Medical-Surgical Nursing I provides nursing students with essential knowledge and clinical skills for caring for adult patients with cardiovascular, respiratory and infectious disorders. Students will develop expertise in laboratory value interpretation, cardiovascular, and respiratory assessment and management, electrocardiogram analysis, and care of infectious disorders. The course integrates theoretical foundations with evidence-based practice to prepare students for safe, competent nursing care in medical-surgical settings.
Through demonstration of case studies and thorough Qbank tests, students will master the nursing process as it applies to complex cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, patient safety, interprofessional collaboration, and quality improvement in the delivery of nursing care.
Learning objectives
After the completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Accurately interpret intermediate laboratory values including complete blood count (CBC), basic metabolic panel (BMP), urinalysis, and cardiac-specific markers to inform nursing interventions.
- Perform comprehensive cardiovascular and respiratory assessments using appropriate techniques and documentation standards.
- Analyze normal and abnormal electrocardiogram findings to identify life-threatening arrhythmias and communicate findings to the healthcare team.
- Apply knowledge of cardiovascular and respiratory anatomy and physiology to understand disease processes and their impact on patient outcomes.
- Demonstrate understanding of the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and nursing management of major cardiovascular, respiratory and infectious disorders.
- Explain the use of nursing interventions for patients with cardiovascular, respiratory and infectious disorders across the continuum of care.
- Discuss pre- and post-operative nursing care for cardiac surgical patients, including complication prevention and family education.
- Develop individualized care plans that address the complex needs of patients with chronic conditions such as COPD and heart failure.
- Identify abnormalities in ECG monitoring, interpretation, and appropriate response to cardiac rhythm changes.
- Utilize clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills to prioritize nursing interventions and recognize patient deterioration.
- Communicate effectively with patients, families, and interprofessional team members to ensure continuity of care.
Course outline
- Lab Value Interpretation II
- Cardiovascular Disorders
- Review: Anatomy and Physiology of the Cardiovascular System
- Hypertension
- Coronary Artery Disease: Atherosclerosis
- Acute Coronary Syndrome
- Care of the Cardiac Surgical Patient
- Heart Failure
- Structural and Inflammatory Heart Disease
- Structural and Inflammatory Vascular Disease
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- The Basics of ECG Strips
- Analysis of Abnormal ECG Strips
- ECG Essentials: 5 and 12 Leads
- Respiratory Disorders
- Supplemental Oxygen
- Respiratory Assessment
- Review: Anatomy and Physiology of the Respiratory System
- Lung Disorders
- Obstructive Respiratory Disorders
- Respiratory Case Study: Nursing Care of a COPD Patient
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
- Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccination
- Infectious Disorders
