Nursing Practice: Perfusion and Perioperative Care

Unit 5: Common Perfusion Problems - Student Learning Outcomes

• Safe Patient-Centered Care: Utilize safe patient-centered nursing care that incorporates evidence-based practice for patients experiencing common perfusion problems (CSLO 1).
• Development and Prevention: Identify developmental principles, prevention strategies, pathophysiology, and/or early detection methods for health problems to achieve optimal health for adult and older adult patients experiencing common perfusion problems (CSLO 1, 2, 4).
• Pharmacology: Differentiate between various medications prescribed for patients experiencing less common perfusion problems (CSLO 1, 4).
• Professional Behaviors: Examine the caring and professional behaviors necessary for providing nursing care to patients with common perfusion problems (CSLO 2).
• Communication: Practice effective verbal, nonverbal, written, and electronic communication required specifically for the care of patients facing perfusion challenges (CSLO 3).
• Quality Standards: Apply established practice standards and guidelines to ensure quality health outcomes for patients with perfusion problems (CSLO 1, 4).
• Collaboration: Determine the necessary collaborative relationships needed to provide and improve care for patients with perfusion issues (CSLO 5).
• Leadership: Apply leadership skills required to provide care for patients experiencing common perfusion problems (CSLO 6).

Unit 5 Theory Content: Common Perfusion Problems Overview

• Core Concepts:     * Age-related cardiovascular and circulatory changes.     * Prevention strategies for perfusion problems.     * Diagnostic tests and specific medical procedures used in perfusion assessment.
• Common Care Problems:     * Fatigue and Dyspnea: Addressing exhaustion and shortness of breath related to perfusion issues.     * Fluid Overload (Edema): Identifying and managing excess fluid in tissues.     * Pain: Managing pain associated with cardiovascular or peripheral vascular issues.     * Altered Tissue Perfusion: Managing the reduction in oxygen resulting in failure to nourish tissues at the capillary level.     * Impaired Tissue Integrity: Care for skin or mucosal breakdown related to poor circulation.

Hypertension and Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)

• Hypertension (HTN):     * Primary Hypertension.     * Secondary Hypertension.
• Peripheral Vascular Conditions:     * Buerger's Disease (Thromboangiitis Obliterans): Small and medium-sized arteries and veins become inflamed and swollen.     * Raynaud's Disease/Phenomenon: Condition causing some areas of the body to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress.     * Venous Thrombosis: Formation of a blood clot within a vein.     * Varicose Veins: Swollen, twisted veins that lie just under the skin.     * Chronic Venous Insufficiency: A condition where the veins have problems sending blood from the limbs back to the heart.

Coronary Artery Disease and Cardiac Disorders

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): The general narrowing or blockage of coronary arteries, usually caused by atherosclerosis.
• Angina Pectoris: Chest pain or discomfort due to coronary heart disease.
• Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and Myocardial Infarction (MI): Intensive management of sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart (ACS) and heart attacks (MI).
• Heart Failure: Chronic or acute conditions where the heart does not pump blood as well as it should.

Unit 5: Clinical Learning Laboratory and Required Readings

• Clinical Learning Laboratory:     * Review of CPE Skills: Foley Catheter Insertion.
• Required Reading (Stromberg, 2026):     * Chapter 17: The Cardiovascular System.     * Chapter 18: Care of Patients with Hypertension and Peripheral Vascular Disease.     * Chapter 19: Care of Patients with Cardiac Disorders.     * Chapter 20: Care of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease and Cardiac Surgery.

Unit 6: Pain, Surgical Care, Infection, and Inflammation - Student Learning Outcomes

• Cultural Pain Factors: Identify cultural factors regarding patients' unique experiences of and responses to pain (CSLO 2).
• Pain Assessment: Examine various pain assessment scales used in patient care (CSLO 1, 4).
• Therapeutic Measures: Compare different therapeutic measures used to care for patients experiencing pain (CSLO 1, 4).
• Surgical Health Assessment: Analyze health assessment findings, potential clinical complications, and necessary patient teaching for surgical patients (CSLO 1, 2, 4).
• Nursing Process in Surgery: Determine how to apply the nursing process for patients in both the perioperative and postoperative settings (CSLO 1, 2, 3, 4).
• Wound Healing: Examine the various factors that affect the speed and quality of wound healing (CSLO 1, 4).
• Developmental Principles in Perioperative Care: Identify developmental principles, prevention, pathophysiology, and/or early detection of health problems and strategies to achieve optimal health for adult and older adult patients in the perioperative and postoperative setting (CSLO 1, 2, 4).
• Infection and Inflammation Nursing Care: Apply safe patient-centered nursing care using evidence-based practice for patients experiencing infection and inflammation problems (CSLO 1).
• Prevention and Detection of Infection/Inflammation: Identify prevention, pathophysiology, and/or early detection of health problems to achieve optimal health for adult and older adult patients experiencing infection and inflammation problems (CSLO 1, 2, 4).
• Infection Pharmacology: Differentiate medications prescribed for patients experiencing infection and inflammation problems (CSLO 1, 4).
• Professional Behaviors in Infection Care: Examine caring and professional behaviors required when providing nursing care for patients experiencing infection and inflammation problems (CSLO 2).
• Practice Standards: Apply established practice standards and guidelines to ensure quality outcomes for patients experiencing infection and inflammation (CSLO 1, 4).