Main description:

This little book is an ideal clinical skills reference for nursing students and junior health care practitioners. Its easy to navigate design and step-by-step approach allows for information to be accessed quickly to help students review skills while on placement and prepare for their OSCE exams.

Essential equipment tick lists helps ensure students know what they need to perform clinical skills.
All fields of nursing are covered with tips throughout to help students support every patient group.
Introduces different approaches to performing clinical skills in community and acute settings
Helps students and new practitioners feel confident performing the skill in any situation.

Contents:

Chapter 1: Infection Prevention and Control - Rose Gallagher
Hand-washing
Using hand sanitizer
When to remove your gloves and why
Chapter 2: Aseptic Technique and Specimen Collection - Rose Gallagher
Principles of asepsis
Common steps for the collection of all types of specimen
Taking a wound swab
Collecting a faeces specimen
Collecting a urine specimen
Collecting a sputum sample
Taking a nasal swab
Taking a throat swab
Chapter 3: Clinical Measurement - Valerie Foley
Common steps for all clinical measurements
Counting a respiratory rate
Measuring SPO2
Measuring a pulse rate
Automated blood pressure measurement
Manual blood pressure measurement
Measuring capillary refill time
Measuring body temperature
Blood glucose monitoring
Chapter 4: Pain Management - Ann Kettyle
Undertaking a pain assessment
Chapter 5: Skin Integrity - Irene Anderson and Catherine Delves-Yates
Principles of caring for a patient with a wound
Pressure related injuries - quick reference guide
Chapter 6: Safer Handling of People - Dianne Steele
Efficient movement principles
A safe way of working when moving a patient
Chapter 7: First Aid - Chris Mulryan and Catherine Delves-Yates
The recovery position
ABCDE summary actions
Management of choking
AVPU assessment
Chapter 8: Medicines Administration - Carol Hall and Catherine Delves-Yates
Administering medication (oral or topical route)
Administering a subcutaneous injection
Administering an intramuscular injection
Chapter 9: Assisting Patients with their Nutritional Needs - Kate Goodhand and Jane Ewen
Common steps for all nutrition-related skills
Weighing a patient
Assisting a patient to eat and drink
Passing a nasogastric tube
Confirmation of position of a nasogastric tube
Maintaining a nasogastric tube
Removing a nasogastric tube
Caring for a PEG (pertcutaneous endoscopic gastronomy)
Stoma care
Peripheral vascular cannula care
Chapter 10: Assisting Patients with their Elimination Needs - Mairead Collie, David J. Hunter and Valerie Foley
Common steps for all elimination-related skills
Assessing bowel function
Assisting a patient to use a bedpan, urinal or commode
Performing catheter care
Emptying a patient's catheter bag
Urinalysis
Chapter 11: Assisting Patients with their Hygiene Needs - Catherine Delves-Yates
Common steps for all hygiene procedures
Bathing a patient in bed
Shaving
Teeth-cleaning
Assisting a patient with a wash (out of bed)
Trimming nails
Washing a patient's hair in bed
Chapter 12: Performing Last Offices - Jean Shapcott
Performing last offices