DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL – SURGICAL NURSING
FACULTY OF NURSING SCIENCES, COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
NIGER DELTA UNIVERSITY WILBERFORCE ISLAND
BAYELSA STATE
COURSE TITLE: MEDICAL – SURGICAL NURSING
INTRODUCTION
Medical-Surgical Nursing encompasses care rendered by the nurse to client/patient with acute
and chronic conditions utilizing the nursing process. The care is based on knowledge drawn from
biological, physical and behavioural sciences. The approach to the course is conceptual with
emphasis on holistic family centred and community oriented care. The focus is on promotive and
rehabilitative health activities. The course, Medical-Surgical Nursing is divided into two (2)
parts, which are Medical-Surgical Nursing I (taught in the First Semester) and Medical-Surgical
Nursing II (taught in the Second Semester).
IMPLEMENTATION
PLACEMENT: Third Year –
LENGTH OF COURSE: 12 weeks x 8 hours = 96 hours per semester
METHOD OF TEACHING:
1. Formal lecture
2. Group discussion
3. Written assignment
Recommended Textbooks
1) Brunner & Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing (2014) published by Lisa
Mc-Allister
2) Medical-Surgical Nursing: Critical Thinking in Client care by Lemone, et al (2011).
3) Hutchinson’s Clinical Methods by Swash & Glynn (2007) published by Saunders
4) Robbins & Cotran Pathological Basis of Diseases by Kumar Abbas & Fausto (2008)
published by Saunders
5) Principles & Practice of Surgery including Pathology in the Tropics by Badoe,
Archampong & da Rocha-Afodu (2000) published by Ghana publishing company
6) Davidson’s Principles & Practice of Medicine published by Churchill Livingstone
7) Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
8) Basics of Clinical Nutrition by Joshi (2008) published by Jaypee Brothers
9) Daily Consult for Students & Practitioners of Nursing, Medicine and Allied Professions
by Wasini, K.B. (2008) published by VYKEN-Ds
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10) Browse’s Introduction to the Symptoms and Signs of Surgical Disease published by
BookPower
11) Textbook of Medical Surgical Nursing by Hawk Black.
12) Awosiyari, A.W., A Guide to Nursing Process for all Nursing.
13) Alphonsa Jacob (2006), Fundamentals of Nursing, Vol. 1 & 2, 6th Edition
14) Nursing Practical Procedure Manual for Undergraduate
15) Pathophysiology for the Health Professions by Barbara E. Gould (2002), Published by
Saunders
16) Core Concepts in Health by Paul M. Insel (2002), Published by McGraw Hill.
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DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL – SURGICAL NURSING
FACULTY OF NURSING SCIENCES, COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
NIGER DELTA UNIVERSITY WILBERFORCE ISLAND
BAYELSA STATE
MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING I (NSc 313) 5 units
Course Description:
Medical-Surgical Nursing I deals with conditions associated with the continuity of life, cell
proliferation, critical care nursing, oncological nursing, special senses, exposing the learner to
skills in solving medical-surgical problems. It is taught in the first semester.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this course, the student will;
1. Demonstrate an understanding of basic concepts and terminologies in medical-surgical
nursing in relation to normal body functions
2. Utilize the nursing process in providing comprehensive care to client/patient
3. Demonstrate skills in life-saving measures by initiating care in medical-surgical
emergencies
4. Understand diagnostic measures used in medical-surgical nursing
5. Identify adaptive mechanisms both internal and external and recognize when mechanisms
begin to fail
6. Prepare a patient for surgical or diagnostic procedure and care for the patient during and
after the procedure
7. Demonstrate the principles and practice of in nursing
8. Identify common situations that threaten adaptation and apply appropriate measure to
relieve the discomfort
9. Assess a patient suffering from a medical-surgical condition
10. Formulate nursing diagnosis(es) according to the individual needs of the patient
11. Review Anatomy and Physiology of related systems
12. Mention some of the diseases of a system
13. Discuss the pathophysiology of the signs and symptoms of the various disorders of the
system
14. Manage the disorders of the system
15. Draw up nursing care plan of the patient suffering from various disorders
COURSE OUTLINE
UNITS:
1. Review of the nursing process
- Development of nursing care plans
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2. Biophysical and Psychosocial Concepts in Nursing practice
- Homeostasis, Stress and Adaptation
- Stress and Adaptation of cells
- Nursing implications in Stress and Adaptation
- Perspectives in Transcultural Nursing care
3. Emergency Nursing/Trauma care
a. Basic life support
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Breathing aids and oxygen therapy
b. Conditions:
- Chest injuries
- Abdominal injuries
- Snake bite
- Electrical injuries
- Explosion injuries
4. Individual and Family Nursing care
a. Holistic approach to health and health care
- Concepts of Health and Distress in the Individual and Family
- Anxiety
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
b. Concepts of Genetics
- Application of Genetics to Nursing Practice
- Care of the older adult
- Age-related changes
- Common health problems of the older adult
5. Rehabilitation in Nursing Practice
- Concepts of rehabilitation
- The rehabilitation team
- Principles of rehabilitation
- Assessment of functional ability
- Functions of rehabilitation nurse
- Rehabilitation and follow up care
- Definition of Chronic illness and Disability
- Nursing care of patients with disability
6. Pain management
- Concept of pain
- Types of pain
- Physiology/Pathophysiology of pain
- Nursing assessment of pain
- Pain management strategies
- Evaluation of pain management strategies
7. Critical care nursing
- History of critical care nursing
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- Principles, concepts and scope of critical care nursing
- Assessment of patients and diagnostic investigations
- Role of the nurse
8. Oncological nursing
- Concepts and terminologies in cell proliferation
- Types and characteristics of neoplastic disease
- Role of the nurse in prevention of neoplastic disorders
9. End-of-Life care
- Nursing and end-of-life care
- Setting for end-of-life care
- Palliative care programmes and hospice
- Nursing care and terminally ill patient
- Nursing care of patient who are close to death
- Coping with death and dying
- Professional caregiver issues
10. Infection and Disease
- Infectious Agents
- Interaction between host and Infectious agents
- The course of an infectious disease
- Types of Infection
- Clinical characteristics of Infection
- Diagnostic Procedures used in Infection
- Management of patients with an infection
