NSG 521 - Fundamental Concepts and Health Assessment

This course focuses on the concept of health assessment as the foundational step of the nursing process. Knowledge and skills necessary for the performance of comprehensive and focused health assessments will be presented. Interviewing, observation, inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation skills will be examined. Normal findings, variations from normal, cultural differences and appropriate equipment use will be considered. Students will be provided with opportunities to learn and develop basic competencies necessary to facilitate the optimal well-being of the patient within the healthcare setting in a safe, legal, and ethical manner. Focus is placed on the nursing process, health promotion, disease prevention, professional communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration within the context of meeting basic patient needs in a healthcare environment. Throughout the course, students demonstrate competence of fundamental principles of nursing practice which are validated through clinical skill performance assessments. Semester Credit Hours: 5.00 Contact Hours: 75/0/0/75 Prerequisites: None. Corequisites: NSG 522 Clinical I.