Final practicum preparation

[Ajulied]

Hi,

I am a fourth year nursing student in Calgary and I am about to start my final practicum. I am both excited and terrified at the same time. I don't know much about the unit I will be on, except that it is a "medicine unit". Anyhow, I want to prepare myself as best as I can and I want to create a "binder" of useful, relevant information that I can carry with me on the unit. I would really appreciate if anyone has ideas of what to include in this binder.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[StudentOfHealing]

Hmmmmm you could try to find out more about the patients that come to this unit. If it's general medicine unit then all goes!

Do you have access to Mosbys skills? Make different tabs with dividers.

Maybe:

Drugs

Skills

Quick facts diseases/disorders

Lab values and implications

Under each include stuff that may be relevant to that floor. Under skills add IV insertion, NGT insertion, venipuncture, Gtube feedings, and so forth.

Under diseases list quick patho and s/s and complication facts with maybe 3 to 5 drugs used to manage it. Don't go gaga on details just a reference.

Heart Failure

Etiology may vary. May be due to dysfunction of regulatory mechanisms in kidneys (RAAS). Typically involves hypertrophy or dilation. May be left sided ot right sided - diastolic or systolic.

Drugs: Lasix/Digoxin/Beta blockers

Etc.

Alerts/tips: Strict I/Os. Daily weights. Watch K+/Dig levels for pt on dig.

A summary just like that. Hope this gave some ideas. =) !!!! GOOD LUCK!