Health Assessment
You will complete all assessment assignments using the Shadow Health virtual reality simulation platform.
Introduction and Pre-brief
In this graded assignment, you will interview Tina Jones to conduct a comprehensive health history and collect data to assess Ms. Jones’ recent right foot injury. You will have the opportunity to educate and empathize with Tina to engage in effective therapeutic communication; create a problem list using evidence from the data you collected; prioritize the identified problems to differentiate immediate from non-immediate care; and plan how to best address the most important concern with further assessment, interventions, and patient education. For this assignment, you will conduct a limited physical assessment. Your objective documentation must include a general statement and the findings for the skin (integumentary) body system.
Tips and Tricks
You will earn points on the Digital Clinical Experience (DCE) score during Shadow Health activities for how well you identify and respond to opportunities to emphasize and educate your patients. Just as in real life, timing matters. For example, if your patient reveals that she is experimenting with illegal drugs and you “skip over” the chance to address the issue during the interview, you will not be able to recapture that moment to educate your patient later in the activity. Consequently, you will lose points on the Digital Clinical Experience (DCE) score.
At the end of each Physical Assessment Assignment in Shadow Health are post-activity reflection questions. Be aware that the quality of your response to each question is measured as part of the graded assignment. Please review the details on the guideline and grading rubric. In order to achieve full credit for this portion of the grading rubric, you need to respond to each reflection post question, provide analysis of your performance, use professional language, and demonstrate insight. Please reach out to your faculty with any questions.
Purposes
The purposes of the Shadow Health Physical Assessment Assignments are to: (a) increase knowledge and understanding of advanced practice physical assessment skills and techniques, (b) conduct focused and comprehensive histories and physical assessments for various patient populations, (c) adapt or modify your physical assessment skills and techniques to suit the individual needs of the patient, (d) apply assessment skills and techniques to gather subjective and objective data, (e) differentiate normal from abnormal physical examination findings, (f) summarize, organize, and appropriately document findings using correct professional terminology, (g) practice developing primary and differential diagnoses, (h) practice creating treatment plans which include diagnostics, medication, education, consultation/referral, and follow-up planning; and (i) analyze and reflect on own performance to gain insight and foster knowledge.