Coastal Carolina University Nursing 305LSection 01 Health Assessment Laboratory
Fall 2016
Instructor:Scott J Saccomano PhD, GNP-BC, RN Email: ffice:Kenneth E Swain Hall
Office # 113
P.O. Box 261954 Conway, SC 29528-6054
Telephone:843-349-6497
Class Time:Online (Class week runs from 12:00am Saturday to 11:59 on Friday; see schedule)
Office Hours: Virtual Office hours: Monday 10:00am – 12:00 noon and Tuesday 9:30 am – 1:30 pm; also available by appointment and by email.
Communication Policy:
Contact faculty by phone, e-mail or in person when events occur in your life that impinge on your ability to meet the requirements of this course. Email is usually the fastest way to communicate with faculty. Students can expect up to a 24- hour turnaround time for email messages, and up to 2 days for voice mail, which can only be retrieved when I am physically in my office. In addition, students should check the Announcements in Moodle and check their Coastal student email 4-5 times during the week. Email is the fastest way to reach me.
Webpage:We will use Moodle course management system
Text:Jarvis, C. (2016). Physical Examination & Health Assessment (6thed.).
Philadelphia: Saunders ISBN: 978-1-4557-2810-7
Shadow Health. (2016). Digital Clinical Experience (Version 4.0) [Software]. Available from
Physical Assessment Videos: There are various videos on assessment available online from the Kimbel Library. Some of the videos will be assigned throughout the course, but you are welcome to view any of them at any time, and as often as you need to. Go to the university webpage at and click on Library under the Quick Links. The next page has a search box in the middle near the top, and right under that search box, click on the words Database Finder. Click on the letter “B”
at the top of the page. Bates Visual Guide to Examination will be at the top of the list. Click on Bates, and a new page will open and you have to log in with your CCU credentials. For some units, you will want to watch all of the videos on each topic. For other units, you might want to skip around and only watch what you need more help with. Individual clips within a unit can be as short as a few minutes
Description: NUR 305L Health Assessment Lab. (2 credits) (6 Contact Hrs.) (Prereq: Admission to the nursing major) (Coreq: NUR 305) Provides the student with the opportunity to practice the concepts and skills used when conducting a comprehensive health assessment including a health history, systems review and a complete physical exam.
The letters and numbers in parentheses following each course objective below refer to Nursing Program Outcomes (PO) that are listed in the Nursing Program Student Handbook.
Course Objectives: In this course, the student will have the opportunity to:
1.Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills obtained through participation in experiential learning activities that are relevant/pertinent to their academic program or career goal to perform a comprehensive health assessment using a systems approach.
2.Identify normal and abnormal findings of each body region/system, including common physical, developmental and cultural variations. (PO 1, 3)
3.Formulate nursing diagnosis and interventions derived from a health assessment data. (PO 1, 2, 4)
4.Students will demonstrate a high level of comprehension and skill in connecting theory with practice which is correlated to their level of participation in experiential learning activities by demonstrating documentation of normal and abnormal findings. (PO 1, 4, 6)
5.Include inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation when completing a comprehensive health assessment. . (PO 1, 4, 6)
The letters and numbers in parentheses following each course student learning outcome refer to the BSN Program Student Learning outcomes (PSLO) listed in the Nursing Program Student Handbook.
Student Learning Outcomes: The student will be able to:
1.Perform a comprehensive health assessment of an individual client. (PSLO 1, 2)
2.Identify, normal and abnormal findings of each body region/system, including common physical, developmental and cultural variations. (PSLO 1, 4)
3.Demonstrate, the use of nursing judgment and problem solving skills to analyze and interpret client data to determine appropriate nursing diagnosis and interventions. (PSLO 1, 2, 4)
4.Demonstrate successful interview techniques used to obtain a comprehensive health history and a system review. (PSLO 1, 2)
5. Perform a comprehensive health assessment using inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation techniques.
Structure: This laboratory will meet every other week for two hours and participate in the Shadow Health Digital Clinical Experience (DCE). Students will be required to practice health assessment skills outside of class. In addition to face-to-face lab, there will be some online assignments to complete (see schedule).
Laboratory: Parts of the Laboratory portion of this course will be delivered through the Shadow Health Digital Clinical Experience (DCE) (see below). There will be online practice assessment sessions, critical thinking simulation focus assessment scenarios, and documentation practice.
Reading/Writing: There will be reading assignments to be completed for each week. A variety of methods are used to apply the concepts from the reading assignment and the DCE.
Late Work:Late assignments receive a 10% deduction for each day they are late if assignments are not posted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the day they are due. Assignments more than three days late will not be accepted. Technological issues are not considered valid grounds for late assignment submission. In the event of a University server outage, students should submit assignments to the instructor via email and when systems are restored, submit those assignments through Moodle according to syllabus instructions. Unless an Incomplete grade has been granted (must be arranged in advance), learner assignments submitted after the last day of class will not be accepted.
Health Assessment Skills Lab via Digital Clinical Experience: Health Assessment is a clinical nursing course. The emphasis for this course is on systematic data collection, accurate clinical judgments, the use of these data and nursing judgment in patient care, and the use of therapeutic communications skills during nursing practice. Emphasis is on assessment of the NORMAL, not dysfunctional or pathological. Students are expected to complete the assigned readings prior to participation in each learning module. Each lecture/readings will present the theory required forthe skills that will be practiced in the Digital Clinical Experience that week.
Shadow Health Digital Clinical Experience (DCE): The Shadow Health™ Digital Clinical Experience™ (DCE) provides a dynamic, immersive experience designed to improve your skills and clinical reasoning through the examination of digital standardized patients. Although these patients are digital, each one breathes, speaks, and has a complex medical and psychosocial history. We will be completing Shadow Health assignments throughout the course.
With Shadow Health’s assignments you can practice taking a detailed health history and performing physical assessments in system-by-system assignments, preparing you to complete the focus exams and a comprehensive assessment. We will be using these assignments to practice relevant skills and apply content knowledge. You will complete these assignments along with course content, reading the course textbook, reading lecture material, and completing the concept lab if applicable. The individual system assignments on Shadow Health are to be completed by the due date for that system. Any assignment completed late is subject to the department of nursing late grading policy. These assignments will be worth 10 percent of your grade.
In select system assignments, you will explore concept labs. The respiratory, cardiovascular and abdominal concept labs allow you to review the anatomy of specific systems and practice identifying normal and abnormal sounds. You will complete these assignments after reviewing course content, reading the course textbook, and completion of the corresponding Shadow Health Assignment.
Failure to complete an assigned concept lab will result in a 5-point deduction from the overall DCE score; late completion of a concept lab will result in a 3-point deduction from the overall DCE score..
Shadow Health recommends using headphones to access the concept labs in which you will practice identifying normal and abnormal sounds.
Technical Requirements -
If at any time you have any questions or encounter any technical issues regarding the DCE, please contact the support specialists. Please visit the Learner Support page at for contact information and hours. You may email the Learner Support team directly at at any time. Technical support is available 24/7days @ (800) 860-3241 (toll free)
The Digital Clinical Experience provides students the ability to perform an assessment on a virtual patient. Digital Clinical Experience modules are available for 7 days. Students may complete the required module any time during that 7-day period.
The Digital Clinical Experience contains eight (8) learning assignments and students are required, for each module, to complete and achieve minimum competency. Minimum competency is achieving 73% or greater on the DCE score. Students who do not meet the minimal DCE competency requirement must repeat the module in order to achieve competency. Students who are required to repeat a module do so to meet the minimum competency requirement for that module and do not achieve a higher score for their subsequent attempts. Each assignment has prerequisites. Student should not proceed to the next assignment without completing the assignment prerequisites. Students are required to complete all related assignment activities unless otherwise notified by the instructor. Failure to do so will result in an unmet competency requiring students to complete incomplete work.
Focused Clinical Exams: The focused exams allow you to demonstrate clinical judgment to a patient’s chief complaint. You will perform THREE (3) focused exams in which you will demonstrate a mastery of skills relevant to multiple body systems and professional communication in a graded activity. The average of these assignments is 30% percent of your final course grade. The focus exams must be taken on the date indicated unless previous arrangements have been made with the instructor. Failure to take the exam at the scheduled time will result in an exam grade of ZERO.
Clinical Performance Exams: There will be two clinical performance examinations. The mid- semester clinical examination includes successful application of assessment skills completed prior to mid-semester. A final comprehensive (head-to-toe) health assessment serves as the final examination and includes demonstration of assessment skills for general appearance, and at least five body systems selected from all body regions/systems. The total exam grades are worth 30% of the final grade for the course.
SOAP Notes: Students will be responsible to submit two SOAP notes. Competency will be considered achieving a score of 16 points out of 20 points according to the provided rubric. A student who receives a score of less than 16 points out of 20 will have the opportunity to review the SOAP note with feedback. A student who receives a score of less than16 points must resubmit the SOAP note until you have accomplished an advanced beginner level of competency (16 points out of 20 points) on each note. Maximum score on resubmission is 16 points out of 20 points. Please see rubric for grading criteria. The SOAP note grades are worth 10% of the final grade for the course.
Experiential Assignments: Students will be assigned a variety of assignments for content areas covered in the course assignments. Students may analyze a case study, complete a nursing care plan or answer clinical assignments that present a health concern appropriate for a nurse to assess, treat, and follow up. It is expected that the student respond to all aspects of the clinical assignment and submit on or prior to the due date. A minimum of 3 clinical assignments, but not more than 5 clinical assignments will be completed during the semester, at the discretion of the faculty member. Clinical assignments are worth 15% of your final course grade.
Missed tests: Students who will miss an exam must notify the instructor prior to the missed exam so arrangements can be made for a make-up test. All make-up exams will be administered in the university testing center, and must be made up within three business days.
Attendance & Participation: Regular class attendance will be expected throughout the semester. An absence is defined as a missed online submission deadline, such as a quiz assignment or discussion forum. If at any point student misses over 25% of the class weeks he/she will receive an F as the final grade. The instructor is permitted to impose a penalty, including assigning the grade of F, for unexcused absences in excess of 25 percent of the regularly scheduled class meetings. For more information regarding the CCU attendance policy, please review the CCU Catalog. The instructor reserves the right to reduce the final grade due to absenteeism.
Participation: Both in-class participation and online written participation will be evaluated for completeness and evidence of nursing judgment. Online participation grades are earned through discussion forums. A graded activity will be completed in each face-to-face class meeting. (In class activities are worth 5% of your course grade).
Assignments: All assignments will be graded with feedback within 7 days of due date and returned in Moodle.
Equipment:Students are required to bring the following equipment to Lab practice session and the final practicum session: pen, stethoscope, and a penlight. All other assessment equipment will be provided.
Misc:Contact faculty by phone, e-mail or in person when events occur in your life that impinge on your ability to meet the requirements of this course.
Keep all interactions in the laboratory and on Moodle respectful of other students and faculty.
Students should check their university student email and Moodle announcements several times during the week.
Students requiring special accommodations for disabilities should contact Counseling Services at 349-2305.
Please check the university calendar for the last date to withdraw without grade penalty.
Academic Honesty: Cheating and Plagiarism are defined for Coastal Carolina University in the Student Handbook. Failing to provide documentation of another person's words or ideas, purchasing a pre-written paper, having someone else write a paper or complete an assignment for you with or without payment, and submitting another person's work as your own are examples of plagiarism.
For this class, plagiarism or cheating of any portion of any assignment or test will result in a grade of zero for the entire assignment or test and the policy in the Student Handbook will be followed by the course faculty member. If there is any portion of this policy that is unclear to you or that you wish to discuss further, please contact the course faculty member as soon as possible. To not do so indicates that you fully understand the policy.
Inclement Weather: In case of inclement weather, a contingency plan will be in place. Please follow your email and the Moodle announcements for alterations in class format if needed
Moodle Support for Students:
1.Moodle Login Page:
2.Moodle Student Resource Guide with step-by-step guides and video tutorials:
3.Students may request help by clicking on the Student Help Request Form in Moodle located at the top of the menu in each course.
Technical Support from Student Computing Services:
1.Check the website for hours, locations and other services (
2.Student Computing Services Main Help Desk: 843.349.2908
3.Student Computing Services Tech Support Center: 843.349.2220
4.A list of on-campus Help Desks and the Help Request Form can be found at this link:
Library Services:
1.Kimbel Library Website (
2.Kimbel Library Services for Distance Learning Faculty and Students:
3.Kimbel Library Services for Distance learning Nursing Faculty and Nursing Student:
Additional Student Resources:
Students requiring academic assistance should contact the Learning Assistance Center at: Website:
Phone number: 843-349-6536 for information about services
Students requiring special Accommodations should contact the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services at:
Website: number: 843-349-2305
Students requiring counseling should contact Counseling Services at: Website:
Phone number: 843-349-2305
Grading: / Mid-semester Clinical Exam / 10%Comprehensive Clinical Exam / 20%
SOAP Notes / 10%
Clinical Assignments / 15%
Focus Exams (3) / 30%
Weekly Shadow Health Assignments / 10%
Class Participation/Attendance
Tot / 5%
al 100%
Grading Scale: / A / 90-100 / B+ / 85-89
B / 80-84 / C+ / 75-79
C / 70-74 / D+ / 65-69
D / 60-64 / F / < 60
Standard rounding rules will be applied to the final grade
Revisions:This syllabus describes the course as best it can. The course faculty reserves the right to make changes in its content. If changes must be made to it during the semester, students will be immediately notified.
Nursing 305L – Fall 2016 Lab Schedule-at-a-Glance
DATE / TOPIC / ASSIGNMENTS*Week One 08/27/2016
In-person Face-to-face (F2F) class / Orientation & Introduction to Lab; Course Overview
Review Useful Tips and Tricks: es/2077574-useful-tips-and-tricks / Register for Shadow Health
Complete Orientation and Conversation Lab by 09/02
Week Two 09/03/2016 / Cultural Competence
Week Three 09/10/2016
Face-to-face / Obtaining a health history – Review of Systems
Begin working on SH Health history assignment complete by 9/23
Week Four 09/17/2016
**Online** / Physical Assessment Techniques
Continue working on SH Health History Complete SHHEENT assignment by 09/23 / Review physical assessment videos posted on Moodle
Health History (clinical assignment #1) due 9/23
Week Five 09/24/2016 F2F / Assessing HEENT systems / Bring lab guide for HEENT to class.
Review assessment videos on library website
Practice SOAP note due by 9/30
Week Six 10/01/2016 / Lifespan Considerations Infant, Child and Adolescence
Complete SH Skin, hair and nails assignment by 10/07