Overview
This nursing foundations crash course covers essential ethical principles, clinical skills, leadership styles, emergency procedures, and exam-critical concepts needed for NCLEX success.
Ethical Principles in Nursing
- Veracity means being honest with patients, families, and healthcare teams.
- Justice demands fair and equal care based on medical needs, not background or status.
- Accountability requires nurses to own their actions, including errors.
- Non-maleficence means doing no harm and preventing patient injury.
- Fidelity involves keeping promises and commitments made to patients.
- Beneficence is promoting the well-being of patients in all actions.
Informed Consent
- Surgeons explain procedures, risks, and alternatives; patients must voluntarily consent.
- Nurses witness signatures, ensure competence, and document the consent process.
- Legal guardians or powers of attorney are contacted if the patient cannot consent.
Triage System
- Emergent (red): Immediate life-saving care (airway obstruction, shock, major trauma).
- Urgent (yellow): Serious but stable; can wait a few hours (closed fractures, moderate burns).
- Non-urgent (green): Minor injuries that can wait (sprains, minor lacerations).
- Expectant (black): No chance of survival; provide comfort care.
Leadership Styles in Nursing
- Autocratic: Leader makes decisions alone; effective in emergencies.
- Democratic: Team input is encouraged; may slow decisions but increases satisfaction.
- Laissez-faire: Minimal supervision; suitable for independent, experienced staff.
- Transformational: Inspires change, promotes professional growth.
- Transactional: Uses rewards and punishments for compliance.
Delegation and Team Roles
- RNs: Assess, teach, evaluate, manage unstable patients.
- LPNs: Care for stable patients, administer most meds (not IV push).
- UAPs: Assist with daily living activities, measure vital signs in stable patients.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Donning order: Gown, mask, goggles, gloves.
- Doffing order: Gloves, goggles, gown, mask.
Patient Positioning and Mobility
- Positioning varies per procedure (e.g., liver biopsy: right side post-procedure).
- Cane: Hold on strong side; move cane, weak leg, then strong leg.
- Crutches: Up stairs—unaffected leg first; Down stairs—affected leg and crutches first.
Prioritization in Nursing
- Acute and unstable conditions are prioritized over chronic/stable ones.
- First-level: Life-threatening emergencies (ABC—airway, breathing, circulation).
- Second/third-level: Serious but non-life-threatening, then long-term/routine needs.
Special Populations and Legal/Ethical Issues
- Jehovah’s Witness: No blood transfusions; accept EPO and IV fluids.
- Good Samaritan Law: Protects nurses providing emergency care within scope.
- Abuse Reporting: Nurses are legally required to report suspected/confirmed abuse cases.
- Advanced Care Planning: Honors living wills and health care proxies.
Infection Control
- Chain: Infectious agent, reservoir, exit, transmission, entry, susceptible host.
- Precautions: Standard for all; transmission-based for specific pathogens.
- Sterile field: Never turn your back; outer inch is non-sterile.
Emergency and Safety Protocols
- RACE (fire): Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish.
- Fall Prevention: Lower bed, lock brakes, keep items accessible, avoid all side rails up.
- Seizure Precautions: Pad rails, turn to side, do not restrain.
Assessment Techniques
- Order: Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation (abdomen: inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Veracity — Truthfulness in nursing communication.
- Non-maleficence — Duty to do no harm.
- Triage — Prioritizing patient care based on urgency.
- Delegation — Assigning tasks to appropriate team members.
- PPE — Equipment to protect from infection.
- Good Samaritan Law — Protects healthcare providers giving emergency aid.
- Sterile Field — Area free from microorganisms during procedures.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review class notes and PDF summaries.
- Complete assigned practice NCLEX questions for each topic.
- Study leadership styles, prioritization, and key assessment techniques.
- Prepare for upcoming practice test on covered material.