Nursing Tips: Fundamentals

Isotonic Fluids

Isotonic fluids do not change the volume of the body's cells.

Orthodox Jewish diet

Principles Fundamentals

Orthodox jewish individuals do not eat meat WITH dairy, pork products, or shellfish. A hamburger is OK, but not a cheeseburger!

Closed-Ended Questions

Principles Fundamentals

Closed-ended questions (i.e., yes/no questions) should be avoided because they do not encourage the patient to elaborate on their feelings.

Corrections to Documentation

Principles Fundamentals

If the nurse should make an error while documenting on a written error, cross out the error with one line and add initials, date, and time. Do not use correction tape/fluid.

An Occupational Therapist (OT) is a key member of the interprofessional team. They help patients regain their ability to perform their ADLs (Activities of Daily Living). Examples of ADLs: brushing teeth, getting dressed, using the bathroom.

As a patient ages, their thirst mechanism decreases. This puts the older adult at increased risk for dehydration.

Dehydration in Older Adults

Gerontology Fundamentals

As a patient ages, their thirst mechanism decreases. This puts the older adult at increased risk for dehydration.

Caring for a restrained patient

Practice & Skills Fundamentals

When caring for a restrained patient, a new order is required every 24 hours.

Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAPs)

Leadership Fundamentals

Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAPs) may perform hygiene, bathing, CPR, patient ambulation, routine vital signs, and charting of I&Os.

Nationally Notifiable Diseases

Community Fundamentals

Some important nationally notifiable diseases include anthrax, botulism, chlamydia, gonorrhea, Lyme disease, meningococcal disease, pertussis, syphilis, and tuberculosis.

Ethics Committee

Principles Fundamentals

An ethics committee is an interdisciplinary team that may be used to provide guidance in the face of an ethical dilemma.

Occupational Health Nurse

Community Fundamentals

An occupational health nurse provides screening, surveillance, and education to prevent workplace illness and injury.

Do not wait until the end of the shift to document. Instead, complete charting as soon as possible after performing a task or procedure.

Documentation

Leadership Fundamentals

Seizure Precautions

Practice & Skills Fundamentals

If a patient is on seizure precautions, pad the bed side rails, and ensure oxygen, suction, and vital signs equipment is in the patient's room.

Anthrax

Community Fundamentals

Anthrax is a deadly infectious disease which may be used as a bioterrorism agent. It can be treated with antitoxins and antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline, ciprofloxacin).

Epidemic

Principles Fundamentals

An epidemic describes an increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in a population or area.

Disaster Preparedness

Community Fundamentals

Disaster preparedness involves planning, training, and providing education for unavoidable disasters.

An employee who is chemically-impaired while on the job should be immediately removed from the work setting, provided safe transportation home, and should attend a formal meeting to discuss the incident within 24 hours.

Chemically-impaired Employee

Leadership Fundamentals

An employee who is chemically-impaired while on the job should be immediately removed from the work setting, provided safe transportation home, and should attend a formal meeting to discuss the incident within 24 hours.

Determinants of Health

Community Fundamentals

Determinants of health include environmental factors (e.g., access to healthy food, pollution, public safety) and social factors (e.g., racism, support systems, education).

Migrant Workers: Increased Risks

Community Fundamentals

Migrant workers are at increased risk for work-related injuries, pesticide/chemical exposure, skin cancer, dermatitis, communicable disease, and dental problems.

Dementia

Fundamentals

Although most older adults do experience some decline in cognitive function, dementia is not an expected part of aging!

Sterile Field Preparation

Practice & Skills Fundamentals

During sterile field preparation, open the top flap away from your body first. Then open the flap on the right side using the right hand, and the left side using the left hand. Lastly, open the final flap towards your body.

Educate patients that canes should be held on the strong side with the handle at the level of the wrist.

Canes: Patient Teaching

Principles Fundamentals

Educate patients that canes should be held on the strong side with the handle at the level of the wrist.

Sundowning

Fundamentals

Sundowning is a common finding in Alzheimer's Disease, which is increased confusion or agitation in the evening.

After emptying a closed drain (e.g., Jackson-Pratt, Hemovac), fully compress the canister and replace cap in order to ensure negative pressure is applied to the area.

Closed Drain: Nursing Care

Practice & Skills Fundamentals

After emptying a closed drain (e.g., Jackson-Pratt, Hemovac), fully compress the canister and replace cap in order to ensure negative pressure is applied to the area.

A pressure wound base which is covered in slough or eschar is considered to be unstageable.

Unstageable Pressure Wound

Practice & Skills Fundamentals

A pressure wound base which is covered in slough or eschar is considered to be unstageable.

An aggregate is a subgroup or population that share characteristics or concerns (e.g., LGBT+ residents of the same neighborhood).

What is an Aggregate?

Community Fundamentals

An aggregate is a subgroup or population that share characteristics or concerns (e.g., LGBT+ residents of the same neighborhood).

For patients with hearing loss, decrease background noise, face the patient, do not shout, and rephrase (but do not repeat) if they do not understand.

Hearing Loss: Nursing Care

Fundamentals

For patients with hearing loss, decrease background noise, face the patient, do not shout, and rephrase (but do not repeat) if they do not understand.

Food Deserts

Community Fundamentals

Food deserts are geographic areas that lack sufficient access to grocery stores and healthy food options.

Written educational materials should be provided in the patient's primary language using layman's terms and an appropriate reading level.

Providing Educational Materials to Patients

Principles Fundamentals

Written educational materials should be provided in the patient's primary language using layman's terms and an appropriate reading level.

The Scoop Method

Principles Fundamentals

Avoid recapping needles to prevent sharps injury. If recapping is unavoidable, use the scoop method to minimize the risk of injury.

Patients receiving enemas may report cramping. Lower the solution container if cramping is reported.

Enemas: Nursing Care

Practice & Skills Fundamentals

Patients receiving enemas may report cramping. Lower the solution container if cramping is reported.

A patient using crutches should be taught to ascend stairs leading with the strong leg and descend by leading with the weaker leg.

Crutches: Patient Teaching

Practice & Skills Fundamentals

A patient using crutches should be taught to ascend stairs leading with the strong leg and descend by leading with the weaker leg.

Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pumps

Practice & Skills Fundamentals

Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) pumps should only be used by the patient. Educate families/visitors not to press the button for the patient!

Psychomotor Domain of Learning

Principles Fundamentals

A patient who is practicing how to administer their own insulin injections is functioning under the psychomotor domain of learning, as they are not just thinking, but performing an action.

Audits are an effective way to measure and evaluate performance when carrying out quality improvement.

Nursing Audits

Leadership Fundamentals

Audits are an effective way to measure and evaluate performance when carrying out quality improvement.

Protective/Reverse Isolation

Practice & Skills Fundamentals

A patient on protective/reverse isolation should be provided a private room with positive-pressure airflow. Do not allow flowers or live plants into the room, and screen all visitors for illness.