Consistent with Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession adopted by the AAPA, the ARC-PA, the PAEA, and the NCCPA, students enrolled in the Harding University Physician Assistant program have been educated on, and demonstrated practical proficiency in, the following skills of patient assessment:
- Constructing and prioritizing a differential diagnosis
- Communication
- Demonstrating interpersonal and active listening skills supporting development of rapport, taking a medical history and patient counseling.
- Obtaining a complete medical history including: chief complaint, history of present illness, past medical history, social history, family history and review of systems
- Demonstrating proper consideration for concern for the patient's comfort, modesty and safety when performing the physical examination.
- Recognizing the impact of culture on health beliefs and practices.
- Physical Exam Techniques
- General Observation
- Vital Signs
- Determining heart rate by palpation
- Determining Respiratory rate by observation
- Determining Blood pressure by auscultation and palpation
- HEENT
- Performing Otoscopy and Pneumatic otoscopy
- Performing a Fundoscopic exam
- Inspecting the mouth and oropharynx
- Inspecting the anterior nasal cavity
- Cardiovascular
- Inspecting the anterior chest for masses and deformities
- Auscultating sounds of normal and abnormal cardiac hemodynamics
- Palpating chest wall for thrills
- Auscultating temporal, carotid, abdominal aortic and renal bruits
- Palpating pretibial edema
- Assessing for Hepatojugular reflux
- Palpating peripheral pulses of the upper and lower extremities
- Pulmonary
- Inspecting the posterior chest for masses and deformities
- Auscultating for breath sounds
- Percussing lung fields for dullness or hyperresonance
- Abdomen
- Inspecting of the anterior trunk and flanks for scars, masses or deformities
- Auscultating for bowel sounds
- Palpating the abdomen superficially and deeply for tenderness or masses
- Percussing for shifting dullness
- Percussing for Costovertebral angle tenderness
- Lymphatics
- Palpating the lymph nodes of the head and neck
- Palpating axillary and clavicular lymph nodes
- Palpating the popliteal space for lymph nodes or masses
- Integumentary
- Inspecting of the hair distribution
- Inspecting of the skin, nails, and scalp for lesions or signs of trauma
- Musculoskeletal
- Evaluating of range of motion of large joints of the neck, spine, upper extremity and lower extremity
- Palpating of the major muscles for tone and symmetry
- Evaluating the muscles of the rotator cuff
- Assessing the capsular patterns of the shoulder and hip
- Performing a sideline evaluation for concussion
- Assessing knee and ankle injuries using Ottawa ankle rules
- Neurological
- Evaluating cranial nerves using standard tests
- Assessing of peripheral sensory function and proprioception
- Performing neurological special tests: Romberg, Kernig’s, Brudzinski’s, Lhermitte’s
- Assessing Deep tendon reflexes
- Assessing frontal release reflexes
- Assessing gait and station
- Assessing cerebellar functioning
- Psychiatric/Behavioral
- Using standard tests for assessing depression and anxiety
- Using the DSM for evaluation of psychiatric complaints
- Assessing for risk of problem drinking
- Assessing for risk of suicidal ideation
- Students enrolled in the Harding University Physician Assistant program have been educated on, and demonstrated practical proficiency in, the following procedural skills. HUPA utilizes realistic mannequins, standardized patients and student partners for hands-on learning.
- Handwashing
- Sterile gloving
- Administering injections (SubQ, IM, ID)
- Venipuncture
- IV placement
- Intubation
- Surgical hand scrub
- Application of gown and gloves in a surgical setting
- Surgical knot tying
- Placing a urinary catheter
- Performing a knee aspiration and injection
- Lumbar puncture
- Performing a female pelvic exam and pap smear collection
- Toe nail removal
- Wound closure with suture
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