Fundamentals

[Nicole1354]

I'm in my first semester of a 3 year BSN program and we don't have a "fundamental" class in the program. I have seen a lot of information on this site about that class and I was just wondering if someone could tell me a few things you learn about in there.

I think it might be the same thing as my "Scientific Foundations" or "Intro to professional Nursing" classes but I'm not sure.

I hope this makes sense

:-) thanks!

[Skips, MSN, RN]

It's the "basics". We learned how to assess a patient, and what abnormal and normal assessments looked like. We reviewed IVs and care of IVs, vital signs, prevention of pressure ulcers, basic nursing care. It wasn't necessarily disease-based yet. Also, we learned how to do skills and what they were for. Safety was a big one, too.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

It's the "basics". We learned how to assess a patient, and what abnormal and normal assessments looked like. We reviewed IVs and care of IVs, vital signs, prevention of pressure ulcers, basic nursing care. It wasn't necessarily disease-based yet. Also, we learned how to do skills and what they were for. Safety was a big one, too.

It's different for each program. We had a whole class last semester on assessment so we aren't covering that in Fundamentals. This semester we are doing safety, VS, asepsis, IVs, foleys, and other basic nursing care. We also do skills like bed changing, ambulating, and bed baths.

[Stephalump]

We don't have a designated Fundamentals class. It's spread out across the first year. We do have a Fundamentals textbook we use, though, and it basically covers all the basics of nursing. No specific disease processes or interventions, though.

It starts out with things like history or nursing, theorists, and therapeutic communication. Then it goes in-depth into every step of the nursing process, and then the a&p of each system in the body and basic care.

[Nicole1354]

Thank you all so much for your responses :-)

[obloom14]

Thank you all so much for your responses :-)

Would this program by any chance be WCU?

[nguyency77, CNA]

My class is not called "Fundamentals." It's called "Nursing Skills & Assessment," but it's the same thing!

So far, we have learned how to do assessments and suction trachs. We are doing NG tubes and Foleys this week. Injections and IVs the following week. Everyone was required to take a basic nursing skills course before we started school or prove that we have worked as CNAs. :)