Fundamentals of Nursing

The essential points of perioperative (preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative) nursing care.

The basics of chest tubes, artificial airways, tracheostomy care, and home oxygen safety.

Oxygen delivery devices (nasal cannula, non-rebreather, venturi device), therapeutic oxygenation interventions (chest physiotherapy and positive airway pressure), and suctioning.

Ventilation, diffusion, and perfusion, along with hypoxemia, hypoxia, and techniques to improve oxygenation.

Learn the key facts on laxatives, enemas, and fecal occult blood testing (FOBT).

Constipation, diarrhea, and important content about ostomies (ileostomy and colostomy). Meris's personal experience with a temporary ostomy.

The use of bladder scanners and key points of urinary catheters (indwelling, straight, suprapubic, and external).

The basics of urinary elimination and specimen collection, urinary incontinence, and urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Learn the most important facts on enteral and parenteral nutrition.

Considerations for the indication, insertion, placement confirmation and removal of nasogastric (NG) tubes.

Dysphagia, therapeutic diet types (NPO, clear liquid, full liquid, soft, dysphagia, and regular), prevention of foodborne illnesses, and capillary blood glucose measurement.

The key points you need to know on macronutrients, micronutrients, and body mass index (BMI).

Learn all about the basics of acid/base imbalances, including respiratory alkalosis, respiratory acidosis, metabolic alkalosis, and metabolic acidosis.

Get the key facts you need on basic considerations of electrolytes and electrolyte imbalances, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.

Get an overview of solution osmolarity, calculating intake and output, fluid volume deficit, and fluid volume excess.

Get the scoop on wound culture and irrigation, sterile dressing changes, suture and staple removal, care of drains, and diabetic foot care.

The phases of wound healing, healing by intention (primary, secondary, and tertiary), complications and barriers to healing, and wound drainage/appearance.

Pressure injury risk factors, prevention, and staging.

Fall prevention in the acute care and home settings, along with everything you need to know about restraints.

Mobility devices including canes, walkers, and crutches.

The physical and functional effects of immobility, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and nursing care to combat the effects of immobility.

The stages of grief, types of grief, and the difference between palliative and hospice care.

Sleep basics, sleep disorders, and general adaptation syndrome (GAS).

Types of pain, pain etiology and location, pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management, and patient-controlled analgesia.

How to give a bed bath, make a bed, provide oral care and denture care, and what it means when your patient is on seizure precautions.

Everything you need to know about sterile fields, including the indications, sterility best practices, and how to set up a sterile field.

How to "don" and "doff" (put on and take off) personal protective equipment (PPE), along with the different types of isolation and transmission precautions (such as standard/universal, contact, droplet, airborne, and protective).

Types of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), how to prevent them, and how to perform thorough and proper hand hygiene.

The nursing process (ADPIE), members of the interdisciplinary team, SBAR communication and report, and how to provide for continuity of care upon admission, transfer, and discharge.

Inpatient safety regarding sharps injuries, proper body mechanics, and the care of patients receiving internal radiation (brachytherapy).

Inpatient safety, including fire safety, equipment malfunction, chemical exposure, tornado safety, and bomb threats.

Types of immunity (active natural, active artificial, passive natural, and passive artificial), types of illnesses (acute and chronic) along with types of risk factors (modifiable and non-modifiable).

The chain of infection (infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host) and the stages of infection (incubation, prodromal, illness, and convalescence).

The different types of patient positions, including supine, prone, semi-Fowler’s, Fowler’s, high-Fowler’s, lateral, Sims’, Trendelenburg, reverse Trendelenburg, and lithotomy.

Cultural considerations, culturally competent care, religious practices impacting patient care, and different types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and their possible contraindications.

Patient education (including health literacy, domains of learning, and instructional and evaluation methods) and nursing documentation types and best practices.

The communication process, communication levels, forms of nonverbal communication, and therapeutic vs. non-therapeutic communication are important topics in Fundamentals of Nursing. Better communication leads to better care and better health outcomes. This article covers the key facts on nursing communication, including topics you are likely to be tested on and use every day in your nursing practice!

Why are some patients eager, and some reluctant, to take action to improve their health? How do you know when a patient is ready to make a change? In this video and article we explain the Health Belief Model and the Transtheoretical Model, which will help you better understand your patients, improve communication, and help promote better health outcomes.

Theoretical foundations of nursing, including Kohlberg, Maslow, Erikson, and Piaget.

Types of intentional and unintentional torts, and the important points to know about being a mandated reporter.

Types of advance directives and the provisions and best practices of HIPAA.

The concepts of informed consent and a patient's right to refuse treatment. The Fundamentals of Nursing video tutorial series is intended to help RN and PN students study for nursing school exams, including the ATI, HESI, and NCLEX.

The profession of nursing and nursing ethical principles. Meris shares a heart-stopping moment from her first day of clinical.