Fundamental Nursing Care - Hardcover

Ramont, Roberta Pavy; Niedringhaus, Dee Maldonado

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0132244322 ISBN 13: 9780132244329

Publisher: Prentice Hall, 2007

Synopsis

Looking at the practice of nursing from the LPN/LVN point of view, this streamlined but comprehensive book explains to learners what they need to know and do in order to deliver safe and effective nursing care in a variety of settings and functions. It focuses on the information and essential skills that will help ensure clinical and NCLEX-PN test-taking success, as well as addresses the LPN/LVN scope of practice and relationship to the registered nurse.

About this title

About the Author:

Roberta Pavy Ramont has been an instructor of Vocational Nursing at North Orange County Regional Occupational Program (NOCROP) in Anaheim for 12 years. She received her initial nursing education at Cooper Hospital School of Nursing in Camden, New Jersey; her baccalaureate degree from the University of Redlands; and a masters in Psychology-School Counseling from the University of LaVerne. She is presently a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at Alliant International University.

Roberta credits her entrance into nursing to an LPN student who cared for her during an illness and who recognized her potential. She also credits the continued support and encouragement of her parents, who always demonstrated that anything worth achieving is worth 100% effort.

Roberta began her nursing career working in intensive care, but quickly realized that she wanted to focus on keeping people healthy. She worked for an agency visiting well-child clinics, schools, and homes, and later worked in maternal and infant care, childbirth preparation, and physicians' offices. When she moved to California, she found a job working with the developmentally disabled in a state hospital, and was quickly promoted to unit supervisor. The LVNs she hired to care for residents with physical and cognitive deficits were an inspiration; they brought joy and self-respect to the residents' lives by focusing on residents' accomplishments, not their disabilities. When state regulations changed, Roberta continued to work with students with special needs.

In 1985, a diagnosis of cancer led to six years with numerous treatments and surgeries. As a hospital client, Roberta was able to observe nurses at work. She became concerned that many of them seemed just to be doing a job. When she had a chance to teach, and found she enjoyed sharing knowledge and insights with students, she was eager to pass on some of the "lost art" of nursing. A job as instructor of a nursing assistant class quickly developed into an opportunity to teach LVNs. Over the years she has been able to share with hundreds of students what it means to be a nurse. She feels that nursing students need two things: roots (to understand the rich heritage of nursing they will carry into the future) and wings (to develop skills that make them competent, safe nurses who can think and function with confidence).

Roberta served as curriculum chair for health careers education at NOCROP She has worked on projects to identify academic standards taught in the career technical classes and to develop rubrics for alternate assessment of student work. She has served as advisor for Health Occupation Students of America, and recently was installed as Cal-HOSA Inc. Board of Directors Chair. She was President of the California Association of Health Careers Educators (CAHCE) in 2000-2001, and was awarded their Lillian Runge Memorial Scholarship for Continuing Education in 2002. She is a member of Society of Pediatric Nurses and Pi Lambda Theta, International Honor Society in Education.

Roberta has served on the NCLEX-PN writing panel. She developed seminars on the adult learner and technology in the classroom. She has taught teacher credentialing classes for San Diego University and is on a task force with the California Department of Education of Teacher Credentialing for Health Occupations teachers.

Roberta and Fred, her husband of 32 years, have three children: twin daughters Amy (an RN) and Alicia (mom to Haley and T.J. and an early childhood teacher), and son Tom (who recently completed grad school). When time permits Roberta enjoys reading and traveling.

 

Dolores Maldonado Niedringhaus. Dee's nursing career began right after graduation from Nursing School at USC/LACMC (Los Angeles County Medical Center), when she moved to Orange County and applied for a graduate nursing position. She was hired on the spot at what used to be Orange County Hospital. Although it was much smaller than LACMC (the rooms had only had five beds instead of eight to ten), it was a challenge. As the county hospital, it was always busy. The first year she worked PM shift on an orthopedic floor, where once there were prisoners in four rooms with guards. Sometimes conditions were so crowded that clients had spaces in the halls. This was a growthful time. The doctors were interns and residents; all the staff worked together and learned how to be creative, innovative, and inventive.

After her marriage Dee transferred to a day shift position on the surgical floor, dealing with all types of surgical specialties (EENT, Plastic Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, and General Surgery). In team nursing there, Dee was fortunate to have as colleagues two excellent LVNs, who did most of the dressings and wound care and helped with medications. Dee's nursing techniques developed as she learned from these nurses. After working at this hospital for 12 years in various areas, she was chosen to work a new unit as the surgical specialist. It was the first outpatient unit developed at what was now UCIMC (University of California at Irvine Medical Center).

A chance request brought her to teaching. One summer a colleague needed a substitute instructor for a nursing assistant program run by North Orange County Regional Occupational Program. Those two months changed her nursing career. She was hooked on and loved teaching. When she was offered a full-time position teaching a day nursing assistant program, she taught this for a year. She then took a position teaching vocational nurses, and for 15 years taught Fundamentals I & II, Integumentary, Gastrointestinal, Endocrine, and Leadership modules. She began the first HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) chapters, which became very successful and continue today. She also instructed classes for Health Career Instructors and was the chairman for Cal-HOSA Inc. Currently Dee is an Instructional Administrator of Medical Programs at North Orange County ROP.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Fundamental Nursing Care arose from a desire to provide the best possible fundamentals book for LPNs and LVNs. For years, LPNs and LVNs in training have had to use RN-level textbooks, sifting out material and "translating" it from the RN point of view. This text, however, begins and ends with what LPNs and LVNs need to know and do. It identifies their scope of practice and affirms their importance in the larger health care system.

Increasingly, LPNs and LVNs are the nurses who come in direct contact with the health care consumer. They will be bedside nurses, team members, supervisors of unlicensed health care workers, and client educators. They will function in settings as diverse as acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and clients' homes. They must be competent, professional, articulate, and compassionate to win the confidence of their clients. We undertook this project to meet their growing needs.

To make this text "user friendly," we incorporated student feedback and our own wish lists from using other textbooks. The result is a practical book with ideas for many types of learners. By presenting solid information about studying, test taking, and time management, we help create more successful students and, in time, more successful nurses. By highlighting the role of men, we reflect the fact that nursing is becoming increasingly gender equal. By providing technology assistance with the text and support materials, we aid students in long-distance or computer-assisted programs.

Fundamental Nursing Care is a print and electronic product with a wealth of resources for students and instructors. It consists of textbook (with enclosed CD-ROM), instructor's resource manual, and student workbook. Electronic media are also available, including a test bank, links to valuable LPN/LVN Web sites, PowerPoints, a "toolbox" of teaching adjuncts, and a variety of visuals and critical thinking exercises.

This text is in alignment with the NCLEX-PN test plan. It does not "teach to the test," but it demonstrates how information relates to the broad categories of the test plan. It incorporates focus area information into all clinical chapters, and provides NCLEX-PN-style testing in every review section.

Organization

This book is organized to be accessible to students. Most LPN/LVN programs are designed from simple to complex, building on knowledge and skills already obtained. The chapters of Fundamental Nursing Care are organized in the same manner and with a consistent format.

Unit I describes the history, laws, ethics, and basic theories of nursing. It provides a sketch of the health care system and a full discussion of the nursing process, with specifics about the role of vocational/practical nurses. Units II, III, and IV cover clinical aspects of care. Only skills and competencies that are within the scope of practice are included, making this text a truly LPN/LVN-level book. Unit V discusses teamwork and leadership, the NCLEX-PN licensure exam, and strategies for entering the workforce.

Features

CHAPTER OPENING PAGE

• Learning Outcomes—Identify key skills and concepts.
• Sharing Experiences—Words of wisdom from practical/vocational nurse educators, students, and practicing LPNs/LVNs around the country support students to be competent, caring nurses.
• MediaLink—Provides reference to the Audio Glossary and multimedia supplements on the CD-ROM or Companion Website.
• MediaLink Tabs—Icons on page margins that prompt students to explore animations and activities.

END-OF-CHAPTER REVIEW

• Key Terms by Topic—Provides an overview for organizing study.
• Key Points—Highlights lifelong need-to-know items.
• EXPLORE MediaLink—Provides multimodal reinforcement for all learners, with references to the free student CD-ROM and the free Companion Website.
• For Further Study—Supplies references to related chapters to broaden understanding.
• Critical Thinking Care Map—Prepares students step by step for on-the-job critical thinking that leads to clinical success. It includes NCLEX-PN exam focus area, Case Study, Nursing Diagnosis, Data Collection, Reporting, and more!
• NCLEX-PN Exam Preparation—Test-Taking Tips focus study and help promote NCLEX success. NCLEX-PN—style questions contain content preview/review, as well as invaluable practice for taking the test.

WRAP-UP ITEMS

• Thinking Strategically About...—Chalenges students to respond to unit-based scenarios from the viewpoint of curriculum themes.
• Bibliography and Appendices—Compile readings, full Glossary, answers with rationales, and more, to aid study and research.

VISUALS, INCLUDING TABLES AND COLOR-CODED BOXES

• Nursing Care Checklist Boxes (identifiable in blue)—Provide students with a ready-reference summary of important nursing interventions.
• Population Focus Boxes and Client Teaching Boxes (identifiable in green)—Help students meet age-specific and other special needs of different groups of clients.
• Assessment Boxes (identifiable in orange)—Identify signs and symptoms related to particular conditions.
• Miscellaneous Boxes (identifiable in aqua)—Highlight information for easy retrieval and review.
• Full-Color Visuals—Enable students to visualize key skills and concepts.
• Tables—Help students categorize and visualize data.

NURSING PROCESS

• Nursing Care—Specially formatted sections highlight traditional steps of the nursing process within the LPN/LVN scope of practice.
• Case Studies—Bring disorders in clinical chapters into "real life."
• Critical Thinking in the Nursing Process—Questions conclude each case study and allow students to apply their new-found learning.
• Procedures with Sample Documentation—Present key steps, rationales, and models for charting.
• Clinical Alerts-Emphasize clinical situations that require heightened awareness, monitoring, or reporting.

About this edition

• Publisher: Prentice Hall
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0132244322
• ISBN 13: 9780132244329
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 999