Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Advanced Health Assessment (Online)

NURS 6630-A70

Course: NURS 6630-A70
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: NURS
CRN: 33609

Course Description

This advanced health assessment course is designed to equip Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) students with the essential knowledge and skills required to proficiently assess patients throughout the lifespan. Students will cultivate expertise in diagnostic reasoning, advanced communication techniques, and comprehensive physical assessment skills. Through a dynamic curriculum, they will learn to systematically collect and analyze patient data, enabling them to not only identify the current health status of patients but also discern subtle changes in health patterns. This course empowers FNP students to become adept practitioners, capable of conducting thorough and insightful health assessments to inform evidence-based decision-making in their clinical practice. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): NURS 6620 Registration Restriction(s): MSN FNP students only

Required Texts

Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking 13th ed. by Bickley;  Shadow Health: Advanced Health Assessment (online resource); SOAP for Family Medicine, 3rd ed by Maldonado and Zuniga.

Learning Outcomes

C o u r s e O u t c o m e s
By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1.Conduct Comprehensive and Systematic Health Assessments: Students will be able toperform comprehensive and systematic health assessments, integrating advancedknowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. They will adeptly gather relevantdata through history-taking, physical examination, and diagnostic techniques, demonstratinga holistic understanding of
patient health.
2.Apply Advanced Clinical Reasoning in Differential Diagnosis: Students will be able to applyadvanced clinical reasoning skills to analyze complex clinical data, interpret diagnosticfindings, and formulate evidence-based differential diagnoses. They will demonstrate theability to synthesize information from various sources and develop prioritized plans for patientmanagement.
3.Demonstrate Proficiency in Specialized Assessment Techniques: Students will be able todemonstrate proficiency in specialized assessment techniques relevant to their chosenspecialty or population focus. This may include specialized examinations for particular agegroups, conditions, or patient populations, showcasing the ability to tailor assessments tospecific healthcare needs.
4.Integrate Cultural Competence into Health Assessments: Students will be able to integratecultural competence into health assessments, recognizing and respecting the impact ofcultural diversity on health. They will demonstrate the ability to conduct assessments thatconsider cultural nuances, address health disparities, and promote culturally sensitive andpatient-centered care.

Course Requirements

Assignment Outline

Participation
Participation will fall under the “participation” section of your grade. Although this class is onlineformat, you will need to engage in class activities and discussions to earn participation credit.

Weekly Health Assessment Video
For each of the body systems studied throughout the semester, the student will complete a focusedassessment or other assignment related to the content for that week. You must have yourequipment with you and you will partner with a friend or family member to practice and completethis assignment. Work is to be turned in by the due date. Late assignments will be graded per the course late assignment policy listed above in this syllabus.

Weekly Shadow Health Assignments
For each of the body systems throughout the semester, there will be a series of body assessment skills videos and virtual assessments that will be required prior to completion of your health assessment assignment. These are to help improve your assessment technique and skills. A screenshot of your score(s) will need to be uploaded to the Shadow Health assessment tab each week. A 90% is required to pass, and you can do the assessment as many times as you need to get the score you want.

Course Outline

Commenced Attendance Quiz due by 11:59pm
Introduction Discussion due by11:59pm
SOAP note 1 due by 11:59pm
Week One Shadow Health Practice Assignment due by 11:59pm
Week One Shadow Health Practice Assignment due by 11:59pm

Week Two Shadow Health Practice Assignment due by 11:59pm
 Depression and Anxiety screening assignment 11:59pm
 Mental Status screening assignment due by 11:59pm
SOAP Note 2 due by 11:59pm
 Week Two Shadow Health Practice Assignment due by 11:59pm
SOAP Note 3 due by 11:59pm
 Video Assignment 1 due by 11:59pm

 Week Three Shadow Health Practice Assignment due by 11:59pm
 SOAP Note 4 due by 11:59pm
 Video Assignment 2 due by 11:59pm

 Week Four Shadow Health Practice Assignment due by 11:59pm
 SOAP Note 5 due by 11:59pm
 Video Assignment 3 due by 11:59pm
 Week Five Shadow Health Practice Assignment due by 11:59pm

 Week Six Shadow Health Practice Assignment due by 11:59pm
 SOAP Note 6 due by 11:59pm
Video Assignment 4 due by 11:59pm
 Week Six Shadow Health Practice Assignment due by 11:59pm
 Final SOAP note (GI/GU) 11:59pm
 Comprehensive Health Assessment Video Final due by 11:59pm

 Week 7 Shadow Health Practice Assessment Assignment due by 11:59pm
 Video Assignment 1

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Learner Responsibilities
Late Policy: Late work will not be accepted.
Make_Up_Work/Extra_Credit: Make-up of late assignments may be offered at the professor's discretion for half credit.

Attendance Policy

Attendance: Attendance is virtual; however, you will be graded on your participation in class assignments and discussions.

Course Fees

Program and Course Fees (https://www.suu.edu/registrar/course-fees.html)

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.