FUNDAMENTALS IN NURSING

• Melchora Aquino- first nurse

inPH
• HPV - Genital herpes
• Disorder - no microorganism
• Shaman - doctor that time
• florence nightingale - lady
with the lamp; May 12;
Germany kaiserwerth school;
teach at church
• Mother theresa - lady with
lamp
 FUNDAMENTALS IN NURSING

• After turning a patient, the nurse should document the position used, the time that the patient was
turned, and the findings of skin assessment.

• PERRLA is an abbreviation for normal pupil assessment findings: pupils equal, round, and reactive
to light with accommodation.

• When percussing a patient’s chest for postural drainage, the nurse’s hands should be cupped.

• When measuring a patient’s pulse, the nurse should assess its rate, rhythm, quality, and strength.

• Before transferring a patient from a bed to a wheelchair, the nurse should push the wheelchair
footrests to the sides and lock its wheels.

• When assessing respirations, the nurse should document their rate, rhythm, depth, and quality.

• For a subcutaneous injection, the nurse should use a 5/8″ to 1″ 25G needle.

• The notation “AA & O × 3” indicates that the patient is awake, alert, and oriented to person (knows
who he is), place (knows where he is), and time (knows the date and time).

• Fluid intake includes all fluids taken by mouth, including foods that are liquid at room temperature,
such as gelatin, custard, and ice cream; I.V. fluids; and fluids administered in feeding tubes. Fluid
output includes urine, vomitus, and drainage (such as from a nasogastric tube or from a wound) as
well as blood loss, diarrhea or feces, and perspiration.

• After administering an intradermal injection, the nurse shouldn’t massage the area because
massage can irritate the site and interfere with results.

• When administering an intradermal injection, the nurse should hold the syringe almost flat against
the patient’s skin (at about a 15-degree angle), with the bevel up.

• To obtain an accurate blood pressure, the nurse should inflate the manometer to 20 to 30 mm Hg
above the disappearance of the radial pulse before releasing the cuff pressure.

• The nurse should count an irregular pulse for 1 full minute.

• A patient who is vomiting while lying down should be placed in a lateral position to prevent
aspiration of vomitus.

• Prophylaxis is disease prevention.

• Body alignment is achieved when body parts are in proper relation to their natural position.
• Trust is the foundation of a nurse-patient relationship.

• Blood pressure is the force exerted by the circulating volume of blood on the arterial walls.

• Malpractice is a professional’s wrongful conduct, improper discharge of duties, or failure to meet

standards of care that causes harm to another.

• As a general rule, nurses can’t refuse a patient care assignment; however, in most states, they may
refuse to participate in abortions.

• A nurse can be found negligent if a patient is injured because the nurse failed to perform a duty that a
reasonable and prudent person would perform or because the nurse performed an act that a
reasonable and prudent person wouldn’t perform.

• States have enacted Good Samaritan laws to encourage professionals to provide medical assistance
at the scene of an accident without fear of a lawsuit arising from the assistance. These laws don’t
apply to care provided in a health care facility.

• A physician should sign verbal and telephone orders within the time established by facility policy,
usually 24 hours.

• A competent adult has the right to refuse lifesaving medical treatment; however, the individual should
be fully informed of the consequences of his refusal.

• Although a patient’s health record, or chart, is the health care facility’s physical property, its contents
belong to the patient.

• Before a patient’s health record can be released to a third party, the patient or the patient’s legal
guardian must give written consent.

• Under the Controlled Substances Act, every dose of a controlled drug that’s dispensed by the
pharmacy must be accounted for, whether the dose was administered to a patient or discarded
accidentally.

• A nurse can’t perform duties that violate a rule or regulation established by a state licensing board,
even if they are authorized by a health care facility or physician.

• To minimize interruptions during a patient interview, the nurse should select a private room, preferably
one with a door that can be closed.

• In categorizing nursing diagnoses, the nurse addresses life-threatening problems first, followed by
potentially life-threatening concerns.

• The major components of a nursing care plan are outcome criteria (patient goals) and nursing
interventions.