Advanced Physical Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning

Catalog description

This advanced course is designed to provide graduate Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) students with the specialized knowledge and skills necessary for comprehensive physical assessment in the context of anesthesia care. Building upon foundational assessment techniques, this course highlights advanced assessment methods, diagnostic reasoning, and critical thinking skills required of all advanced practice nurses. Theoretical frameworks from nursing and other disciplines, as well as concepts from the Synergy Model, will be incorporated throughout the course. The course emphasizes comprehensive history taking, data collection, synthesizing assessment findings, written documentation, and effective communication of assessment data to interdisciplinary team members. Comprehensive physical assessment skills are taught, which will allow the learner to conduct a methodical physical exam, differentiating normal anatomy and physiological variants on patients across the lifespan as well as considering social determinants of health and vulnerable population groups. Differential diagnoses, critical thinking, and sharpened physical assessment skills will be enhanced through didactic coursework and required campus residency.