Fundamentals of Nursing

....Introduction
:By
Dr. Khalil Abdulqawi Mohammed
.PhD, M.Sc. B.Sc

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• On completion of the lecture, the student will be able to:
1. Define health and wellness.
2. Discuss nursing roles.
3. Discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy

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• World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a “state of
complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease and infirmity” (Hood & Leddy, 2002).

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Nursing
Since the time of Florence Nightingale, who wrote in
1858 that the goal of nursing was “to put the patient in
the best condition for nature to act upon him,” nursing
leaders have described nursing as both an art and a
science.
The American Nurses Association (ANA), in its Social
Policy Statement (ANA, 1995), defined nursing as “the
diagnosis and treatment of human responses to health
and illness”.
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Nursing practice focuses on promoting and
maintaining the health of individuals and groups,
preventing and minimizing the progression of diseases,
and improving quality of life (Hunt, 2000).

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Fundamental roles of nurse

Nurses have four fundamental responsibilities:

 To promote health
 To prevent illness,
 To restore health
 To alleviate suffering.
The need for nursing is universal

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Qualities of nurse

 Particular wisdom
 Humility
 Courage
 Integrity
 Trustworthiness
 Responsibility
 Honesty
 Nobility

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The role of the nurse on the health care
team
• 1- Care for the patient
• 2- Coordinate the care of the patient
• 3- Protect the patient
• 4- Teach the patient and family
• 5- Advocate for the patient

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Maslow’s
Hierarchy

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Maslow’s hierarchy
1. Physiological Needs are those that must be met to
maintain life.
• They include the needs for air, water, food, temperature
regulation, elimination, sleep and rest, sex, and physical
activity.
• Most healthy adults meet their physiological needs
through self-care. However, many of your nursing
interventions are intended to support patients’
physiological needs.
Cont.….
2. Safety and Security Needs are the next priority. It may refer
to either physical or emotional needs.
• Physical safety and security mean protection from physical
harm (e.g., falls, infection, and effects of medications) and
having adequate shelter (e.g., housing with sanitation, heat,
and safety).
• Emotional safety and security involve freedom from fear and
anxiety—feeling safe in the physical environment as well as
in relationships.
Cont.…..
3. Love and Belonging Needs
• All people strive for meaningful relationships with others.
• Everyone has a basic need to love and be loved, give and
receive affection, and have a feeling of belonging, (e.g., in a
family, peer group, or community).
• When these needs are not met, a person may feel isolated
and lonely and may withdraw or become demanding and
critical.
Cont.….
4. Self-Esteem Needs,
• Self-esteem comes through a sense of accomplishment and
recognition from others and brings confidence and
independence.
• Illness can affect self-esteem by causing role changes (e.g.,
inability to perform one’s job), or a change of body image
(e.g., loss of a body part).
Cont.….
5. Self-Actualization Needs are the highest level on Maslow’s
original hierarchy.
• self-actualization refers to the need to reach your full
potential and to act unselfishly.
• At this level, a person develops wisdom and knows what to
do in a variety of situations.
Physiological Needs
• Physiological needs are essential for existence, according to
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Therefore, they must be met before
all other needs.
• Areas that are often problematic for the chronic ill client are
respirations; fluids and nutrition; care of mouth, eyes, and nose;
mobility; skin care; and elimination.
• Respirations Oxygen is frequently ordered for the client
experiencing labored breathing. Suctioning may be needed to
remove secretions that the client is unable to swallow.
Providing Hygiene within the Patient’s
Environment
• Measures must consider the patient’s right to be treated
respectfully, such as;
• asking permission to enter the patient’s area (e.g., room, bedside
unit, and closet).
• Ensuring that privacy needs are met (e.g., close doors and pull
curtains around the bed).
• providing a safe and comfortable environment (e.g., bed in the
lowest position, clutter minimized, and comfortable room
temperature for the patient).
Bed
1. Height from the floor can be raised or lowered, head can be raised, and
foot can be adjusted to raise the knees; teach patients how to use the
buttons that regulate the bed to promote independence and support
comfort.
2. Should be lowered to the lowest height to ensure ease in exiting and
entering the bed and provide for patient safety.
3. Most have four side rails.
4. Keep wheels of bed locked at all times, particularly when a patient is
entering or exiting the bed, to prevent falls.
5. Therapeutic mattresses.
Examples: Air mattresses.
 Environmental Factors
1. Room temperature:
2. Lighting:
3. Noise:
4. Ventilation and odors:
References
• Fundamentals of Nursing, PATRICIA M. NUGENT, RN, EDD
• Brunner and Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical
Nursing_0781731933

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