This course in advanced concepts of medical – surgical nursing prepares students to make sound judgments, to set priorities and to work efficiently in critical situations based on scientific principles. It also assists students to develop skills in “critical care settings” such as the intensive care and renal dialysis units as well as the accident and emergency units. The course thus prepares students with knowledge and skills to provide specialized and emergency care for patients at risk of death and/or life threatening disability.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course unit, the student should be able to:

a)    Explain the mechanisms of disease requiring intensive/critical nursing care.

b)      Describe how nursing interventions influence the body’s ability to respond to diseases 

c)      Identify and care for patients who need critical/intensive care nursing.

d)      Identify emergencies in hospital departments and discuss their management process.

 

 

TOPICAL OUTLINE:

Unit I:              Concepts in critical care nursing practice

Unit II:            Triage and admission of a critically ill patients

Unit III:           Providing emergency nursing care to critically ill patients

Unit IV:           Providing critical care to special populations

Unit IV:           Alterations in cardiovascular system

Unit V:            Alterations in neurologic system

Unit VI:           Alterations in respiratory function

Unit VII:         Alterations renal function and fluid and electrolyte balance

Unit VIII:        Multisystem dysfunction: Drowning, Trauma, Burns, Poisoning, Death