A Nurse's Survival Guide to the Ward

Description

• The new edition of this highly popular book is an indispensable guide to daily procedures and problems for nurses starting work on the ward or returning to practice. It provides guidance in a variety of areas including:

• How to organise your job and yourself
• How to assess patients
• Clinical information on a wide range of conditions
• Important principles, procedures and investigations
• How to administer drugs safely
• What to do in an emergency

As well as information on how to do the job, the importance of communication and nursing care issues is emphasised. Background information is also given on underlying legal, health and safety issues.

KEY FEATURES

• Organising your job and yourself
• Assessing patients
• Getting clinical information on a wide range of conditions
• Important principles, procedures and investigations
• Administering drugs safely
• What to do in an emergency
• Communication, legal health and safety issues

NEW TO THIS EDITION

• A new section on professional practice relates current issues to nursing practice
• Updated drug section provides essential understanding of common drug classes
• New resuscitation guidelines

REVIEWS

"There are basics for beginners and expert advice for more experienced practitioners. It is written concisely and releases just the right amount of information, in a simple format. Thought went into the cover too - it has a protective water resistant finish in readiness for being carried around. This is a real gem."
Nursing Standard. July 23 :: vol 22 no 46 :: 2008

Table of Contents

• SECTION 1 Your job and its organization: Organizing yourself; Emergency situations
• SECTION 2 Assessing and investigating: Identification of patient problems; Assessment; Observations and measurements; Procedures and investigations; Nursing care issues
• SECTION 3 Procedures: General principles and procedures; Infection and its control; Fluid and electrolyte balance; Nutritional support
• SECTION 4 A systems approach: The cardiovascular system; The respiratory system; The blood; The gastrointestinal system; The renal system; The nervous system; The endocrine system; Diseases of bones and joints; The immune system; Cancer; Surgery
• SECTION 5 Pharmacology; Drugs and the law: Administration of drugs; Nurse prescribing; Pharmacology in practice; Classification of drugs; Poisoning
• References; Further reading and useful websites;
• Appendix 1 Units of measurement; Appendix 2 Normal values; Appendix 3 Drug measurement and calculations
• Glossary; Index

AUTHOR INFORMATION

By Ann Richards, BA(HONS), MSC, RGN, DIPN(LON), RNT, Senior Lecturer, Department of Nursing & Paramedic Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK and Sharon L. Edwards, MSc DIPN(LON) PGCEA RGN , Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Society and Health, Buckinghamshire New University, Uxbridge, UK