whats nursing fundamentals class like? cna type class?

[northmississippi]

The first class in the rn program is nursing fundamentals... is that a class where you do lots of math/electrolytes/anatomy/wound care

or is it more like the cna class where we talk about making beds, getting stuff for patient, cleaning bodies, etc.....

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Fundamentals (aka Foundations) is a class where you learn the "nursing process." Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement, Evaluate; or ADPIE. That's created as if the normal chain of thought wouldn't work that way. You'll cover NANDA nursing diagnoses as well as the formulation of care plans. None of that is hard, but it makes you wonder if nursing is for real when they go over that.

Aside from that you'll cover ethics, legal, culture, communications; and the basics mobility/immobility, pooping, peeing, skin, electrolytes and pH, and the cardiorespiratory systems. You may cover physical exam techniques, and you'll cover such "skills" as washing your hands and making a bed. They may also cover medication administration techniques (shots, pills, etc), and other procedures such as nasogastric tube insertion, urinary catheters, etc.

By and large, I thought it was a boring course and couldn't wait for it to end. If you get stuck with the Potter & Perry book then enjoy. It's a jumbled, repetitious, slow to read, poorly constructed book filled with spelling, grammatical, and puctuation errors.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Fundamentals (aka Foundations) is a class where you learn the "nursing process." Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement, Evaluate; or ADPIE. That's created as if the normal chain of thought wouldn't work that way. You'll cover NANDA nursing diagnoses as well as the formulation of care plans. None of that is hard, but it makes you wonder if nursing is for real when they go over that.

Aside from that you'll cover ethics, legal, culture, communications; and the basics mobility/immobility, pooping, peeing, skin, electrolytes and pH, and the cardiorespiratory systems. You may cover physical exam techniques, and you'll cover such "skills" as washing your hands and making a bed. They may also cover medication administration techniques (shots, pills, etc), and other procedures such as nasogastric tube insertion, urinary catheters, etc.

By and large, I thought it was a boring course and couldn't wait for it to end. If you get stuck with the Potter & Perry book then enjoy. It's a jumbled, repetitious, slow to read, poorly constructed book filled with spelling, grammatical, and puctuation errors.

I found the class extremely boring as well and mostly common sense. I did well in it and never cracked the book or did anything for it outside of class. So happy when it was done.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I found the class extremely boring as well and mostly common sense. I did well in it and never cracked the book or did anything for it outside of class. So happy when it was done.

Add me to that list as well.

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

If you get stuck with the Potter & Perry book then enjoy. It's a jumbled, repetitious, slow to read, poorly constructed book filled with spelling, grammatical, and puctuation errors.

Truer words were never spoken.

[JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN]

We had Potter & Perry and Perry & Potter. Two expensive books with plenty of incomprehensible material and yes, with misspellings and grammatical errors-a-plenty. Was so elated to move onto Med-surg and the different specialties.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Here is an example of fundamentals.

You walk into the patients room and they look dusky. The O2 sat. is reading 76 and they are lying down having trouble breathing. What is the first thing you would do.

Do you-

A) Go and page the Dr.

B) Obtain a set of vital signs

C) Sit them up

D) Administer the PRN pain meds.

Hmmmmmmmmm decisions decisions. What could it possibly be???

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Here is an example of fundamentals.

You walk into the patients room and they look dusky. The O2 sat. is reading 76 and they are lying down having trouble breathing. What is the first thing you would do.

Do you-

A) Go and page the Dr.

B) Obtain a set of vital signs

C) Sit them up

D) Administer the PRN pain meds.

Hmmmmmmmmm decisions decisions. What could it possibly be???

E) Go back to the nurse's station for more coffee and assume the problem will resolve on its own.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

E) Go back to the nurse's station for more coffee and assume the problem will resolve on its own.

I don't drink coffee. But hey, maybe offer the patient some coffee to help open up their airway???? Maybe it's an asthma attack and all I have is coffee. Hmmmmm I bet I can argue that!

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Here is an example of fundamentals.

You walk into the patients room and they look dusky. The O2 sat. is reading 76 and they are lying down having trouble breathing. What is the first thing you would do.

Do you-

A) Go and page the Dr.

B) Obtain a set of vital signs

C) Sit them up

D) Administer the PRN pain meds.

Hmmmmmmmmm decisions decisions. What could it possibly be???

Administer more pillow therapy as the first round was ineffective.

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

I don't drink coffee. But hey, maybe offer the patient some coffee to help open up their airway???? Maybe it's an asthma attack and all I have is coffee. Hmmmmm I bet I can argue that!

I'm not a coffee drinker. I don't facebook either. In all social circles of mine I seem to be the only one that doesn't partake in either of those.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I'm not a coffee drinker. I don't facebook either. In all social circles of mine I seem to be the only one that doesn't partake in either of those.

I am guilty of being a facebook addict!