Study Guide

Objectives

This course provides the skills necessary for advanced clinical nursing and acute care nursing core competencies.

After completing the course, the student
• is proficient in assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating the essential aspects of care for complex medical and surgical patients
• masters essential information for assessing and supporting basic vital functions in acutely or chronically ill or trauma patients
• utilizes evidence-based information throughout various stages of patient care
• operates safely and in accordance with the ethical principles of nursing care
• is able to apply medical knowledge
• understands the significance of a crisis resulting from illness or injury
• masters the key principles of rehabilitative medical and surgical nursing
• knows the key concepts and vocabulary of the course in Finnish
• is able to guide and support patients and their close ones in Finnish

Content

• assessment of the condition of medical and surgical patients and monitoring of basic vital functions
• nursing process for medical-surgical patients
• the use of the ABCDE protocol in assessing patient's condition and monitoring vital functions
• planning, implementation, and evaluation of medical surgical nursing care
• the utilization of evidence-based information throughout various stages of the patient care
• safe practice and nursing care in accordance with ethical principles
• support and guidance for the patient and their close ones, also in Finnish language
• the principles of rehabilitative nursing care
• key terminology and vocabulary of the course in Finnish

Prerequisites

Completion of basic and intermediate studies, at least 135 credits, including Nursing Care of Internal Medicine and Palliative Care, Surgical Nursing and Anatomy and Physiology courses.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

The student
• possesses basic theoretical, evidence-based, and ethical knowledge in medical-surgical nursing care and in nursing process
• recognizes the most common chronic and acute medical surgical conditions
• identifies the most common disturbances in vital functions and their impact on patient health and care
• knows the principles of rehabilitative nursing care
• understands the importance of patient and family guidance
• recognizes the need for support for patients and families in the crisis resulting from illness
• takes responsibility for own learning even though is unable to consistently justify decisions in practice, seeks guidance

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

The student
• demonstrates good theoretical, evidence-based, and ethical competence in medical-surgical nursing care and in nursing process
• knows the most common chronic and acute medical-surgical conditions
• can determine and evaluate the most common disturbances in vital functions and their impact on patient health and care
• knows the principles of rehabilitative nursing
• can guide patients and their families also in Finnish
• knows how to support patients and families in a crisis caused by illness
• can justify their choices in practice, understands the importance of taking responsibility for their own learning

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student
• applies and utilizes comprehensive theoretical, evidence-based, and ethical expertise in medical surgical nursing care and the nursing process
• masters the most common chronic and acute medical surgical conditions
• masters, defines, and assesses the most common disturbances in vital functions and their impact on patient health and care
• masters the principles of rehabilitative nursing
• can effectively guide patients and their families also in Finnish
• masters various methods to support patients and families in a crisis caused by illness
• makes reasoned choices, takes responsibility for own learning