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Advanced health assessment in nurse practitioner programs
1Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, Washington, DC 20057-1107, USA.
Summary
This study surveyed nurse practitioner programs on advanced health assessment courses. Findings show common content and teaching methods, but highlight challenges in student preparedness and resource limitations.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Advanced Practice Nursing
Background:
- Nurse practitioner (NP) programs require robust health assessment training.
- Curriculum content and delivery methods for advanced health assessment are evolving.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the content, teaching methodologies, depth, and course placement of advanced health assessment in NP programs.
- To identify commonalities and challenges in current educational practices.
Main Methods:
- Survey research conducted with 140 US nursing schools in the Nurse Practitioner Faculty Network.
- Data collected on course structure, content, teaching strategies, and faculty perceptions.
Main Results:
- Most programs teach health assessment over a full semester/quarter.
- Public institutions more frequently use computer-assisted instruction (CAI) than private ones.
- Faculty desire integration of differential diagnosis and focus on abnormal findings, citing varied student preparedness and resource constraints.
Conclusions:
- Despite commonalities in NP health assessment courses, challenges exist regarding student readiness and available resources.
- There is a need for enhanced teaching strategies, including CAI and independent learning, to address diverse student needs.