LECTURE NOTES
For Nursing Students
Basic Clinical Nursing Skills
Abraham Alano, B.Sc., M.P.H.
Hawassa University
In collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter Center,
the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopia Ministry of Education
Novermber 2002
, Funded under USAID Cooperative Agreement No. 663-A-00-00-0358-00.
Produced in collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter
Center, the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopia Ministry of Education.
Important Guidelines for Printing and Photocopying
Limited permission is granted free of charge to print or photocopy all pages of this
publication for educational, not-for-profit use by health care workers, students or
faculty. All copies must retain all author credits and copyright notices included in the
original document. Under no circumstances is it permissible to sell or distribute on a
commercial basis, or to claim authorship of, copies of material reproduced from this
publication.
©2002 by Abraham Alano,
All rights reserved. Except as expressly provided above, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without written permission of the author or authors.
This material is intended for educational use only by practicing health care workers or
students and faculty in a health care field
, PREFACE
Nursing is core part in health service delivery system in which health
promotion, disease prevention; curative and rehabilitative health
strategies are applied. The clinical nursing skills for the nurses are
of paramount important not only to provide comprehensive care but
also enhance clinical competence. The purpose of preparing this
lecture note is to equip nurses with basic clinical nursing skills, which
will enable them to dispatch their responsibility as well as to develop
uniformity among Ethiopian Professional Nurse Training Higher
Institutions.
The lecture note series is designed to have two parts: part-I is
composed of most basic clinical skills, where as part two will be
covering most advances clinical skills as well as fundamental
concepts related to the skills. It is well known that no nursing service
can be provided with out basic clinical nursing skills. For nurse to
provide health service at different settings; hospital, health center,
health post and at the community level including home based care
for chronically sick patients, the course is very essential. It is also
hoped that other primary and middle level health professional
training institution will utilize the lecture notes to rational exercise the
professional skills.
The lecture note is therefore organized in logical manner that
students can learn from simpler to the complex. It is divided in to
units and chapters. Important abbreviations and key terminologies
i
, have been included in order to facilitate teaching learning processes.
On top of that learning objectives are clearly stated to indicate the
required outcomes. Glossary is prepared at the end to give
explanation for terminologies indicated as learning stimulants at
beginning of each chapter following the learning objectives. Trial is
made to give some scientific explanation for procedure and some
relevant study questions are prepared to each chapter to aid
students understand of the subject. To enhance systematic
approach in conducting nursing care the nursing process is also
indicated for most procedures.
ii
For Nursing Students
Basic Clinical Nursing Skills
Abraham Alano, B.Sc., M.P.H.
Hawassa University
In collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter Center,
the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopia Ministry of Education
Novermber 2002
, Funded under USAID Cooperative Agreement No. 663-A-00-00-0358-00.
Produced in collaboration with the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, The Carter
Center, the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopia Ministry of Education.
Important Guidelines for Printing and Photocopying
Limited permission is granted free of charge to print or photocopy all pages of this
publication for educational, not-for-profit use by health care workers, students or
faculty. All copies must retain all author credits and copyright notices included in the
original document. Under no circumstances is it permissible to sell or distribute on a
commercial basis, or to claim authorship of, copies of material reproduced from this
publication.
©2002 by Abraham Alano,
All rights reserved. Except as expressly provided above, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without written permission of the author or authors.
This material is intended for educational use only by practicing health care workers or
students and faculty in a health care field
, PREFACE
Nursing is core part in health service delivery system in which health
promotion, disease prevention; curative and rehabilitative health
strategies are applied. The clinical nursing skills for the nurses are
of paramount important not only to provide comprehensive care but
also enhance clinical competence. The purpose of preparing this
lecture note is to equip nurses with basic clinical nursing skills, which
will enable them to dispatch their responsibility as well as to develop
uniformity among Ethiopian Professional Nurse Training Higher
Institutions.
The lecture note series is designed to have two parts: part-I is
composed of most basic clinical skills, where as part two will be
covering most advances clinical skills as well as fundamental
concepts related to the skills. It is well known that no nursing service
can be provided with out basic clinical nursing skills. For nurse to
provide health service at different settings; hospital, health center,
health post and at the community level including home based care
for chronically sick patients, the course is very essential. It is also
hoped that other primary and middle level health professional
training institution will utilize the lecture notes to rational exercise the
professional skills.
The lecture note is therefore organized in logical manner that
students can learn from simpler to the complex. It is divided in to
units and chapters. Important abbreviations and key terminologies
i
, have been included in order to facilitate teaching learning processes.
On top of that learning objectives are clearly stated to indicate the
required outcomes. Glossary is prepared at the end to give
explanation for terminologies indicated as learning stimulants at
beginning of each chapter following the learning objectives. Trial is
made to give some scientific explanation for procedure and some
relevant study questions are prepared to each chapter to aid
students understand of the subject. To enhance systematic
approach in conducting nursing care the nursing process is also
indicated for most procedures.
ii
