This distance learning module enables health care professionals in the forensic specialities (e.g. sexual assault or custody nursing) to gain and expand their knowledge and skills base in the performance of advanced physical assessment. It focuses upon the principles and practice of physical assessment and history taking used to form a clinical impression, specific to the clinical speciality of the practitioner. Forensic medicine has some unique elements, which will not be covered by the, more general, Physical Assessment module. The content offered enables students to perform comprehensive and focused physical examinations relevant to their particular clinical speciality.

The module will provide materials relating to physical examination using a systems approach. It will cover mental status examination, head and neck, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, musculoskeletal and abdominal systems. Other relevant associated anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology are included, along with wider clinical assessments such as genital anatomy and tanner staging, also sessions on health history and clinical decision-making.

A particular feature of this module is the opportunity to advance physical assessment skills in your area of expertise under the guidance of an experienced clinical preceptor.

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: 3 contact hours - face to face tutorials, on line (skype, discussion forum feedback)
Guided Independent Study: 117 hours
Also: 30 hours in clinical practice with preceptor

The module requires high levels of motivation and active participation from students in organising their independent study time, and negotiating time with their clinical preceptor. The focus of the clinically based learning time will be the theory and practice of physical assessment skills.

This independent study will also involve students accessing resources related to the relevant pathophysiology and biomedical knowledge that underpins the physical assessment process.

Library
IT resources

Blackboard VLE
Clinical practice placement, practice based preceptor

Be a registered healthcare professional (with either NMC or the HCPC).
Have appropriate experience in the area in which he/she will be practising. Students wishing to undertake this module must be working in a sexual assault or custody setting, have written support from their employer and have an identified clinical preceptor to assess their clinical practice.

1. An assessment of clinical competency document.
Weighted at 0% PASS/FAIL
This is an assessment of clinical practice by the clinical preceptor.
At least five different systems should be assessed and passed.
Three of these are core to all students, with the other two selected based on relevance.
The core areas that should be assessed in all instances are:
The neurological system
The musculo-skeletal system
Mental health assessment
(Contributes to the achievement of learning outcomes 1, 2 and 4)


2. 30 hours completed in clinical practice. Weighted at 0% PASS/FAIL

A signed clinical hours log charting at least 30 hours spent with the clinical preceptor should be included with the competency document.
(Contributes to the achievement of learning outcome 2)

3. A case study of 2500 words. Weighted at 100%

The written case study should demonstrate the application and utilisation of knowledge and skills in the sphere of physical assessment of a selected patient. There should be a robust evidence based approach to the assessment and higher level decision-making skills should be highlighted in this work.
(Contributes to the achievement of learning outcomes 1, 3 and 4)

All 3 components of assessment must be passed in order to complete the module.

Bickley, L.S. (2016) Bate's Guide to Physical Assessment. 12th Edition. Philadelphia. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.
Jarvis, C. (2015) Physical Examination & Health Assessment, 6th Edition. St Louis. Elsevier.
Raftery, A. T., Lim, E. and Östör, A. J. K. (2014) Differential Diagnosis. Fourth Edition. Edinburgh. Churchill Livingstone. Elsevier.
Schroeder, K. (2017) The 10-Minute Clinical Assessment. 2nd Edition. Chichester. John Wiley and Sons. Bickley, L.S. (2016) Bate's Guide to Physical Assessment. 12th Edition. Philadelphia. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.

1. DEMONSTRATE A SYSTEMATIC UNDERSTANDING, AND APPLICATION OF, THE PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT SKILLS REQUIRED TO UNDERTAKE AN EXAMINATION IN THE FIELD OF FORENSIC PRACTICE, UTILISING THE RELEVANT BIOMEDICAL KNOWLEDGE.
Knowledge and Understanding


2. DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH YOUR CLIENT GROUP, USE SHARED DECISION MAKING IN THE CO-CONSTRUCTION OF TREATMENT PLANS, AND SUBSEQUENTLY DISSEMINATE THE FINDINGS OF THE PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT TO YOUR PRECEPTOR OR RELEVANT COLLEAGUES Communication


3. DEMONSTRATE ORIGINALITY IN THE APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS AND, THROUGH CASE BASED DISCUSSION, SHOW HOW ESTABLISHED TECHNIQUES OF RESEARCH AND ENQUIRY CAN BE USED TO INTERPRET, AND CHALLENGE, CURRENT THINKING.
Application
Learning

4. DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO EVALUATE COMPLEX ISSUES, OFTEN IN DIFFICULT AND UNPREDICTABLE SITUATIONS, AND APPLY CRITICAL THINKING TO THE PROCESS OF PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT AND SUBSEQUENT MANAGEMENT PLANS.
Analysis
Problem Solving