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History Taking and Physical Assessment

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Starting in: 2025
Campus: Southampton City CentreView on Google Maps

Why study history taking and physical assessment at Solent University

In response to demand from NHS and Health Education England, this course provides skills for health care professionals to accurately obtain a clinical history in a consultation.

  • £0m
    invested in our campus estate and facilities in the last five years
  • The course takes a case-based approach to teaching and learning by combining three strands of learning: applied theory, nursing simulation and action learning, and nursing practice.
  • Students have access to our specialist nursing facilities, including a nursing simulation suite with a six-bed ward, GP consulting room, nurse's treatment room, care home bedroom, and a range of clinical equipment including simulation mannequins.
  • Our lecturing team have excellent teaching and clinical experiences, and can help you to become a skilled practitioner to make a positive difference to people lives.
  • Immersive Simulation is integrated into the curriculum on a weekly basis. You will be prebriefed on the simulation activity, actively participate in the simulation, and then debrief to discuss the content and reflect on the emotions that emerged during the experience.
  • You'll interact with service users, who are standardised patients, that bring consistency and realism to simulation, allowing for controlled, repeatable scenarios to enhance clinical training and assessment.

Course overview

In response to demand from NHS and Health Education England, this course equips registered healthcare professionals with the skills to accurately obtain a clinical history during consultations. It prepares you to gather and interpret relevant physical examination findings, inform potential differential diagnoses, and outline appropriate treatment plans.

Designed to meet the demand from NHS and Health Education England, this course is for healthcare professionals to expand their practice and acquire skills traditionally performed by doctors, such as obtaining a clinical history, performing physical assessments, and formulating differential diagnoses.

This allows registered healthcare professionals who wish to develop competencies beyond their normal scope of practice, to have the opportunity to expand their traditional nursing and allied health professional roles as part of the wider delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.

You'll learn to conduct physical examinations of various body systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal, neurological, and musculoskeletal) in individuals with complex healthcare needs, supporting high-quality, person-centred care using evi ence-based tools. You will engage in effective multidisciplinary teamwork while recognising the limitations of professional practice.

You’ll have access to a range of our specialist facilities inclusing high-fidelity mannequins - that provide an unparalleled level of realism, offering lifelike anatomical detail and dynamic functionality for advanced training and simulation. As well as anatomage tables that provide an interactive, 3D visualisation platform for detailed anatomical exploration and virtual dissection, enhancing education with precise, realistic simulations.

Solent University invites healthcare professionals with at least one year of experience and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council or the Health and Care Professions Council to join this module. It runs twice a year and is available part-time, with weekly classes over the duration of one semester.

Any questions?

Contact UK admissions

Email: admissions@solent.ac.ukCall: 023 8201 5066

Contact international admissions

Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukCall: +44 (0)23 8201 5066

Course features

  • Professional membership

    You have the opportunity to obtain a professional membership as part of this degree

  • Specialist facilities

    This course has access to specialist facilities

This course is for

This course is designed for registered healthcare professionals seeking to expand their competencies beyond their usual scope of practice. It will prepare you to accurately obtain a clinical history during consultations, gather and interpret relevant information to inform potential differential diagnoses, and outline appropriate treatment plans.

What this course leads to

You'll develop the skills necessary to foster therapeutic relationships with service users through effective communication and history-taking techniques. This ensures that service users feel their concerns are heard with respect and compassion, creating an environment conducive to health-related behaviour change when clinically appropriate. Additionally, you'll learn to perform physical assessments and formulate differential diagnoses. This module will train you to conduct physical examinations of various body systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal, neurological, and musculoskeletal) in individuals with complex healthcare needs, supporting high-quality, person-centred care using evidence-based tools. 

  • History Taking And Physical Assessment

Meet the team

Learn from qualified staff with a wealth of experience working in a range of clinical settings.

The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.

Facilities

You’ll have access to a range of our specialist facilities, including a nursing simulation suite with a six bed ward, GP consulting room, nurse’s treatment room, waiting area/break out space, care home bedroom and working kitchen and bathroom. There is a wide range of clinical equipment including simulation manikins to facilitate various simulated scenarios.

Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces.

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