This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of medical surgical nursing using a systems approach. Building on previous courses, this course provides for the acquisition of basic concepts of adult health nursing, incorporating caring, communication, and collaboration with members of the health care team to deliver safe, patient centered nursing care. The body systems and the disease processes associated with them will be covered including etiology, diagnosis, signs and symptoms and nursing plan of care. Use of the nursing process will be emphasized as it relates to the various disease processes to plan and implement patient care using critical thinking, clinical judgment, and clinical reasoning. The importance of using evidence-based practice is integrated throughout the course. Clinical experiences will provide students with the ability to apply theory to practice caring for medical surgical patients in select acute care settings.
By the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss various disease processes and their impact on different body systems.
- Identify and plan individual nursing care using the nursing process for patients with select medical surgical acute and chronic conditions.
- Participate in collaborative relationships with members of the interdisciplinary team, the patient, and others.
- Discuss the psychosocial, social, cultural, spiritual aspects, and the physiologic responses that can affect a patient’s reaction to illness.
- Explore and understand the use of evidence-based practice in nursing practice.
- Describe various diagnostic tools and therapeutic measures used in caring for adult medical surgical patients.
- Discuss the nursing care for patients with medical-surgical diseases and disorders of the integumentary, immune, respiratory, digestive, eyes, ears, nose, and throat and musculoskeletal systems.
- Apply knowledge of legal, ethical, and professional standards required for the delivery of safe patient care.