Nursing 101 Unit 1 Study Guide

Medical Asepsis

• Handwashing is crucial for disinfection from microorganisms, especially after contact with bodily fluids.
• Proper handwashing steps include: gathering supplies, removing jewelry, rinsing hands downwards, lathering for 15-20 seconds, rinsing downwards from the wrist, patting dry with fingertips up, and turning off the water.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) includes gloves, masks, goggles/face shields, and gowns with specific donning and doffing procedures.
• Hand sanitizing involves checking product direction, applying the correct amount of sanitizer, distributing it thoroughly, and allowing it to dry.

Nursing & Nursing Practice

• Nursing is defined as the care of others, blending art (application of knowledge) and science (knowledge itself).
• Primary duty encompasses social, spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of patient care.
• Roles of nursing include: caregiver, communicator, teacher/educator, counselor, leader, researcher, advocate, and collaborator - all interrelated roles.
• Aims of nursing focus on promoting health, preventing illness, restoring health, and facilitating coping with disability or death.
• Four blended competencies: cognitive (knowledge), technical (skills), interpersonal (communication), and ethical/legal.

Nursing as a Profession

• Nurse Practice Acts are state-specific laws regulating nursing practice, protecting both nurses and public.
• The American Nurses Association (ANA) outlines the scope of practice and ethical standards.
• Key nursing criteria include a well-defined body of knowledge, strong service orientation, authority by a professional group, a code of ethics, recognized standards, ongoing research, and autonomy.

Nursing Theories & Theorists

• General System Theory breaks systems into parts for better understanding, while Adaptation Theory focuses on continuous change and response.
• Florence Nightingale established nursing as a distinct profession, emphasizing personal care, hospital management standards, and the importance of nutrition.
• Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross; Lavinia Dock was a nursing leader and women's rights advocate.

QSEN Competencies

• Quality & Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) provides guidelines for improving patient safety outcomes through collaborative educational models.
• Core values in QSEN include patient-centered care and continuous quality improvement.

Evidence-Based Practice

• Evidence-based practice integrates research evidence, patient preferences, and clinical expertise in decision-making to achieve quality patient outcomes.

Communication

• Communication is the exchange of information, necessitating an active process involving sending, receiving, and feedback.
• Types of communication include verbal (spoken or written) and nonverbal (body language), both should be congruent.
• Effective communication styles include assertiveness, promoting respect and clarity, contrasted with passive and aggressive styles.

Health & Illness

• Health is defined as complete physical, mental, and social well-being; illness refers to abnormal responses altering function due to disease.
• Morbidity and mortality metrics measure population health; morbidity assesses disease frequency, while mortality tracks death rates.
• From acute illness to recovery stages, patients may assume various roles impacting their interactions with healthcare, guided by the nurse.

Health Models

• Health models include the Health Belief Model, Health & Illness Continuum Model, and Health Promotion Model, each outlining beliefs, conditions, and behaviors impacting health actions.
• Prevention levels: primary (preventing disease), secondary (early detection), and tertiary (rehabilitation after treatment) promote healthcare management.

Risk Factors & Vulnerable Populations

• Health risk factors include age, environment, socioeconomic status, culture, education, and lifestyle.
• Vulnerable populations include those living in poverty, women, children, older adults, rural/inner city residents, new immigrants, the homeless, and individuals with disabilities.

Maslow & Erikson

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs outlines five levels: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, driving priority in patient care.
• Erikson's Eight Stages of Development address critical psychosocial conflicts at different life stages, influencing individual growth and health outcomes.### Eschar and Slough
• Slough: Soft, moist, yellow or white loose/stringy material found in wounds.
• Eschar: Hard, dark (black or brown) and dry tissue in wounds.
• Healing Stage: If a stage 3 ulcer is improving, it remains classified as a healing stage 3 ulcer.

Preventative Measures for Wound Care

• Hygiene: Maintain cleanliness to prevent infection.
• Moisturizers: Apply to keep skin hydrated.
• No Massage: Avoid massaging affected areas to prevent further tissue damage.
• Protect from Incontinence: Ensure the affected skin stays dry and clean.
• Avoid Friction & Shearing Forces: Minimize movement that can cause skin damage.
• Diet & Nutritional Supplements: Promote healing through proper nutrition.
• Improve Mobility/Activity: Encourage movement to enhance circulation.

Health Assessment

• Pulse Amplitude:
  • +1: Faint pulse
  • +2: Normal pulse
  • +3: Bounding pulse
• Apical Pulse:
  • S1: Closure of the Mitral and Tricuspid valves.
  • S2: Closure of the Aortic and Pulmonary valves.

Pulse Sites

• Temporal, Carotid, Radial, Brachial, Femoral, Popliteal, Posterior Tibial, Dorsalis Pedialis.

Blood Pressure and Pulse Pressure

• Normal Blood Pressure:
  • Systolic: Less than 120
  • Diastolic: Less than 80
• Elevated Blood Pressure:
  • Systolic: 120-129
  • Diastolic: 80
• Hypertension Stage 1:
  • Systolic: 130-139
  • Diastolic: 80-89
• Hypertension Stage 2:
  • Systolic: 140-179
  • Diastolic: 90-119
• Hypertensive Crisis:
  • Systolic: 180 and above
  • Diastolic: 120 and above
• Pulse Pressure: Calculated as Systolic - Diastolic.

PERRLA

• Stands for Pupils Equal, Round, Reactive, and Accommodating.
• Accommodation: Pupils constrict with light and dilate in darkness.
• Convergence: Pupils move together when tracking objects.

Skin Turgor

• Refers to skin elasticity.
• Normal skin should return within less than 2 seconds.
• Prolonged pinching indicates loss of elasticity, often observed in older adults.

Denture Care

• Place a towel in the bottom of the sink while cleaning dentures to prevent breakage.

Normal Ranges of Temperature, Pulse, and Respirations

• Temperature:
  • Fahrenheit: 97 - 99
  • Celsius: 36.1 - 37.2
• Pulse: Normal range is 60-100 bpm.
• Respirations: Normal range is 12-20 breaths per minute.

Pulse Deficit

• Calculated by subtracting the radial pulse from the apical pulse.