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Nursing Advanced Skills is a practical textbook designed to prepare entry-level registered nurses for advanced clinical responsibilities. It builds on foundational nursing skills covered in the Open RN Nursing Skills textbook and focuses on advanced techniques such as intravenous infusion, blood product administration, central line and chest tube system management, basic electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation, and nasogastric/feeding tube insertion. With step-by-step guidance and clear explanations, this resource equips nursing students with the knowledge and confidence to perform complex procedures safely and effectively. Ideal for those transitioning into professional practice, this textbook is an essential tool for developing the advanced skills required in modern healthcare settings.
Course Competency 1: Initiate IV therapy via peripheral access
Learning Objectives:
- Identify indications for initiating I.V. access
- Discuss appropriate selection of I.V. catheter equipment needed for initiation of I.V. therapy
- Summarize standard safety practices when initiating I.V. access
- Explain the principles of initiating I.V. access across the lifespan
- Recognize contraindications of I.V. therapy
- List potential complications of I.V. therapy
Course Competency 2: Administer IV push medications
Learning Objectives:
- State reasons medication might be ordered to be given I.V. push
- Identify critical factors which must be considered throughout the medication administration process
- Explain possible outcomes of administering medications via I.V. push method
- Differentiate procedures for administering an IV push medication through various IV access types
- Describe nursing interventions for I.V. push medication complications
- Perform accurate math calculations for IV medication administration
Course Competency 3: Manage central lines
Learning Objectives:
- List the reasons why a central venous access device may be inserted
- Contrast the different central venous access devices
- Identify the components (parts) of central venous access devices
- Differentiate nursing interventions for unexpected outcomes with central venous access devices
- Describe the routine care of central venous access devices
- List the steps in obtaining a blood sample from central venous access devices
- Distinguish contraindications to obtaining a blood sample from central venous access devices
- Outline the steps in managing an implantable port
- Identify patient education for central venous access device care
Course Competency 4: Manage administration of blood products
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate indications for administration of blood products
- Explain the steps for safe administration of blood products
- Analyze common labs associated with blood product administration
- Compare cultural variations in blood product administration
- Identify necessary patient education regarding blood transfusions
- Differentiate between various blood product types
Course Competency 5: Interpret basic electrocardiogram patterns
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the anatomy of the heart using key terms relating to the conduction system.
- Evaluate relevant characteristics of each waveform present in an ECG tracing
- Identify criteria that define normal sinus rhythm
- Apply identified steps to interpret ECG waveforms
- Classify various arrhythmias noted on an ECG tracing
- Compare treatment options for arrhythmias
- Summarize the steps involved with obtaining a rhythm strip
- Recognize factors that contribute to diminished quality of a rhythm tracing
- Determine the nursing interventions for a patient with an arrhythmia
Course Competency 6: Insert NG/feeding tubes
Learning Objectives:
- Compare various types of NG/feeding tubes
- Identify nursing considerations for managing NG/feeding tubes
- List methods to determine correct placement of an NG/feeding tube
- Discuss outcomes for NG/ feeding tube utilization
- Analyze laboratory tests used to monitor nutritional status
Course Competency 7: Manage chest tube draining systems
Learning Objectives:
- Identify indications for chest tube placement
- Differentiate between various suction device systems
- Describe components of chest tube drainage systems
- Apply the nursing process when caring for patients with chest tube drainage systems
- Explain outcomes associated with chest tube drainage systems
- Determine nursing interventions for managing chest tube drainage systems
This textbook is part of the WisTech Open collection and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
You are free to:
– Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
– Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
Under the following terms:
– Attribution — You must give appropriate credit to WisTech Open, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests WisTech Open endorses you or your use.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
You are free to:
– Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
– Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
Under the following terms:
– Attribution — You must give appropriate credit to WisTech Open, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests WisTech Open endorses you or your use.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
First edition funded by U.S. Department of Education Open Textbooks Pilot grant Second edition funded by State of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Technical College System funding for Open Educational Resources
WisTech Open, including the Open RN and Bright Beginnings series, does not provide ancillary or instructor materials. You can instead create free, customized supplementary resources—slides, quizzes, worksheets, study guides, and more - on demand, through our generative AI platform, WisTech Fusion: https://www.wistechopen.org/wistech-fusion. Fusion only uses content from WisTech Open, Open RN, and Bright Beginnings resources.
To help keep print textbook costs low for our students, please consider using the electronic version, or purchasing a personal print copy, rather than requesting a publisher/desktop version from our printing partner. Orders can be placed through Kendall Hunt: https://he.kendallhunt.com/catalog.