Practical Nursing Skills: Administering Medications, Wound Care, and Monitoring Vital Signs

Abstract

Practical nursing skills are an important component in the care of the patient, whether the registered nurse or licensed practical nurse is the person providing the care. Refinements of these skills can come with experience, unsuccessful attempts, or successful ventures. The necessary skills for a particular patient, at a particular time, are what make you the nurse giving good care. Most of all, the learning of skills is possible if you practice. The technique is definitely achieved by doing it, and doing it more than once. In a practical nursing program, a laboratory with an artificial arm has been designed to allow students to practice giving medication and injections. The lab also has equipment to monitor blood pressure, radial pulse, and apical pulse. Blood pressure, radial, and apical pulses are maximized in a practical sense by hands-on patient- and colleague-oriented learning.

Methods

The student is encouraged to use these methods to develop nursing skills. Complete all assignments and study the printed lesson and the textbook that supports the program. After basic concepts and skills are understood as a result of this study, practice the skills in a supervised clinical setting. Participate in classroom and clinical discussions of the skills. When making judgments about whether professional performance is satisfactory, follow the principles and standards that nurses use when applying ethical criteria for nursing judgments. BCLS will be followed throughout the study of nursing skills. Begin this program by reading the printed lesson provided. Lessons are formatted to include four sections: Theory, Procedures, Self-test. Return to the student handbook and locate page one of lesson one. Begin the study of the skills associated with that lesson. Then practice, practice, practice, utilizing the techniques on the following pages. When you have developed confidence in these basic clinical nursing skills, ask your faculty to administer a performance examination. This comprehensive practical examination assesses the following practical nursing skills.