Module 3: Nursing Services

Welcome to Nursing Services

Nurses coordinate many factors that influence a patient's care. During and between physicians' daily rounds, nurses observe and document each patient's symptoms and responses to treatments. Nurses help assess the patient's needs by communicating the patient's progress to the responsible physician(s) and other members of the health care team, who together, are better able to develop the appropriate plan for care. Nurses carry out physicians' orders, administer medications and blood, perform treatments and therapies, help patients adjust to hospitalizations, and assist with providing health care information, patient education, counseling and discharge planning services.

Recent advances in patient care have brought computers to the bedside. Nurses are increasingly using "point-of-care" information systems to record patients' vital signs, intake and output, medication administration, and record nurse progress notes. This serves as an important part of the developing electronic health record (EHR) that helps expedite effective and efficient quality care to the patient.

This week you will learn about nursing education, the various types of nurses, the history of nursing, and the professional associations available to nurses, among other topics. Enjoy exploring the material - I'm looking forward to reading what you have gleaned from your research in your journal entries!