Module: Med-Surg Nursing

Module: Med-Surg Nursing
Number of hours: 60
 
Med-surg nursing course provides the foundational body of knowledge for medical-surgical nursing practice. The aim of the course is to prepare future nursing candidates to provide care to adults with a variety of medical issues or who are preparing for/recovering from surgery. 
 
Course outline:
Part 1: General concepts in professional nursing (10h)
- Characteristics of medical-surgical (clinical) nursing – nursing responsibilities in diseases prevention, treatment, therapy, rehabilitation, education and health promotion
- Nursing process (Nursing Care Plan, NCP) – critical thinking, physical assessment, tip-to-toe assessment, ethical decision making
- Patient-centred care
- Evidence-based practice
- Teamwork and collaboration
 
Part 2: Chronic illnesses and management of patients with different disorders (35h)
- Respiratory system (common upper and lower respiratory diseases, asthma, COPD, tuberculosis) 
- Digestive system (peptic ulcer disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, pancreatitis, common liver and bile duct disorders, liver failure)
- Cardiovascular/Circulatory system (hypertension, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, common haemopoietic system disorders, thromboembolism) 
- Urinary/Renal system (nephrolithiasis, urinary tract infections, nephrotic syndrome, renal failure)
- Immune and Endocrine systems (diabetes mellitus, common thyroid diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis)
- Nervous system
- Muscular system
- Reproductive system 
- Integumentary system
 
Part 3: Perioperative care (15h)
- Fluid, electrolyte and acid-base imbalances (homeostasis, stress, shock and adaptation)
- Preoperative nursing: assessment and management (specific nursing interventions)
- Intraoperative nursing (duties and responsibilities of perioperative and anaesthetic nurses)
- Postoperative nursing: assessment and management; pain & wound management
- Chosen surgical procedures and treatments (general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, organ transplantation, paediatric surgery, trauma surgery)
 
Bibliography:
1. Lewis, S.L., Dirksen, S.R., Heitkemper, M.M., Bucher, L., & Harding, M.M. (2020). Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems (11th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier.
2. Hinkle, J.L. & Cheever, K.H. (2018). Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing (14th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
3. Ignatavicius, D.D., Workman, M.L., & Rebar, C.R. (2018). Medical-Surgical Nursing: Concepts for Interprofessional Collaborative Care (9th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier.