Documentation systemsCompleting forms fully and concisely Documentation refers to the preparation and maintenance of records that describe a patient’s care. If you document with attention to detail, you’ll clearly show…
End-of-life careCaring for the dying patient and his family The experience of dying is unique for each patient and family. Nurses must discover what each dying patient and his family…
ComplicationsSpotting and correcting life-threatening conditions Air embolism Air embolism is the migration of a bolus of gas from the systemic circulation into the microvasculature. Obstruction occurs when the gas reaches…
Drug hazardsRecognizing and responding to them Adverse or toxic drug reactions Drug reactions and treatments The key to successful treatment of toxic drug reactions is to identify the drug quickly…
Dosage calculationEnsuring effective therapy Calculating drug dosages Reviewing ratios and proportions A ratio is a mathematical expression of the relationship between two things. A proportion is a set of two…
Drug administrationReviewing the methods Administration guidelines Precautions for drug administration Whenever you administer medication, observe these precautions to ensure that you’re giving the right drug in the right dose to…
TroubleshootingSpotting and correcting equipment problems I.V. equipment Peripheral I.V. lines SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS POSSIBLE CAUSES INTERVENTIONS Local complications Phlebitis ♦ Tenderness at the tip of and above the venipuncture device…
Common proceduresPerforming them safely and accurately Arterial pressure monitoring Direct monitoring of arterial pressure permits continuous measurement of systolic, diastolic, and mean pressures and allows sampling of arterial blood. Direct…
PrecautionsPreventing the spread of infection The Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed guidelines for isolation precautions in hospitals….
Pressure ulcers and traumatic wound carePreventing, staging, and treating wounds Pressure ulcer care As their name implies, pressure ulcers result when pressure—applied with great force for a short period or…
