VNSG1323 – BASIC NURSING SKILLS
INSTRUCTORS:
Gainesville:
Paula Rutherford RN, Toni Perkins RN, Kim Collins RN
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Mastery of entry level nursing skills and competencies for a variety of health care settings. Utilization of the nursing process as the foundation for all nursing interventions.
TEXTBOOKS:
Fundamental Concepts and Skills for Nursing Elsevier 2014
Vocational Nursing Student Handbook North Central Texas College. January 2017
GRADING: Average of unit examinations (six written exams/check off exam)… 70%
Daily grades………………………………………………………5%
Final Exam…………………………………………………………25%
Tutor: Tutoring with the department LRP (Learning Resource Personnel) will be required for a grade of 80% or lower on any unit exam.
Online Office hours: Monday-Wednesday-Friday 1-3 pm;Tuesday and Thursday 6-8 pm
Laboratory Practice: Students will be given ample opportunity to practice in the skills laboratory as arranged by the instructors. Some of the time will be supervised, and the student may also be allowed unsupervised time to practice skills. Practice time should be utilized wisely as it will be limited. Each student will be required to spend a minimum of 3 hours in the lab practicing skills each week.
Laboratory Check-Offs: There will be scheduled laboratory check-offs throughout the course in order to evaluate the student’s ability to perform basic skills safely and correctly. These check-offs will consist of twenty-five (25) different skills on several different check-off days. Each skill will be timed based on the complexity of the skill. At the end of the semester, all the points earned from successfully passing the check off will be added together to equal one (1) exam grade. The check-offs will consist of the following skills:
#1 Handwashing/Isolation PPE
#2 Bedmaking/bedbathing/oral care/range-of-motion/positioning/transfers
#3 Vital signs/Assessments
#4 NG tube insertion and feeding/Enema
#5 Urinary catheterization/donning sterile gloves
#6 Tracheostomy care and Suctioning
#7 Wound Care/Sterile Dressing
#8 Parenteral and enteral medication administration
Each skill will be scored individually. There will be no more than three (3) attempts for a skills check-off. If the student successfully passed the check-off the 1st attempt, the student will receive four (4) points. If the student fails the 1st attempt, no points will be received and the student will be granted a 2nd attempt with an instructor. If the student successfully passes the 2nd attempt, the student will receive 2 points. If the student fails the 2nd attempt, no points will be received and a 3rd attempt will be granted at the check-off with two (2) instructors. If the student successfully passes the third attempt, zero (0) points will be received. If the student fails the 3rd attempt, the student will be immediately dismissed from the VN program and given a failing grade. A copy of the skills point sheet is provided at the end of this syllabus.
Written Examinations: There will be six (6) written examinations throughout the semester. See the Vocational Nursing Student Handbook for academic honesty, testing, and grading specifics.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of VNSG 1323, the student will: (DEC1,2,5,6,8,10,22,25)
- Function within nurse’s scope of practice and in accordance with the policies and procedures.
- Assume responsibility/accountability for the quality of nursing care provided to patients/families.
- Use clinical reasoning/established evidence-based policies as the basis for decision making.
- Assist in determining physical and mental health status/needs/preferences of culturally/ethically/socially diverse patients/families.
- Provide safe, compassionate, basic nursing care to assigned patients.
- Identify and report alterations in patient responses to therapeutic interventions.
- Communicate/collaborate to promote/maintain optimal health status of patients/families.
- Supervise care provided by others for whom the nurse is responsible.
STUDY SKILLS and TIME MANAGEMENT
The Adult Learner
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Identify personal areas of strength that will ensure success in the vocational nursing program
- Identify personal areas that could interfere with success in the vocational nursing program
- Discuss personal responsibility for learning and active participation in the learning process
- Identify techniques that increase the degree of concentration in learning situations
- Identify techniques that improve listening skills in learning situations
- Describe the following resources that help you stay current in vocational nursing
- Discuss the benefits of time management for an adult learner
- Define critical thinking
- Explain what is meant by learning style, the 3 major and 4 secondary learning styles
- Identify your personal learning style
- List five characteristics of the right and left side of the brain
- Describe the policies in the Vocational Nursing Student Handbook pertaining to the following:
Attendance, Violations of the policies that will result in dismissal from the program, Appropriate dress in the clinical agency, and Professional behavior
- Define the following terms: Visual, Motivation, Task, Tactual, Organization, Goal, Auditory, Schedule, Objective, Stress, Strategy, Subjective
CONTENT OUTLINE:
I Vocational Nursing Student Handbook
II Adult Learner
III Time Management
IV Learning Styles
REFERENCES: Material in Syllabus
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Dissect the word from the Latin root to determine the meaning of complex medical terminology
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Periodic quizzes will be given by the instructor and counted as daily grades.
WEEK 1—INTRODUCTION TO NURSING AND THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
THE NURSING PROCESS
Learning outcomes:
- Define key terms
- Discuss today’s health care system, it’s components, and changes proposed.
- Identify the four areas of human needs and give an example within each level of need.
- Explain legal requirements for the practice of nursing and how they relate to a student nurse.
- Explain the use of the nursing process
- Differentiate between objective and subjective data.
- Discuss the evaluation process and how it correlates with expected outcomes.
- Use a systematic way of charting to ensure that all pertinent information has been included.
Content outline
Chapter 1-Nursing and the Health Care System
Chapter 2-Concepts of Health, Illness, Stress, and Health Promotion
Chapter 3-Legal and Ethical Aspects of Nursing
Chapter 4-The Nursing Process and Critical Thinking
Chapter 5-Assessment, Nursing Diagnosis, and Planning
Chapter 6-Implementation and Evaluation
Chapter 7-Documentation of Nursing Care
Student learning activities
WEEK 2---COMMUNICATION IN NURSING
BASIC NURSING SKILLS
Skills to master
- Hand washing
- PPE
- Sterile gloving
Learning Outcomes:
- Define the key terms
- Compare effective communication techniques with blocks to
- List and differentiate between conditions and factors that can affect learning.
- Discuss techniques of effective time management.
- Demonstrate proper hand hygiene and application of personal protective equipment.
- Demonstrate proper donning of sterile gloves.
- Discuss nursing responsibilities for environmental management.
Content outline
Chapter 8-Communication and the Nurse-Patient Relationship
Chapter 9-Patient Teaching and Health Promotion
Chapter 10-Delegation, Leadership, and Time Management
Chapter 16-Infection Prevention and Control: Protective Mechanisms and Asepsis
Chapter 17-Infection Prevention and Control in the Hospital and Home
Chapter 20-Patient Environment and Safety
Student Learning Activities
- Read the chapters
- Study guide
- Review the skills
WEEK 3—BASIC NURSING SKILLS
Skills to master
- Bed bath
- Bed making
- Positioning
- ROM
- Transferring
- Oral care
- Hoyer lift
Learning outcomes:
- Define the key terms
- Demonstrate proficiency at checkoffs for bathing, oral care, ROM, positioning, transfers, bedmaking and Hoyer lift.
- Identify common integumentary disorders.
- Identify the characteristics of good posture is standing, sitting, and lying positions.
- Discuss the benefits of physical exercise.
- Discuss the differences in passive and active exercise.
- Explain the different types of traction, casts, and immobilization techniques used in the healthcare setting.
- Name the different ambulatory aides available to clients
Content outline
Chapter 18-Lifting, Moving, and Positioning Patients
Chapter 19-Assisting with Hygiene, Personal Care, Skin Care, and the Prevention of Pressure Ulcers
Chapter 39-Promoting Musculoskeletal Function
Student learning activities
- Read the chapter
- Review skills
- Study guide
WEEK 4—BASIC NURSING SKILLS
MEETING BASIC PHYSIOLOGIC NEEDS
Skills to master
- Vital signs
- Pulse oximetry
Learning outcomes:
- Identify and locate peripheral pulses
- Assess peripheral pulses by palpation
- Assess apical pulse by auscultation
- Demonstrate proper technique in obtaining vital signs—TPR, BP, and Pulse Oximetry—in the lab setting using the proper equipment
- Discuss the factors that may affect the vital signs
- Examine five commonly used complementary and alternative therapies.
Content outline
Chapter 21-Measuring Vital Signs
Chapter 31-Pain, Comfort, and Sleep
Chapter 32-Complementary and Alternative Therapies
Student learning activities
- Read the chapter
- Review skills
- Study guide
WEEK 5—BASIC NURSING SKILLS
Skills to master
Learning outcomes:
- Define key terms
- Identify abnormal heart and lung sounds and breathing patterns
- Explain Korotkoff sounds.
- List the purpose of the physical assessment
- Perform a head-to-toe assessment
Content Outline
Chapter 22-Assessing Health Status
Chapter 23-Admitting, Transferring, and Discharging Patients
Student learning activities
- Read the chapter
- Review skills
- Study guide
Week 6—MEETING BASIC PHYSIOLOGIC NEEDS
Skills to master
- NG insertion
- NG feeding
- Foley catheter
- Enema
Learning outcomes:
- Define key terms
- Demonstrate proficiency in feeding a patient, inserting an NG tube, administration of an enema, and insertion of a Foley catheter on both male and female mannequins
- Plan and teach a client group a specific diet
- Utilize the Food Pyramid in planning and implementing the diet plan
- Explain the concept of parenteral nutrition
- Identify proper placement of the NG tube.
- Identify the four characteristics of urine
- Explain the procedure for maintaining intake and output for the client
- List the common factors that affect bowel elimination
Content outline
Chapter 24-Diagnostic Tests and Specimen Collection
Chapter 26-Concepts of Basic Nutrition and Cultural Considerations
Chapter 27-Diet Therapy and Assisted Feeding
Chapter 29-Promoting Urinary Elimination
Chapter 30-Promoting Bowel Elimination
Student learning activities
- Read the chapter
- Review skills
- Study guide
WEEK 7—MEETING BASIC PHYSIOLOGIC NEEDS
CARE OF THE SURGICAL AND IMMOBILE PATIENT
Skills to master
- Tracheostomy care
- Tracheostomy suctioning
- Oxygen therapy
- Wound care
Learning outcomes:
- Define key terms
- Demonstrate maintenance of the sterile field while performing wound care and trach care/suctioning.
- Define pre- and post-op care
- Develop a teaching plan that includes pre and post-op instructions for the client
- Discuss the focus of postoperative care for the vocational nurse on the surgical unit
- Explain first-, second- and third-intention healing of wounds.
- List risk factors that predispose a client to the development of pressure ulcers
- Identify the components of trach care
- Identify techniques used in pain assessment
Content outline
Chapter 28-Assisting with Respiration and Oxygen Delivery
Chapter 37-Care of the Surgical Patient
Chapter 38-Providing Wound Care and Treating Pressure Ulcers
Student learning activities
- Read the chapter
- Review skills
- Study guide
WEEK 8—MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
Skills to master
- Enteral medications
- Nebulizer
Learning outcomes:
- Define key terms
- Name the eight rights of medication administration
- Name the three checks for preventing medication errors
- Explain the proper technique for administration of eye and ear drops to adults and children
- Explain the following routes-- sublingual, buccal, rectal, vaginal, cutaneous, topical
- Explain the differences in the inhalers and aerosols
- Demonstrate reconstitution of a powder in a vial
- Correctly compute medication dosages using known formulas and techniques learned in Med-Math
- Develop a knowledge of frequently used medications by writing drug cards
- Discuss age-related issues common to medication administration
Content Outline
Chapter 25-Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance
Chapter 33-Pharmacology and Preparation for Drug Administration
Chapter 34-Administering Oral, Topical, and Inhalant Medications
Student Learning Activities
- Read the chapter
- Review skills
- Study guide
WEEK 9—MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
Skills to master
- Parenteral medications
- Glucometer
Learning outcomes:
- Define key terms
- Demonstrate proper technique in the administration of PO, IM, and subcutaneous meds.
- Correctly identify sites for IM and subcutaneous injections.
- Describe Z-tracking
- Demonstrate correct choice of needle and syringe
- Demonstrate correct technique in the mixing of insulins in one syringe
- Explain the reasons for choosing to administer a drug by the IV route
- Demonstrate reconstitution of a powder in a vial
- Correctly compute medication dosages using known formulas and techniques learned in Med-Math
- Develop a knowledge of frequently used medications by writing drug cards
- Discuss age-related issues common to medication administration
Content Outline
Chapter 11-Growth and Development: Infancy Through Adolescence
Chapter 12-Adulthood and the Family
Chapter 14-Cultural and Spiritual Aspects of Patient Care
Chapter 35-Administering Intradermal, Subcutaneous, and Intramuscular Injections
Chapter 36-Administering Intravenous Solutions and Medications
Student Learning Activities
- Read the Chapter
- Review skills
- Study guide