Nursing Foundation: Core Principles

• Nursing foundation provides the bedrock of knowledge and skills essential for nursing practice.
• It encompasses fundamental principles, concepts, and values that guide nurses in delivering holistic and patient-centered care.
• Patient care techniques involve the practical application of nursing knowledge to meet patients' physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs across the lifespan.
• Basic nursing skills are the core competencies that all nurses must master to provide safe and effective care in various healthcare settings.
• Health assessment is a systematic process of collecting and analyzing data about a patient's health status.
• Medical terminology provides a standardized language for healthcare professionals to communicate effectively and accurately.
• Ethical considerations in nursing are the moral principles and values that guide nurses' decision-making and actions in clinical practice.

Nursing Foundation

• Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups, and communities, sick or well, and in all settings.
• It includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled, and dying people.
• Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.
• Florence Nightingale established the foundations of modern nursing.
• She emphasized the importance of hygiene, sanitation, and patient observation.
• The nursing process is a systematic, problem-solving approach used to identify, diagnose, and treat human responses to health issues.
• It includes assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Key nursing theories provide frameworks for understanding and explaining various aspects of nursing practice.
• Examples include Nightingale's Environmental Theory, Henderson's Needs Theory, and Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings.
• Evidence-based practice (EBP) involves using the best available research evidence to guide clinical decision-making.
• It integrates research findings with clinical expertise and patient preferences.

Patient Care Techniques

• Vital signs assessment includes measuring temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure.
• Pain management involves assessing pain and implementing strategies to relieve it, such as pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.
• Medication administration requires knowledge of drug classifications, dosages, routes, and potential side effects.
• Wound care involves assessing wounds and implementing appropriate interventions to promote healing and prevent infection.
• Hygiene and personal care include assisting patients with bathing, dressing, and oral hygiene.
• Safe patient handling techniques are used to prevent injury to both patients and healthcare providers.
• These techniques involve proper body mechanics and the use of assistive devices.
• Effective communication with patients and families is essential for building trust and providing patient-centered care.
• This includes active listening, empathy, and providing clear and concise information.
• Patient education involves providing patients with information and skills needed to manage their health conditions and promote self-care.
• Documentation is the accurate and complete recording of patient information.
• It is essential for communication among healthcare providers and for legal purposes.

Basic Nursing Skills

• Hand hygiene is the single most important measure to prevent the spread of infection.
• Donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, and gowns, is essential for infection control.
• Catheterization involves inserting a urinary catheter to drain urine from the bladder.
• Nasogastric (NG) tube insertion involves inserting a tube through the nose into the stomach for feeding or drainage.
• Oxygen administration involves providing supplemental oxygen to patients with respiratory problems.
• Suctioning involves removing secretions from the airway to maintain patency.
• Basic life support (BLS) includes CPR and other emergency interventions to support breathing and circulation.
• Monitoring intake and output (I&O) is essential for managing fluid balance.
• Specimen collection involves obtaining samples of blood, urine, or other body fluids for laboratory testing.
• Assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as eating, bathing, and dressing is a key nursing responsibility.

Health Assessment

• Subjective data are information provided by the patient, such as symptoms, feelings, and perceptions.
• Objective data are information that can be measured or observed by the nurse, such as vital signs, physical examination findings, and laboratory results.
• Interviewing techniques involve asking open-ended questions to gather information from the patient.
• Physical examination techniques include inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
• Assessing each body system involves a systematic approach to gathering data about the patient's health status.
• Neurological assessment includes evaluating level of consciousness, motor function, and sensory function.
• Cardiovascular assessment includes evaluating heart rate, rhythm, and blood pressure, as well as assessing for signs of heart disease.
• Respiratory assessment includes evaluating breathing patterns, lung sounds, and oxygen saturation.
• Gastrointestinal assessment includes evaluating bowel sounds, abdominal tenderness, and bowel habits.
• Musculoskeletal assessment includes evaluating range of motion, muscle strength, and joint stability.
• Documentation of assessment findings is essential for communication among healthcare providers.

Medical Terminology

• Root words are the basic building blocks of medical terms.
• Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning.
• Suffixes are added to the end of a word to modify its meaning.
• Combining forms are root words combined with a vowel to facilitate pronunciation.
• Anatomical terms describe the location and orientation of body structures.
• Terms related to diseases and conditions describe various illnesses and disorders.
• Surgical terms describe various surgical procedures.
• Diagnostic terms describe various diagnostic tests and procedures.
• Pharmacological terms describe various medications and their effects.
• Abbreviations and acronyms are commonly used in medical documentation to save time and space.
• Examples include:
  • BP (blood pressure)
  • HR (heart rate)
  • RR (respiratory rate)
  • IV (intravenous)
• Understanding common medical abbreviations is essential for safe and effective communication in healthcare.

Ethical Considerations in Nursing

• Autonomy is the right of individuals to make their own decisions about their healthcare.
• Beneficence is the obligation to do good and to act in the best interests of patients.
• Non-maleficence is the obligation to do no harm.
• Justice is the principle of fairness and equality in the distribution of resources and treatment.
• Fidelity is the obligation to keep promises and commitments.
• Veracity is the obligation to tell the truth.
• Confidentiality is the obligation to protect patient privacy.
• The nurse-patient relationship is based on trust, respect, and empathy.
• Ethical dilemmas arise when there are conflicting moral principles or values.
• The nursing code of ethics provides guidance for nurses in making ethical decisions.
• Ethical decision-making frameworks can help nurses analyze and resolve ethical dilemmas.
• Informed consent is the process of obtaining a patient's voluntary agreement to a proposed treatment or procedure.
• Nurses have a responsibility to advocate for their patients' rights and interests.