Clinical Assessment provides the basis for advanced nursing practice. A fundamental requirement is that patient care is safe, evidenced-based care to allow nurses master a range of core and specialty-based clinical assessment skills. Within an expanding scope of practice, nurses are required to demonstrate competency to take a detailed history, undertake physical assessments, make provisional diagnoses, request and interpret diagnostic tests and prescribe therapeutic interventions and nursing care to facilitate clinical decision-making. The clinical assessment of clients requires a comprehensive approach within a nursing framework, which includes the integration of physical and psycho-social dimensions.
The paper's content is disseminated using a combination of lectures, tutorials and clinical skills teaching sessions. Lectures and tutorials allow for both knowledge dissemination and case-scenario group work to facilitate critical analysis and problem solving. Clinical skills teaching sessions involve peer examination, where students practice on each other to learn physicals assessment skills. The skills teaching session are facilitated by an experienced nurse teacher who provides real-time guidance to support learning. The aim is that students will apply the knowledge, physical exam skills and clinical reasoning process to their work-place clinical environment.
The paper is delivered face-to-face over five study days, with a Observed Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) on day six.