Physical Assessment and Clinical Reasoning of the Presenting Child

To apply for this course you must be a registered practitioner in a position of Advanced Practice or aspiring to such a position. You must have clinical responsibility for children or be working within a children and young people field of practice.

This course is offered at Level 3 (Degree) and Masters level and is delivered at our Glenside Campus.

Course content includes:

• Skills:
  • Systematic history taking including developmental assessment
  • Use of assessment tools for recognising normal and abnormal findings in children and young people
  • Introduction to use of frameworks for clinical reasoning
  • Introduction to differential diagnosis and patient risk assessment
  • Introduction to investigations and relevance to practice.
• Scientific Knowledge:
  • Foundations of relevant anatomy and pathophysiology
  • Introduction to clinical findings related to head to toe physical assessment with application to related disease processes.
  • Respiratory examination in children
  • Cardiovascular examination in children
  • Abdominal examination in children
  • Neurological examination in children
  • Musculoskeletal examination in children (Paediatric Gait Arms Legs Spine pGALS)
  • Examination of the newborn.
  • Head, Neck, Skin, Ears, Eyes, Nose and throat examination
  • Rationale for diagnostic investigations and relevance to practice
  • Adolescent consultation skills.
• Context of physical assessment and clinical reasoning:
  • Legal/ethical principles in children's and young peoples practice (inc. consent, confidentiality and partnership working)
  • Clinical governance and safeguarding in children's practice
  • Evidence based practice
  • National and local initiatives for changing roles in Children's advanced practice
  • Health Promotion
  • Red Flags and safety netting in Children's practice
  • Communicating and building rapports with child young person and their familes.

Delivery:

Study time will include 48 contact hours. These will take the form of lectures, group activities, case study presentations and practical practice sessions. Formative OSCEs undertaken throughout the module will contribute to your learning strategy for physical assessment.

Please note: Priority will be given to applications received through our funded educational contracts. Unfortunately no places will be available on this module for applications received outside of this funding. Please check with your employer as a funded contract place may still be available to support your learning.