Advanced Clinical Skills

Course details

This module is designed to form part of the professional and academic development of nurses working in acute and community settings. Participants will be given the opportunity to enhance their physical assessment, history taking, symptom analysis, head to toe assessment and monitoring when dealing with patients in acute and community settings. The participant will develop advanced knowledge and psychomotor skills in the recognition of red flag symptoms and related first line management in the assessment of clients across the lifespan.

The module will include clinical laboratory experience where participants will develop competency in relevant clinical skills. This stand-alone module can be completed on its own for professional development purposes. It is also part of the post graduate diploma in health sciences/professional studies.

Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate ability to apply knowledge of anatomy and physiology and ability to critically discuss the rationale for the physical assessment of the client
• Demonstrate and critically analyse clinical competence in a simulated environment in carrying out a health history, symptom analysis and advanced physical examination of the client
• Identify and critically discuss expected and unexpected findings in advanced physical assessments
• Demonstrate and critically discuss clinical competence in identifying and first line management of red flag symptoms in a simulated environment
• Relate and integrate knowledge gained from previous studies and clinical experience.

Module content:

• Interviewing health history and symptom analysis of the client
• Clinical reasoning and recording findings and referrals
• Advanced physical examination and use of specific assessment tools in the following areas:
• General survey
• Head and neck
• Respiratory system
• Cardiovascular and peripheral system
• Gastrointestinal, renal and reproductive systems
• Musculoskeletal system
• Nervous system