Physical Care Skills - Basic Nursing Skills
Core concepts
Basic nursing skills include vital signs, height and weight, intake and output, specimen collection, catheter and ostomy care, oxygen safety, hot and cold applications, positioning, range of motion, bedmaking, and infection control. Know normal ranges and when to report: temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. Count respirations without announcing it, since people change their breathing when they know it is being counted. Measure intake and output in milliliters and record promptly. Follow standard precautions with every resident and use clean technique for routine care and sterile technique only where taught.
Traps to watch for
- Taking an oral temperature right after the resident drank hot coffee or smoked. Wait about 15 minutes.
- Choosing a rectal temperature for a resident with diarrhea or a heart condition. Select another route.
- Using a blood pressure cuff that is too small or too large for the arm, which gives a false reading.
- Cleaning a catheter toward the meatus instead of away from it. Wipe front to back, away from the opening.
- Forgetting to clamp or lower a drainage bag below bladder level.
- Applying a hot pack directly on skin or leaving it too long.
- Recording a value you did not actually measure. Never chart a guess.
Rule of thumb
Measure, then report anything outside the resident's normal range or your facility's parameters. If a reading seems wrong, recheck it once before reporting rather than charting a doubtful number.