Course

Health Assessment: Complex Health Challenges

Faculty
Health Sciences
Department
Nursing
Course code
NURS 4512
Credits
2.50
Semester length
15
Max class size
24
Method(s) of instruction
Lab
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
In this course, students learn the holistic assessment of adults and older adults with complex health challenges and/or unstable health status. In addition, students learn a variety of increasingly complex psychomotor skills commonly used in nursing practice with adults in acute medical and surgical nursing practice settings. Knowledge development occurs through active participation in a variety of experiential learning strategies.
Course content

In this course, the holistic health assessment of clients experiencing complex health challenges and/or unstable health status and a variety of increasingly complex psychomotor skills commonly used in nursing practice with clients in acute medical and surgical settings are the foci for discussion. The concepts and essential content that will be addressed relative to these topics are listed below. In addition, the core curriculum concepts are integrated in this course.   

Holistic health assessment of clients with complex health challenges and/or unstable health status with a focus on physical assessment

  • Comprehensive assessment
  • Focused systems assessment
  • Ongoing, continuous and episodic assessment
  • Deteriorating health status assessment
  • Emergency assessment
  • Reporting and documentating assessments and nursing care

Complex psychomotor skills commonly used in nursing practice with adult clients in acute medical and surgical settings

  • Diagnostic treatments and procedures
  • Specimen collection
  • Airway management
  • Tracheostomy care
  • Caring for the unconcious patient
  • Chest tube care and maintenance
  • Managing narcotic overdose
  • Central line maintenance
  • Blood transfusions
  • Medication administration
  • Enteral feeding and medication administration
  • Complex wound care
  • Managing deteriorating health status

Safety

  • Review of safe work practices
  • Infection transmission precautions
  • Handling biohazardous materials
  • CODE management
  • Cultural safety

Nurse's role

  • Consolidation, integration, and application of course and other nursing knowledge in simulated nursing practice experiences

Concepts relative to health assessment to be explored include:

  • Purpose
  • Principles
  • Engaging with clients
  • Planning
  • Rationale
  • Implementation
  • Evaluation
  • Preventing complications
Learning activities

It is the intent of faculty to facilitate student learning, and promote critical inquiry, reflection and analytical reasoning through the use of active experiential learning strategies including simulation, online learning activities, and laboratory practice.

Means of assessment

The course evaluation is consistent with Douglas College Evaluation Policy.  A course evaluation schedule and other course evaluation information are provided on the Instructor’s Course Outline which is available to students at the beginning of each semester.  This is a graded course. 

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, the successful student will be able to:

  • Demonstrate the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary for holistic, comprehensive and focused assessment of clients with complex health challenges and/or unstable health status.
  • Demonstrate the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary for the safe implementation of a variety of increasingly complex psychomotor skills commonly used in nursing practice with clients in acute medical and surgical nursing practice settings.
  • Demonstrate the integration and application of course and other nursing knowledge in simulated nursing practice experiences.
Textbook materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:

A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided on the Instructor’s Course Outline which is available to students at the beginning of each semester. 

Requisites

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for NURS 4512
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.

Course Offerings

Winter 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
22
Currently enrolled
18
Remaining seats:
4
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C2034
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
11:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
22
Currently enrolled
18
Remaining seats:
4
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C2034
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
15:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
22
Currently enrolled
21
Remaining seats:
1
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C2034
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
15:20