[rn97bsn06msn09]

I am in the FNP program at Michigan State University. I just found out last night that I failed Advanced Health Assessment. This means that I have to retake next fall and instead of my graduation date being spring 2009... it will now be spring 2010. I am sick. I studied and worked so hard and all for nothing. It was a complete waste of time and money... that could have been spent with my family.

My question is... how do other schools hold their Advanced Health Assessment courses? My course was online with the exception of going to MSU 3 times to be "checked" off on basic health history, heart and lungs, and the female/male exams. For our 4th trip to campus we had to take the final. We had to pass the health history, review of systems, physical assessment and document all with 90% or better or we fail the entire course. We had 85 minutes to complete the HH, ROS, and physical. Once 85 minutes was reached, we had to stop and whatever we didn't complete was counted as a zero. Needless to say I did not finish on time and I lost several points for this. We had to verbalize EVERYTHING outloud. I.e. pulmonic heart sound at the right sternal border, second intercostal space, s2 > s1...and so on and so forth... we had to do the reverse J twice (one with the bell and once with the diaphragm) and verbalize all the above both times (very time consuming). Anyways... I guess what my question is... is does this sound similar to other schools? Are other schools so cut throat that you can pass everything all semester long and than fail by not achieving certain grade for the final??? The reason I ask is because I am thinking about transferring schools. I am a very hands on learner and learning in my living room with no instructor to give me feedback was very interesting to say the least. I felt like when I did my final I was going through the motions and just trying to beat the clock. I want to have a course where I am not just going through the motions but where I feel confident about what I am doing and why I am doing it.

Any suggestions. I am so sad and angry right now. If I didn't have so much time and money into this I would say screw it and drop the whole idea of becoming an FNP.

TIA for any advice... suggestions... comments.

Tricia (guess I need to change my screen name....

[traumaRUs]

Tricia - sorry for your frustration. When I did Advanced Health Assessment, yes I did it online but we fortunately had the option to come in to a lab where we had Sim-Man and we could work on him as long as we wanted.

Is there another school where you could take this course that would be more in tune with your learning style? If that is possible, you still graduate on time.

As to changing your user name, I will be able to do so, but do you want to check into alternatives first? Please take care.

[BChapp3182]

Your health assessment class sounds just like mine, except I go face to face. Our tests are only 25 questions, cover like 8-12 chapters of medical material, so basically we can miss 4 questions and still pass (84 is passing)!!! We had to do the head to toe physical in front of instructor, timed, talk it all out, then write it all up. We did spend time on our own- outside of class, in small groups practicing on one another. I practiced on family members, on my teddy bear, pillows, you name it, I practiced on it. We also had paid patients come in and we performed genital/rectal and vaginal exams (pap smears, etc) on them. It was alot of hands on practice. I feel for you because many people fail this class. It's not easy.

Switching schools probably won't help. Plus most grad schools will only take 8 transfer credits. Bite the bullet and prepare to take it again. Just think of how much more prepared you'll be this time around.

[BChapp3182]

Wait, you had a whole 85 minutes! We had 45 minutes! 30 min to do the head to toe exam and 15 min to write up everything! I'm the one who should be switching schools!

[pinoyNP]

Would MSU allow you to take the Health Assessment course from another school? I know WSU only offers the course in the Spring/Summer term but I doubt if it's an equivalent course since WSU doesn't offer the FNP track. However, there are many other options for you...U of M Ann Arbor or Flint, Oakland, U of D, Saginaw Valley?

[SteveRN21]

Originally Posted by BChapp3182

Wait, you had a whole 85 minutes! We had 45 minutes! 30 min to do the head to toe exam and 15 min to write up everything! I'm the one who should be switching schools!

NOT MAKING HER FEEL BETTER......

[Softballmama]

Wow, your course does sound like it was tough due to not being very hands-on. That is why for me, personally, I had to go to a school that has all of its classes on campus. I don't think I would do well in an online program because I, like you, am a very "hands-on" learner.

Our advanced assessment course was four hours long and each class included some lecture with the majority of it being a workshop where we broke off into groups of 2 or 3 and practiced the skills on each other. We also had 3 practicing NPs come to our workshops and go around to each group to make sure we were correctly performing the skills. We also had the real-life models come to class for the male/female genital exam portion.

Our assessment course also included a clinical component where we spent one day/week with a physician/NP preceptor at a facility so that we could perform our health histories, ROS, and PEs on real patients.

We had written mid-terms and finals, as well as a practicum mid-term and final where we had to demonstrate a full head-to-toe assessment on a classmate; plus we were assigned a "chief complaint" during the actual practical exam where we had to demonstrate a more specific "focused" assessment related to the problem the "patient" had. These were video-taped by a faculty member and were given to the professor to be graded according to a checklist of skills that should have been demonstrated.

Good luck to you - I hope you are able to figure something out that will keep you on track with your current graduation date.