Canyon College: Musculoskeletal Complaints – Rapid Assessment Certificate Program Online

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online musculoskeletal complaints – rapid assessment program at Canyon College

online musculoskeletal complaints – rapid assessment program at Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Musculoskeletal Complaints – Rapid Assessment Certificate Program

Course Title:
Department:
Instructor:

NUR520 - Musculoskeletal Complaints – Rapid Assessment
Nursing
David A. Dutcher, BS, RN, DC E-Mail | Vita
Registered Nurse/Doctor of Chiropractic

Welcome to Musculoskeletal Complaints – Rapid Assessment. We are pleased to offer this program, one that will be invaluable for the remainder of your career in nursing or other medical discipline. This is an exciting program. We have the opportunity in this program to develop and master physical assessment and diagnostic skills relating to musculoskeletal injuries. This program is very intensive and is equivalent to any physical assessment and diagnosis program in any advance nursing or medical school curriculum. It presents normal body framework and recommends a reliable methodology to help determine pathology.

Students will learn how to take a comprehensive health history. They will also learn how to conduct a comprehensive site-specific physical assessment/examination. Each module examines the most common appearance and findings in musculoskeletal injuries. At the completion of this program, students will have a solid foundation of skills and knowledge and will be able to conduct a proficient health history on clients, as well as very comprehensive, site-specific physical assessments. Students will also have a foundational knowledge of many disease states, their roles, and subjective and objective symptoms.

TIME FRAME: There are nine modules in the complete course. Each module is two weeks long.

Weeks 1 & 2 - Module 1 - Cervical Spine
Weeks 3 & 4 - Module 2 - Shoulder
Weeks 5 & 6 - Module 3 - Elbow
Weeks 7 & 8 - Module 4 - Wrist
Weeks 9 & 10 - Module 5 - Hand
Weeks 11 & 12 - Module 6 - Lumbar Spine
Weeks 13 & 14 - Module 7 - Hip and Pelvis
Weeks 15 & 16 - Module 8 - Knee
Weeks 17 & 18 - Module 9 - Ankle and Foot

The first day of week one will begin the day that you register for the first module, or the day which you notify me that your textbook has arrived and you are ready to begin your studies. Please be cognizant of the time frame. It is rare that extensions of time are permitted, unless the student has good justification. Upon successful completion of this program, students will be awarded a certificate of completion.

TEXTBOOK: Online Bookstore

There is one (1) required textbook for this course.

Physical Examination of the Spine and Extremities by Stanley Hoppenfeld

ISBN: 0838578535
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 1976
Format: Cloth; 276 pp
Published: 05/26/1976

EXAMINATIONS: There will be an examination every week. They consist of one intermediate examination and one final examination for each module. These examinations will be objective type - multiple choice, and true/false questions. They are open book examinations.

Every examination will cover the following:

SOAP
The Physical Examination Routine
Diagnosis Priority List
Differential Diagnosis of Joint Problems
Types of Arthritis
Common Forms of Bursitis, and
The Menisci

In addition, the intermediate examination for each module will cover the first reading assignment for that module. The final examination will cover both reading assignments for that module.

The examination are programmed and are located in the classroom for this course. All examinations are "open book" objective in nature. Students will have 1 hour to complete intermediate and 2 hours to complete the final examination once they access them from the classroom. To access the exams, you must send me an e-mail at drdd@canyoncollege.edu and request to have access to the exam. I will then program your access code in. You will receive an e-mail back from me telling you that you are now authorized to go ahead and access your exam. To access, you will come into the classroom, click on testing, and click on the exam you are taking. You will need your User ID and PASSWORD to access the exam. The exam will appear on your screen. Once you access the exam, you have 1 hour to submit your answers. The program provides me the date and exact time that you accessed the exam. The program also notifies me of the exact date and time that you submit your answers. Thus, the program is timing you. The program will NOT cut you off at the 1- or 2-hour time limit, so watch your time carefully. When you are ready, go back into the classroom and click in your responses and then click submit. In a short time following you will receive the exam in your e-mail box with your computed score. You will also know what questions, if any, you missed and what the correct answer is.

GRADING: the grading scale for this course is as follows:

96 - 100%
91 - 95%
86 - 90%
Below 86%

=
=
=
=

A
B
C
Fail

* The 18 module tests make up 80% of the grade and the Final Assignment is 20%.

COMMUNICATION: You are encouraged to communicate with me. I am available as a teacher, coach, and mentor to assist you in meeting your goals for this course. Primarily, communication is through e-mail. However, I am also available for conversation by telephone if you would like. Our classroom for this course has a "chat" room. I am also very willing to meet with you one-on-one in the chat room at your request. From time to time, depending on how many students are enrolled in this course at a particular time, we will have some scheduled group chats. You will receive more detailed information at the time such chat sessions are scheduled. Please keep my e-mail address handy so that you can contact me. I prefer you to use drdd@canyoncollege.edu
If during your time in this course you change your e-mail address, please be sure to notify me right away.

Written Assignments: Major course assignment: Students are required to conduct an actual health history and examine one of the areas of the body as instructed in the modules on a recruited subject. The health history must follow the guidelines as provided in the course content. The actual physical examination must include findings of all orthopedic tests and the conclusion of the orthopedic tests. Using the SOAP and HIPPIRONE models, students will write up the health history, assessment and any comments and submit them to the instructor by the end of the end of the course. Specific information is provided in the course classroom. Click on the "Assignments" link for details.

Written assignments are graded on a Pass/Fail basis.

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: David A. Dutcher, BS, RN, DC is currently self employed in community health nursing, and is an instructor of many of the nursing and health care related courses offered by the State of Washington for caregivers. He holds a BS degree, and has earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic. He is a Registered Nurse and a Certified and Licensed X-Ray Operator and Supervisor. The States of California and Pennsylvania have licensed him in the use of Adjunctive Physiotherapy Modalities. Dr. Dutcher has worked in Critical Care Nursing and, most recently, in Correctional Nursing for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections where he was also an HIV/Aids instructor for the DOC. He was in private Chiropractic practice in California and Pennsylvania for 15 years. Dr. Dutcher was also faculty at the 1998 National Correctional Health Care Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, where he presented a two day condensed version of Musculoskeletal Complaints – Rapid Assessment to Department of Corrections personnel from all 50 states.

Dr. Dutcher is currently beginning his studies in the Masters of Nursing - Education program offered through Canyon College, proving that a great education does not stop at being an educator.

He is the author/editor of 2 fiction novels, and has authored two Chiropractic handbooks.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The objectives for these modules are:

Demonstrate knowledge of site specific musculoskeletal anatomy and physiology
Define the HIPPIRONE model of assessment
Define the SOAP and OPQRSTUV components of the musculoskeletal assessment
Explain the rationale underlying musculoskeletal examination techniques
Differentiate normal and abnormal musculoskeletal findings including age related changes
Discuss appropriate methods for focused data collection
Describe appropriate techniques utilized for musculoskeletal assessment
Develop a systematic framework for completing a musculoskeletal assessment in a timely manner
List key examination findings that would require prompt medical referral
Evaluate another health giver’s ability to perform a comprehensive musculoskeletal assessment
And identify common normal and abnormal findings while performing a musculoskeletal assessment

ASSIGNEMENTS: there is a reading assignment for each week. For specific assignments, please click on the "Assignments" link in the classroom

QUESTIONS: if you have any questions concerning this syllabus and /or the course, please contact your instructor directly at: drdd@canyoncollege.edu