Fundamentals Of Practical Nursing Exam Study Guide

Fundamentals Of Practical Nursing Exam Study Guide 1 Types of Nursing Programs: ◆ Associate degree: 2-year program; entry educational level for registered nurses ◆ Baccalaureate degree: 4-year program; focuses more on management and leadership ◆ Diploma: 3-year hospital-based program ◆ Licensed practical or vocational nurse (LPN/LVN): 9 months to 1 year most basic entry-level program Milestones in Nursing History ◆ Ancient times: care provided by family and male priests ◆ 1000 AD: women allowed to study midwifery ◆ 1700–1800: poor, lower class women provided care in unsanitary conditions ◆ 1836: first school of nursing established; nurses referred to as Kaiserworth deaconesses (era of Florence Nightingale) ◆ 1897: Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States formed to protect against incompetent nurses ◆ 1892: first training program established for practical nurses in New York City ◆ Early 1900s: licensure required in some states ◆ 1955: all states required practical nurses to be licensed Scope of Practice ◆ Limitations and allowances of what a nurse can do ◆ Nurses responsible for knowing their own scope of practice Nurse Practice Act ◆ Law governing nurses’ actions ◆ Written to address each specific level of nursing ◆ Establishes scope of practice for each level of nurse, based on educational preparation ◆ Enforced by the Board of Nursing Four Characteristics of Competent Nurses ◆ Being responsible ◆ Being honest ◆ Being caring ◆ Being competent Nursing Responsibilities ◆ Caring for several patients and seeing that their physical and spiritual needs are met ◆ Performing patient and family teaching and preparing them for patient discharge ◆ Noticing changes in patient condition and notifying appropriate health-care professional ◆ Communicates well ◆ Takes responsibility for own actions ◆ Sees self as a professional and acts and dresses accordingly Nursing Is Both an Art and a Science ◆ Art of nursing: The caring, creativity, communication, and compassion necessary to connect with patients in a meaningful way ◆ Science of nursing: The analysis and integration of data, the decision-making process, and the technical monitoring of patients Examples of Unprofessional Conduct ◆ Use of drugs or alcohol in ways that endanger a patient ◆ Diversion of drugs from patient to personal use ◆ Failure to supervise nursing assistants ◆ Failure to provide adequate care for patients ◆ Criminal conduct Managed Care: “A system of health-care delivery aimed at managing the cost and quality of access to medical care” Health-Care Team ◆ Medical staff ◆ Nursing staff ◆ Therapy staff ◆ Laboratory staff ◆ Radiology staff ◆ Ancillary staff (House Keeping) Types of Inpatient Care Facilities ◆ Acute medical or mental health care hospital ◆ Skilled nursing facility in a nursing home or hospital ◆ Long-term acute care hospital ◆ Rehabilitation facility Types of Outpatient Facilities ◆ Hospital outpatient department ◆ Outpatient mental health services ◆ Cardiac rehabilitation ◆ Pulmonary rehabilitation ◆ Health departments ◆ Physician’s office ◆ Home health care