Fundamentals of Nursing Practice Notes

St. Dominic College of Asia Overview

  • Revolutionizing Education: Emphasis on innovative education for nursing practice.
  • Course Structure: Focus on nursing fundamentals and clinical practice.

Course Overview

  • Course Type: Professional nursing subject.
  • Prerequisites: Theoretical Foundations of Nursing, Anatomy and Physiology, Biochemistry.
  • Credits: 3 units, translating to 54 contact hours.
  • Assessment Breakdown:
    • Class standing: 60% (includes recitations, quizzes, presentations, assignments)
    • Periodic exams: 40%

History of Nursing

Period of Intuitive Nursing
  • Timeframe: Prehistoric to Early Christian Era.
  • Characteristics:
    • Care provided mostly by women with no formal training.
    • Illness attributed to evil spirits (trephining).
Contributions from Ancient Civilizations
  • Babylonia: Code of Hammurabi.
  • Egypt: Imhotep, founder of medicine; embalming practices.
  • Israel: Moses, considered “Father of Sanitation.”
  • India & China: Advances in asepsis and pharmacology.
  • Greece & Rome: Health promotion techniques.
Period of Apprentice Nursing (Middle Ages)
  • Care Providers: Crusaders and religious orders without formal education.
  • Notable Figures:
    • Theodore Fliedner: Established the Kaiserwerth Institute (1st formal nurse training).
    • Florence Nightingale: Initiated a structured nurse training program during the Crimean War.

Nursing Pioneers

  • Harriet Tubman: Humanitarian and nurse during the Civil War.
  • Sojourner Truth: Abolitionist and women's rights activist.
  • Lillian D. Wald: Founder of American community nursing and advocate for public health.
  • Mary Breckinridge: Introduced the Frontier Nursing Service.

Florence Nightingale

  • Facts:
    • Born May 12, 1820, in Florence, Italy.
    • Known as the “Mother of Modern Nursing”.
    • Established the Nightingale School of Nursing in London (1860).
  • Beliefs:
    • Nursing requires a holistic view of patient care.
    • Advocated for environmental health factors (cleanliness, air, and nutrition).

Nursing as a Profession

  • Definition:
    • Involves using scientific principles in patient care, with a focus on promoting health.
  • Professional Roles:
    • Autonomy in decision-making, accountability for care.
    • Involvement in education, advocacy, and management in healthcare settings.

Nursing Scope and Responsibilities

  • Core Areas:
    1. Promoting health and wellness.
    2. Preventing illness.
    3. Restoring health.
    4. Caring for the dying.
  • Characteristics:
    • Caring, commitment to health goals, ethical involvement in healthcare issues.

Communication in Nursing

  • Importance: Establishes helping-healing relationships, essential for therapeutic interactions.
  • Modes: Verbal and non-verbal communication, including gestures, facial expressions, and physical space.
  • Diversity in Communication: Approaches for patients with special needs (e.g., cognitive impairment, language barriers).

Legal and Ethical Considerations

  • Informed Consent: Required for patient procedures.
  • Nurses as Mandated Reporters: Required to report suspected abuse/neglect.
  • Understanding Laws: Critical for protecting patients and ensuring safe practice (RA 9173, Philippine Nursing Act).

Nursing Process

  1. Assessment: Collecting and analyzing patient data.
  2. Diagnosis: Identifying health problems for nursing intervention.
  3. Planning: Setting patient care goals and determining interventions.
  4. Implementation: Executing the planned nursing interventions.
  5. Evaluation: Assessing patient outcomes and adjusting care plans as necessary.

Conclusion

  • Nursing as a field encompasses a broad spectrum of knowledge, skills, and ethical responsibilities, providing holistic care to diverse populations. The continuous evolution of nursing reflects changes in societal needs and advancements in medical science, underscoring the profession's commitment to quality care.

  • Future of Nursing: The ongoing focus on evidence-based practice, nursing education, and adapting to technological advancements will shape nursing as a vital profession in health care delivery.