • Urogenital
    • Breast and axilla

Textbooks:
Textbook information can be found on the Book Inn website
Required Materials:
To be brought to each class:

  • Stethoscope (with diaphragm and bell capabilities)
  • Functioning penlight

Grading System:
An overall grade of C or higher is required for transferability.

A =  90 - 100
B =   80 - 89
C =   70 - 79
D =   60 - 69
F =     0 - 59


Student Learning Outcomes:
  1. Assign patient-directed questions to their appropriate question category (e.g., past medical history).
  2. Correctly identify and perform the cognitive and psychomotor components of a head-to-toe nursing assessment and review-of-systems examination during a scheduled appointment with a course instructor.
  3. Choose appropriate HPI (history of present illness) questions to obtain information about a presenting client’s chief complaint.
  4. Demonstrate a rising second semester technical proficiency level in the performance of nursing assessment techniques (i.e., inspection, auscultation, palpation and percussion) and utilization of the equipment used to perform a nursing physical assessment (e.g., stethoscope, penlight, tuning fork, etc.).

For SCC Online Courses:
If the course you are taking is online, please review the SCC Online Course Policies  that include:

  • Identity Verification
  • Required materials for all online courses
  • Mandatory Attendance Requirement
  • Orientation and Support
  • Proctored Exams

Standard SCC Course Policies:
Please review the Standard Course Policies  on the following topics:

  • Academic Integrity
  • Add/Drop period
  • Attendance
  • Classroom Conduct
  • Equal Access
  • IT Access
  • Online Behavior
  • Online Confidentiality
  • Services For Students with Disabilities
  • Student Concerns
  • Student Help Services
  • Withdrawals


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Official Course Syllabus
2023-2024