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Unit of Study NURS2004 - Foundations of Health Assessment (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Unit type

    UG Coursework Unit

  • Credit points

    12

  • Faculty/College

    Faculty of Health

  • Placement

    Yes

  • Enrolment information

    This unit contains Work Integrated Learning (WIL) that requires students to meet mandatory fit to practice obligations prior to attending. Failure to comply by the fit to practice deadline will result in the cancellation of your WIL and you will not be permitted to continue in this unit. Full details are available at www.scu.edu.au/health/work-integrated-learning.

Unit description

Introduces students to the relationship between the scientific functions of the human body, systematic nursing assessment, and medication administration. Students are provided with the knowledge and practical skills to systematically collect and interpret data in order to make safe clinical decisions. Through practice in nursing laboratory sessions and interactive online activities, students will learn to problem solve, conduct systems-based nursing assessments and administer medications using evidence-based methods. Students will complete three weeks (120hrs) of placement experience as part of this unit.

Unit content

  1. Introduction to health assessment
  2. Assessment of breathing and circulation
  3. Assessment of disability and exposure
  4. Assessment of fluid and glucose
  5. Assessment of mental health, deteriorating patient and parental medication
  6. Assessment of intellectual disability

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Coffs Harbour
Dual Term1,4
Dual Term1,4
Gold Coast
Dual Term1,4
Dual Term1,4
Lismore
Dual Term1,4
Dual Term1,4

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

demonstrate a range of physical, psychosocial and cognitive assessment skills to inform nursing interventions to provide person-centred care being cognisant of cultural sensitivity and awareness

safely calculate medication dosages and administer medications in a safe manner

use a range of data management techniques to document holistic care

discuss foundational concepts of behaviour and physiology as they relate to nursing assessments

Prescribed learning resources

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Prescribed Texts
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Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.