What do nurses learn how to do? (Medical tasks)

[Skippy97]

I generally want to know some medical tasks that nurses are trained to do on patients for example, injections, IVs, etc. I would just like to get an insight on all the tasks we will learn during nursing school and clinicals, that we will use day to day as an RN. Thank you!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Nursing education prepares us to perform Nursing Tasks... nursing and medicine are separate professions. Physicians practice medicine, we practice nursing. If you want to refer to the entire industry, just call it health care.

I used to believe that there were core skills that were included in all RN programs - but over the last few years, I've discovered that some schools are no longer including skills/tasks like IV therapy, urinary catheter insertion, ventilator management, etc..... they're only covering them in class. I don't know what is prompting this change - maybe lack of skills lab time? You'll need to check with your own program's curricula to see what is going to be included.

Don't stress out - because your first employer will be responsible for providing training to address any skill gaps of new graduates. If you go to work in a local facility, they'll most certainly be familiar with the skill sets of your program's graduates. It'll be OK.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

ALL of them? Well, that's a lot. I'll try to summarize:

Physical Assessment:

Vital signs- BP, HR, RR, SpO2, Temp, height, weight, BMI

Cardiac- rate, rhythm, murmurs, gallops, rubs, etc. A/P mismatch, EKG interpretation, central/peripheral pulses

Respiratory- lung sounds normal/adventitious, AP diameter, percussion, rate, rhythm, depth.

GI- palpation, percussion, auscultation, inspection.

Neuro- cranial nerves, glascow coma scale, pupillary response, and much more.

Pain assessment and applicable scales

Psychosocial

Other head-to-toe assessments I left out.

ADLs: Assistance with dressing, feeding, ambulating, transferring, repositioning, toileting, oral care, bathing, etc. and assistive devices that go along with them.

Skills (in no particular order): hand hygiene, donning/doffing PPE, donning sterile gloves, wound assessment/measurement/irrigation/culturing/dressing, enteral feeding bolus/continuous via NG/GT/GJ/J, NGT insertion/placement confirmation/suctioning, GT change/site care, straight/indwelling/condom/suprapubic catheter insertion/care/removal, tracheostomy care/cleaning/changing/suctioning, oral/nasal suctioning/sputum collection, use of various oxygen delivery devices, incentive spirometry, antiembolism stocking and sequential compression boots, chest tube care, enemas, ostomy care/changes, stool collection and fecal occult testing, care/assessment/management of surgical drains, various kinds of central lines assessment/care/dressing changes, CPR/BLS.

Medication administration: Oral/GT/NGT pills/liquid, IV push, IV piggy back, continuous IV infusions, large volume IV pumps, syringe pumps, PCA pumps, drawing up, reconstituting, diluting, calculating dosages/rates/volumes, IM injections, subcutaneous injections, intradermal injections. Pharmacology of medications, side effects, indications, necessary monitoring/assessment.

This is by no means an all-inclusive list. And this is all in addition to the theory of nursing, pathophysiology, mathematics, chemistry, microbiology, and research theory (BSN) required. In addition to learning how to communicate with patients in a therapeutic manner. In addition to learning and applying the nursing process/nursing diagnoses/care plan. And in addition to the most important thing of all- critical thinking.