| Course | NURS 505 Advanced Health / Physical Assessment (NURS505) |
|---|---|
| Credit hours | 3 |
| Program | MSN |
| Length | 8 Module/Weeks, online |
| Weeks with written work | 6 of 8 |
| Samples on this site | 6 week sample papers |
| Sources | Liberty's 2026-2027 catalog and the published NURS 505 course guide |
| Updated | October 2026 |
What NURS 505 covers
Liberty pairs the assessment text with an interview of a consenting adult volunteer, not a current patient, so students practice the full history, review of systems and family history before they examine. The first assignment turns that interview into a formal paper with a genogram in an appendix, and the third turns a focused skin and HEENT examination of a volunteer into a SOAP note that also discusses a nursing theory, health promotion, family life stage and cultural characteristics.
Two longer assignments widen the lens. A 15 to 20 slide presentation applies the graduate genetic and genomic competencies to one genetic risk factor or condition with at least five recent peer-reviewed articles, and a 6 to 8 page paper explores the student's own cultural identity, another culture, the CLAS standards and how to take a spiritual history. Two discussion forums, a midterm and final exam, and the proctored video examination complete the course.
This course focuses on comprehensive physical assessment which includes in-depth health history, physical and psychological signs and symptoms, developmental stages, pathophysiologic changes, and psychosocial and cultural characteristics of the individual, family, and community as client. Enhancement of communication and observational skills are emphasized along with the development of sensitive and refined interviewing techniques. Students must obtain a master's prepared nurse preceptor who will proctor their final exam which is a comprehensive head-to-toe physical assessment.
NURS 505 week by week, with the sample for each
| Week | Written work in the course guide | Points | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Comprehensive Health History and Genogram: a formal APA paper from an interview with an adult volunteer, with the genogram as an appendix | 15 | Read the Week 1 sample |
| Week 2 | Genomics and Genetics Presentation: 15 to 20 slides on a genetic risk factor or condition with at least 5 peer-reviewed articles from the past 5 years | 125 | Read the Week 2 sample |
| Week 3 | SOAP Note on skin, hair, nails and HEENT for an adult volunteer, 3 to 5 pages with theory, health promotion, family life stage and culture | 100 | Read the Week 3 sample |
| Week 4 | Discussion Board Forum 1 (Midterm Exam also due) | 50 | Read the Week 4 sample |
| Week 5 | Cultural and Spiritual Assessment Paper: 6 to 8 pages with at least 5 peer-reviewed sources from the past 5 years | 125 | Read the Week 5 sample |
| Week 6 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 50 | Read the Week 6 sample |
| Week 7 | Final Exam only; no paper due | No written paper this week | |
| Week 8 | Proctored, videotaped head-to-toe physical assessment; no written component | No written paper this week |
Where NURS 505 papers lose points
Students lose points when the health history reads as a checklist rather than a narrative with pertinent positives and negatives, when the genogram lacks three generations or a key, and when the SOAP note mixes subjective and objective data or gives a plan unrelated to the findings. The genomics presentation loses points for older or non-peer-reviewed sources, and the cultural paper for describing another culture in stereotypes rather than through sources and an actual conversation.
Using a NURS 505 sample well
Use the samples to see the form each document takes, especially how a SOAP note separates what the volunteer reports from what the examiner finds. Your own volunteer's history and findings decide the content, and identifying details must always be changed.
NURS 505 questions, answered
Who can I interview for the NURS 505 health history?
The guide asks for an adult friend or family volunteer, 18 or older, who can consent and who is not a current patient in your clinical practice. Change identifying details when you write the paper.
What does the NURS 505 SOAP note include?
A SOAP note on skin, hair, nails and HEENT for an adult volunteer, plus sections on a nursing theory, health promotion, family life stage, cultural characteristics and evaluation, in 3 to 5 APA pages with at least 3 scholarly references.
Is there a written part to the NURS 505 head-to-toe assessment?
No. The final week's proctored head-to-toe examination is a narrated video uploaded with the proctor's rubric, and the guide states it has no written components. A score of B- or better is required to pass the course.
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