Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning

Catalog description

This course addresses the theoretical principles and practical application of advanced physical assessment and history-taking throughout the lifespan. Relationships between assessment findings and underlying physiology and pathophysiology to the healthy and unhealthy client are investigated. Emphasis is on developing critical diagnostic thinking through interpretation of subjective and objective data, identification of normal and abnormal conditions, and the systematic reporting of summative findings. Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills are used in establishing differential diagnoses. Students will learn to address variables such as age, culture, ethnicity, and developmental stages into their differential diagnosis and evaluation and management plans.