INTERNATIONAL HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY School of Nursing COURSE TITLE: CLINICAL NURSING SKILLS I CREDIT UNIT: 4.0 Theory, 4 hours/week - lecture, 1 hr wkly, skills lab PROGRAMME: BACHELOR OF NURSING SCIENCE (BNS) PLACEMENT: YEAR ONE SEMESTER ONE ACADEMIC YEAR: 2015/2016 LECTURER: Ms. AGNES AGWANG COURSE DESCRIPTION This course introduces students to basic concepts of clinical nursing skills and routine activities of the nurse in the process of caring for patients. It enables students to acquire knowledge, skills & attitude required in carrying out different procedures on patients admitted on the ward or visiting the outpatient clinics. AIM This course aims at assisting the students to apply the knowledge, skills & attitude acquired to carry out different procedures during nursing care. OBJECTIVES: i. Describe the different health facilities ii.describe the general rules for all nursing procedures iii.describe the management of equipment before, during and after procedures iv.discuss the role of the nurse in care of patient s environment, during admission of patients, bed making, positioning of patients, moving patients, taking vital observations and performing physical examinations. v.describe the nursing care during patient tube feeding, elimination, fluid and electrolyte balance and skin care.
CONTENT: UNIT I: Introduction to health facilities Types of hospitals- general or specialist hospitals, governmental or non-governmental hospitals. Functions of hospitals Hospital departments; functions of the hospital departments: Managing patient s environment Components of the hospital ward Advantages and disadvantages of big open wards Principles and methods in maintenance of cleanliness of the hospital wards, furniture and equipment. Procedure of cleaning, caring for wards and equipments, disposal of refuse and management of contaminated articles, routine ward cleaning Care of hospital linen, ward kitchen, bathroom and toilets, sluice room; bedpans and urinals, treatment room. UNIT II: Admission of patients Basic considerations during admission; Types of admissions; Procedures for planned and emergency admissions; Nurses observations during admission; Reassurance, comfort of patients; History taking during admission Assessment of patients condition both mental and physical; Importance of next of kin; Introduction to staff and other patients; Orientation toward routine and facilities, toilets, bathrooms, kitchen, visiting timetable. Care of patients property and valuables, patients particulars; UNIT III: Transfer of Patients Reasons for transfer Guidelines for transfer Care of patients and property during transfer.
UNIT IV: Bed making: Principles and aims of bed making Principles and biophysical sciences of bed making Guidelines for making hospital beds; the art of bed making Different types and functions of hospital beds Accessories of hospital beds. Types of beds; unoccupied bed, occupied bed, operation bed, amputation or divided bed and fracture beds. UNIT V: Positions used in nursing Cardiac position; Recumbent or supine (dorsal) position; Semi recumbent; sitting up position; Left lateral position; Sim s position; Prone position; Semi-prone position; Knee - chest position (Genu-pectoral); Lithotomy position; Trendelemburg s position. UNIT VI: Principles of moving, lifting and turning patients Equipments used in positioning and lifting. Moving and turning a helpless patient up in bed. Moving a patient from the stretcher or trolley to the bed. Lifting a patient from a bed to a chair. UNIT VII: Observations in nursing Types of observations;. Vital signs. Reasons for taking observations. Equipments used in taking observations. Procedure for carrying out observations. Patients preparation, care and comfort. Recording, interpreting and analysing of observations.
UNIT VIII: Physical examination Definition of key terms; Equipments used in physical assessment; Patient preparation; The principles for effective patient assessment; Interviewing patients (history taking); Recording of findings of physical assessment. Complete physical examination of the body and the interpretation of key findings. UNIT IX: Bathing a Patient: General Care Bed bath: purpose, requirements, techniques. Care of the skin, hygienic needs of the patient and patient s personal hygiene. Assisting patients to have a bath, shower bath, hair and nail care. Oral care: purpose, requirements, techniques/assisting a patient to have oral care. Pressure sores: definition, causes, prone areas, groups at risk and prevention of pressure sores. UNIT X: Patients fluid and electrolyte balance Normal fluid balance and normal distribution of water in different body compartments; Major ways of fluid and electrolyte intake and output; Chief electrolyte of the body and their physiological activities; Principal mechanisms which maintain the acid base balance of the body; Care of patients on intravenous infusion; Care of patients on blood transfusion. UNIT XI: Meeting patient s need for elimination: Bowel elimination: Normal defecation mechanism, Giving and removing bedpan; Observation of stool and collection of stool specimen; Care of patient with constipation /diarrhoea; Faecal impaction; Administration of enema; Passing flatus tube and indications; Care of patient with faecal incontinence.
Urinary elimination: Normal micturition mechanism Giving and removing urinals; Observation of urine and collection of urine specimen; Common diagnostic tests of urine; Care of a patient with retention of urine; Catheterization, bladder washout and irrigation; Care of patient with incontinence of urine; Care patient with double incontinence. Teaching/Learning Strategies: Pre-readings, experiential learning, role-playing, lecture, demonstration, discussions, observations Course Expectations: 1. Complete all pre-reading assignments prior to class. 2. Attend & participate in all class discussions and presentations 3. Complete all assignments and skills lab demonstrations 4. Hand in all assignments on due dates, but lose a mark for each extra day. Assessment Criteria 1. Skills Lab demonstrations PASS / FAIL 2. Progressive assessment 40% Weekly class performance reports 5% Class attendance 5% Assigned Topic Presentations 10 points Mid- Semester Exam : 20 points 3. A final written examination. 60% Total: 100% RESOURCES Text books Models Internet /- e-learning video clips Computers Health assessment equipment Health unit/facilities
TIME TABLE WEEK UNIT CONTENTS CLASS DATE 1 I Overview of the course outline 24 th August 2015 Introduction to Clinical Nursing Skills Introduction to health care systems in Uganda 2 II General principles for all nursing procedures 31 st August 2015 Admission of patients and Transfer of patients 3 III Bed making 7 th September 2015 4 IV Bed making 14 th September 2015 5 V Positions used in Nursing 21 st September 2015 6 VI Principles of moving, lifting and turning patients 28 th September 2015 7 VII Observations in nursing 5 th October 2015 8 VII Observations in nursing (MID SEM EXAMINATION) 12 th October 2015 9 VIII Physical examination 19 th October 2015 10 IX Bathing a patient General care 26 th October 2015 11 X Patients fluid and electrolyte balance 2 nd November 2015 12 X Patients' fluid and electrolyte balance 9 th November 2015 13 XI Meeting patient s need for elimination 16 th November 2015 14 Reading week 23 rd 27 th November 2015 15 Examination week 30 Nov 18 th December 2015 REQUIRED READING 1. Ellis J.R. Et al 1996 Modules for Basic Nursing Skills 6 th edition Lippincott-Raven. 2. Nicol M. et al 2004 Essential Nursing Skills 2 nd Ed Elservier ltd. Mosby 3. Jacob et al (2010).Clinical Nursing procedures' The Art of Nursing practice 2 nd edition Ajanta offset & packaging ltd,new Dehli. 4. Kozier et al 1995. Fundermentals of Nursing concepts, process & practice 5 th Addison Wesley.
5. Pamela, L, (2012), Taylor s Handbook of Clinical Nursing Skills 6. Perry, A, (2009). Clinical Nursing skills &Techniques, 7 th edition 7. Sandra, S., Donna, Duell., Barbra, M, (2012). Clinical Nursing Skills, 8/E, Basic to Advanced students