Study Guide

Objective

The student will apply legislation, ethical guidelines and principles in nursing in acute care. The student is competent in identifying needs of patients and their next-of-kin and in planning, implementing, evaluating and documenting acute care. The student knows the principles of health promotion in acute care. The student is able to assess patient’s need of care in acute situations, as well as safely administers drugs and fluids. The student knows the structure of the service provision system, the collaborative actors and typical service pathways for various client groups in acute care. The student is familiar to give oral and written reports and to consult. The student is competent in dealing with a patient and his/ her next-of-kin in various life situations. The student utilizes information and nursing technology and equipment. The student is able to maintain patient safety and work safety in acute care nursing and learns how sustainable development is taken into account in acute care nursing.

Content

Care and service provision system for acutely ill patients, main concepts and different care situations for medical, surgical, cardiac, respiratory and neurological acute patients.

The student practices: Triage in in-hospital acute care. Assessment of the patient's status by using cABCDEF-protocol, monitoring the patient, planning and implementation of the care. Securing patient´s vital functions. Reporting and consulting by using ISBAR-protocol. Nursing interventions, medication and fluid care and most common laboratory and radiation examinations for medical, cardiac, respiratory and neurological acute patients. Non-invasive ventilation care in emergency and in intensive care. Advanced Life Support (ALS) and the student knows how to follow in-hospital resuscitation protocol. Defibrillable rhythms. Fast sinus and atrial arrhythmia and the medical care. The care of a cardiac patient who suffers from ischemia. Care of a patient with cardiogenic shock.
Respiratory failure: Pulmonary embolism and obstructive shock. Acute Pneumonia causing breathing difficulties.
Neurological patient: The student knows the care of an acute stroke patient and the care of a patient with seizures. Neurological status and Glasgow Coma Scale. Written documentation and oral report, ISBAR.
Patient's and his/ her next-of-kin's health education and guidance.
Drug calculations are tested.

Qualifications

Registered Nurse's Core Competencies Module I-II
Medication management and drug calculations
Medication and fluid care I

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

1-2
The student
- is able to describe some elements in the care and service provision system for acutely ill patients, including collaboration between authorities.
- under supervision, recognizes changes and problems in vital functions and knows how to carry out nursing interventions to help patients in most common acute situations.
- under supervision, is competent to plan and carry out safely intravenous fluid and drug care for acutely ill patients.
- under supervision, is competent to use nursing technology, to give reports, and to consult team members in acute care.
- under supervision, documents the acute care.
- under supervision, is competent to encounter acutely ill patients and their next-of-kin.
- under supervision, knows how to counsel and promote health for acutely ill patients and their next-of-kin.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The student
- is competent to describe the care and service provision system for acutely ill patients, including collaboration between authorities.
- recognizes changes and problems in vital functions and knows how to carry out nursing interventions to help patients in most common acute situations.
- under supervision, is competent to plan and carry out safely intravenous fluid and drug care of acutely ill patients and to evaluate the effectiveness of the care.
- under supervision, is competent to use nursing technology, to give reports, and to consult team members in acute care.
- is competent to document acute care.
- is competent to encounter acutely and critically ill patients and their next-of-kin professionally.
- knows how to counsel acutely ill patients and how to promote health for acutely ill patients and their next-of-kin.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student
- is competent to describe the structure of the care and service provision system for acutely ill patients, including collaboration between authorities.
- is competent to follow nursing protocols and recognizes independently the changes and problems in vital functions and implements appropriate nursing interventions.
- knows how to carry out nursing interventions to help patients in most common acute situations and independently evaluates the effectiveness of the care.
- is competent to plan and carry out safely intravenous fluid and drug care for acutely ill patients and to evaluate the effectiveness of the care.
- is competent to use nursing technology, to give reports and to consult team members in acute care.
- is competent to document acute care.
- is competent to encounter acutely ill patients and their next-of-kin professionally with empathy.
- is competent to counsel acutely ill patients and knows how to promote health for acutely ill patients and their next-of-kin.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The student
- is not able to describe the structure of the care and service provision system for acutely ill patients or the collaboration between authorities.
- does not know how to meet basic needs of acutely ill patients.
- skills and knowledge of acute nursing are poor and patient safety and/ or work safety is jeopardized.
- does not recognize changes in patient's vital functions.
- does not fully observe asepsis.
- repeatedly makes mistakes in drug and fluid care.
- does not respect confidentiality.
- collaboration skills are poor.