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HSSC Staff Nurse study materials
HSSC Staff Nurse study resources

HSSC Staff Nurse: Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology

HSSC Staff Nurse · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

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Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology

Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology

This domain tests basic structure and function plus microbiology applied to infection control. Expect normal values, organ facts and sterilisation questions.

Core rules

  • Cardiac output = heart rate × stroke volume; normal about 5 L/min.
  • Blood values: haemoglobin 12–16 g/dL in women and 13–17 g/dL in men; white cells 4000–11,000/µL; platelets 150,000–450,000/µL.
  • The right lung has three lobes and the left has two; surfactant is secreted by type II pneumocytes.
  • The nephron filters about 125 mL/min; most reabsorption occurs in the proximal convoluted tubule.
  • Gram stain: gram-positive organisms stain purple, gram-negative pink.
  • Sterilisation kills spores - autoclave at 121 °C, 15 psi for 15–20 minutes. Disinfection does not kill spores.

Worked example

Heart rate 75/min and stroke volume 70 mL. Cardiac output = 75 × 70 = 5250 mL/min = 5.25 L/min. State the unit clearly; mixing litres and millilitres is a common error.

Traps

  • Left lung has two lobes, not three.
  • Sterilisation versus disinfection is a frequent distinction.
  • Platelets form the plug in primary haemostasis; clotting factors come later in the cascade.