STANDARD COMPETENCIES:

 

 1. Apply safe, quality, patient-centered nursing care, at the basic level, when providing nursing care of patients across the lifespan with stable and predictable outcomes.

 2. Apply critical thinking and clinical judgment to make patient-centered care decisions at the basic level.

 3. Describe how to incorporate the Practical Nurse's role in collaboration with healthcare team members, the patient, and the patient's support persons to facilitate effective patient care when caring for patients across the lifespan with stable and predictable outcomes.

 4. Demonstrate ways to manage care for patients across the lifespan with stable and predictable outcomes through the process of planning, organizing, and directing.

 5. Demonstrate the scope of practice of the Practical Nurse incorporating professional, legal, and ethical guidelines when caring for patients across the lifespan with stable and predictable outcomes.

 6. Demonstrate a culture of caring and how to provide support, compassion and culturally-competent, holistic care for patients across the lifespan with stable and predictable outcomes.

 

 

 TOPICAL OUTLINE:

 

 I. Major program concepts and how they apply to the performance of nursing skills:

 a. Safe, quality, patient-centered care (includes cultural, social, spiritual, religious, and   developmental aspects

 b. Research and evidence-based care

 c. Culture of caring

 d. Critical thinking and clinical judgment

 e. Performance improvement/quality improvement

 f. Collaboration/teamwork

 g. Information technology/ patient technology

 h. The role and scope of practice for Practical Nursing in the larger context of  Nursing Practice.

 

 II. Practice concepts of practical nursing and how they apply to the performance if skills including:

 a. Teaching and learning

 b. Identification of community resources

 c. Health maintenance and promotion

 d. Pain management

 e. Nursing process

 f. Communication techniques

 

 III. Nursing skills including:

 a. Measures to support human function

 b. Hygiene

 c. Provide comfort

 d. ADLs and self-care

 e. Emotional support

 f. Rehabilitation/ mobility interventions (ROM, alignment, body mechanics)

 g. Nursing treatments

 h. Medication administration

 i. Safety, asepsis, and infection control

 j. Oxygenation

 k. Vital signs

 l. Nutrition and fluid balance

 m. IV therapy

 n. Elimination

 o. Wound care

 p. End-of-life care

 

 IV. Role of the Practical Nurse in:

 a. Culture

 b. Legal and ethical concepts

 c. Health care delivery systems.