Parenteral Nutrition (PN) Parenteral nutrition (PN) is an intravenous form of nutritional supplementation containing dextrose, amino acids, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and fluids. Lipid emulsion may be infused separately or added to the solution...

Pressure Injury Assessment and Management Approximately 2.5 million pressure-induced injuries are treated each year in acute care facilities in the United States (Berlowitz, 2024). Hospital-acquired pressure injuries are associated with pain, risk of infection, delayed recovery, increased...

Pulmonary Assessment Focused pulmonary assessment begins with a thorough health history. While doing so, carefully observe for conversational dyspnea and other symptoms. The order of examination is performed as inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation...

Quick Guide to Laboratory Values Use this convenient cheat-sheet to help you monitor laboratory values related to fluid and electrolyte status, acid-base balance and hematology. Remember, normal value ranges may vary according to techniques used in different laboratories.  

Recognizing and Managing Adult Viral Respiratory Infections Adult viral illnesses are a common cause of respiratory tract disease, with severity ranging from a mild cold to life-threatening influenza. The mechanisms by which respiratory viruses spread from person to person are variable and include...

Recognizing and Managing Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening systemic allergic reaction, typically rapid in onset with airway, breathing, or circulatory problems, and often associated with skin and mucosal changes (Cardona et al., 2020).  Anaphylaxis is usually...

Recognizing and Managing Sepsis Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Sepsis can be triggered by bacterial, viral or fungal pathogens. Septic shock is a serious complication of sepsis and is characterized by...

The Health History Always document date and time of the encounter.Include the patient’s identifying information including name, age, date of birth, and gender.Identify the source of information, whether it is the patient, a parent or family member, a...

Transporting Critically Ill Patients Critically ill patients are transported within an institution or to other hospitals to obtain additional care that is not available at the current location, such as diagnostic studies, specialized care units, or clinical expertise. Transporting...

Understanding Different Types of Pain Pain is an uncomfortable signal that something hurts. Pain intensity may vary between mild to unbearable and can significantly impact an individual’s psychosocial, emotional, and physical functioning (National Institute of Health, 2023...

Understanding Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism The thyroid gland produces and secretes hormones that regulate metabolism and body temperature, as well as promote normal growth and development in children. Disorders of thyroid function are common in primary care and a contributing factor...

Urinary Incontinence Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine significant enough to be considered a problem. It is a very common and undertreated condition affecting up to 60% of adult women (Lukacz, 2024) and up to 34% of men aged 65 and older...