Course
Syllabus
MSN 572: Advanced Physical Assessment Across the Lifespan
4 Credits
Prerequisites: MSN 571
Corequisites: Attend corresponding four-day campus/virtual immersion. The school
reserves the right to decide the immersion format based on local and state guidelines.
Required Textbook and Readings
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Bickley, L. S. (2021). Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History
Taking. (13th ed.).Philadelphia: Wolters-Kluwer. ISBN: 9781975109943
Bickley, L. S. (2013). Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History
Taking. (8th edition). Philadelphia: Wolters-Kluwer. ISBN: 978469338488
Hagan (2017). Bright Futures Pocket Guide (4th Edition). American
Academy of Pediatrics. (ISBN 9781610020220) OR download the free text
pocket guide from AAP at: Bright Futures - Scroll to find and click on
Pocket Guide https://brightfutures.aap.org/materials-and-tools/guidelines-
and-pocket-guide/Pages/ default.aspx
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2017). Electronic Preventive
Services Selector (ePSS). Version 3.10.26. USPSTF Prevention TaskForce. Free
application; please download platforms appropriate to your mobile device.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uspstf-prevention-taskforce/id311852560
Hipposoft LLC (2017). Physical Exam Essentials, version 3.0. Mobile
application; please download platform appropriate to your device. for
Android: http://bit.ly/pexandroid https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/physical-
exam-essentials/id343091870?mt=8 (iPhone)
Course Syllabus Version 2021-01-05 1
, Course
Syllabus
Shadow Health (2018). Meet Tina Jones: Your digital standardized patient.
Specific enrollment instructions will be provided in week 1.
Society of Teachers in Family Medicine (STFM) (2017). Shots. Free
application; please download platforms appropriate to your mobile device.
http://www.immunization.org
Course Description
The focus of this course for advanced practice nursing students is to expand upon
basic health assessment skills and includes strategies for history taking and for
physical, functional, developmental, and psychosocial assessment that recognizes
and includes normal individual, cultural, and developmental variations and
pathophysiological changes across the lifespan.
Students will apply comprehensive and focused data collection along with physical
examination strategies to determine a differential diagnosis. An overview of
appropriate protocols for performing health screening, ordering, performing, and
interpreting laboratory, radiographic, and other diagnostic data, as well as an
introduction to Subjective/Objective/Assessment/Plan (SOAP) note format
documentation and record keeping is included.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course the student should be able to complete the following, which align
with the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) in parenthesis:
1. Perform, and document both a comprehensive and a focused (SOAP-format)
history and physical examination for patients across the lifespan. (PLO 4,7,9)
2. Organize data obtained in the history and physical examination to create a
differential diagnosis. (PLO 1,7,9)
3. Modify history-taking strategies and combine specific physical examination
techniques to delimit the patient’s chief complaint. (PLO 3)
4. Prepare and document a risk assessment of the client including lifestyle
and other risk factors. (PLO 4,7,8)
5. Associate historical data and assessment findings with physiologic
changes and/or underlying pathology. (PLO 6,7,9)
6. Associate signs and symptoms of psychopathology using appropriate
Course Syllabus Version 2021-01-05 2
, Course
Syllabus
psychosocial assessment tools. (PLO 5,9)
Course Syllabus Version 2021-01-05 3
Syllabus
MSN 572: Advanced Physical Assessment Across the Lifespan
4 Credits
Prerequisites: MSN 571
Corequisites: Attend corresponding four-day campus/virtual immersion. The school
reserves the right to decide the immersion format based on local and state guidelines.
Required Textbook and Readings
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Bickley, L. S. (2021). Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History
Taking. (13th ed.).Philadelphia: Wolters-Kluwer. ISBN: 9781975109943
Bickley, L. S. (2013). Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History
Taking. (8th edition). Philadelphia: Wolters-Kluwer. ISBN: 978469338488
Hagan (2017). Bright Futures Pocket Guide (4th Edition). American
Academy of Pediatrics. (ISBN 9781610020220) OR download the free text
pocket guide from AAP at: Bright Futures - Scroll to find and click on
Pocket Guide https://brightfutures.aap.org/materials-and-tools/guidelines-
and-pocket-guide/Pages/ default.aspx
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2017). Electronic Preventive
Services Selector (ePSS). Version 3.10.26. USPSTF Prevention TaskForce. Free
application; please download platforms appropriate to your mobile device.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uspstf-prevention-taskforce/id311852560
Hipposoft LLC (2017). Physical Exam Essentials, version 3.0. Mobile
application; please download platform appropriate to your device. for
Android: http://bit.ly/pexandroid https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/physical-
exam-essentials/id343091870?mt=8 (iPhone)
Course Syllabus Version 2021-01-05 1
, Course
Syllabus
Shadow Health (2018). Meet Tina Jones: Your digital standardized patient.
Specific enrollment instructions will be provided in week 1.
Society of Teachers in Family Medicine (STFM) (2017). Shots. Free
application; please download platforms appropriate to your mobile device.
http://www.immunization.org
Course Description
The focus of this course for advanced practice nursing students is to expand upon
basic health assessment skills and includes strategies for history taking and for
physical, functional, developmental, and psychosocial assessment that recognizes
and includes normal individual, cultural, and developmental variations and
pathophysiological changes across the lifespan.
Students will apply comprehensive and focused data collection along with physical
examination strategies to determine a differential diagnosis. An overview of
appropriate protocols for performing health screening, ordering, performing, and
interpreting laboratory, radiographic, and other diagnostic data, as well as an
introduction to Subjective/Objective/Assessment/Plan (SOAP) note format
documentation and record keeping is included.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course the student should be able to complete the following, which align
with the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) in parenthesis:
1. Perform, and document both a comprehensive and a focused (SOAP-format)
history and physical examination for patients across the lifespan. (PLO 4,7,9)
2. Organize data obtained in the history and physical examination to create a
differential diagnosis. (PLO 1,7,9)
3. Modify history-taking strategies and combine specific physical examination
techniques to delimit the patient’s chief complaint. (PLO 3)
4. Prepare and document a risk assessment of the client including lifestyle
and other risk factors. (PLO 4,7,8)
5. Associate historical data and assessment findings with physiologic
changes and/or underlying pathology. (PLO 6,7,9)
6. Associate signs and symptoms of psychopathology using appropriate
Course Syllabus Version 2021-01-05 2
, Course
Syllabus
psychosocial assessment tools. (PLO 5,9)
Course Syllabus Version 2021-01-05 3
