Anyone have a list of Nursing Fundamental Skills?

Nursing Students General Students

Published

I am starting clinicals in a month, and as I like to be well-prepared does anyone know of a list of basic nursing skills that I could start reading up on?

I have my CNA license, so I don't need that basic. This is the lab portion of clinicals so I assume it's stuff like Foley's and placing an IV. A full list would be awesome.

Any of you 2nd semester peeps have a list for me?

Mucho thanks...

Cain

Here you go I have been a practicing LPN for over 15 years and these will never go wrong

(1) head to toe assessment

(2) IV starting

(3) NG Tube Insertion

(4) Auscultation of breath sounds

(5) Recognizing abnormal cardiac rhythms

(6) Lab understandings

(7) Aseptic Techniques

(8) Dressing changes

These eight things will help you along way in your nursing career

Up Vote Up Vote ×

please, one important thing: do not equate what tasks and manipulative skills that nurses (not cnas) are able to do with what nursing is. you'll have a lot better time in school and learn nursing better if you focus more on how those tasks move you to a clearer understanding of nursing, rather than thinking that if you get enough skills lab check-offs you're ready to be a nurse.

i know this is probably the most difficult thing for a nursing student to learn-- heaven knows some of them don't really learn it in school, to their sorrow-- but it is critical in too many ways to ignore. set aside a moment every day to ponder how this day moved you forward to being a member of an incredibly complex and responsible profession, not just how you're one day closer to taking nclex.

good luck to you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Informatics, Orthopaedics.

thank you for the concerned post, i truly appreciate it. i have considered the need to have more than book learning, but i am putting that off until i get to the actual clinicals in october. since we are focused on the labs and testing for the 1st 6 weeks i figured it would be a good idea to at least have an idea of what was coming. my hope is that by watching videos and reading about nursing interventions from first-hand accounts that maybe some of the personal portions will stick with me as i go through this. obviously i have no idea what's coming with the clinicals, so i am focusing on what i am good at (being an overachiever) to at least get the lab part behind me.

please, one important thing: do not equate what tasks and manipulative skills that nurses (not cnas) are able to do with what nursing is. you'll have a lot better time in school and learn nursing better if you focus more on how those tasks move you to a clearer understanding of nursing, rather than thinking that if you get enough skills lab check-offs you're ready to be a nurse.

i know this is probably the most difficult thing for a nursing student to learn-- heaven knows some of them don't really learn it in school, to their sorrow-- but it is critical in too many ways to ignore. set aside a moment every day to ponder how this day moved you forward to being a member of an incredibly complex and responsible profession, not just how you're one day closer to taking nclex.

good luck to you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Informatics, Orthopaedics.

to follow up if anyone ever searches on this topic. i found an excellent list on the blog at:

rn as a second career

the list seems to be much longer than needed but there is some good stuff in there.

other resources:

http://www.saddleback.edu/alfa/vid_index.aspx#

http://store.elsevier.com/mosbys-nursing-video-skills-student-version-dvd/-mosby/isbn-9780323052924/

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment