Fast Facts for the Medical-Surgical Nurse: Clinical Orientation in a Nutshell

Written for registered nurses in orientation, this concise, user-friendly resource provides a complete picture of all components of excellent patient care on a busy medical-surgical nursing unit. It covers assessment, key clinical skills/procedures, and documentation of care in an easily digestible, bulleted format. Time-tested guidance about new nurse orientation to professional practice includes "proven pearls for success." Content is current and evidence-based, and reinforces previously mastered skills in "key points to remember" sections. The theme of "the big picture" of patient care is a consistent thread throughout.

Clinical chapters√>=organized by body system for easy reference--present common conditions seen in medical-surgical nursing and unit emergencies, along with focused assessments, lab work overview, related procedures and skills, a documentation guide, and common medications including those for pain management. Chapters also cover pre-operative and post-operative care for all conditions. Several "must-have sections" include an orientation guide describing what new nurses can expect as they embrace their new role. This section addresses co-workers and supervisors, finding a mentor, hourly rounding, HIPAA reminders, and telephone skills/customer relations. Another section is devoted to all aspects of infection control, and an appendix provides a wealth of resources and supporting information of particular value to the new nurse.

• Provides concise, user-friendly, evidence-based guidance about the "whole picture" of nursing on a medical-surgical or sub-acute unit
• Presents a unique orientation section offering "proven pearls for success"
• Contains focused assessment guides, skills overview, documentation tips, and medications for common medical-surgical conditions and emergencies
• Addresses pre- and post-operative care and pain control
• Covers important protocols regarding infection control

Maggie Ciocco, MS, RN, BC is currently a nursing program advisor. She has over 25 years of experience in nursing education, including as a preceptor, mentor, staff development instructor, orientation coordinator, nursing lab instructor, and clinical instructor. Ms. Ciocco received her master of science in nursing from Syracuse University, her bachelor of science in nursing from Seton Hall University and her associate degree from Ocean County College in Toms River, New Jersey. She has been an American Nurses Credentialing Center board-certified medical-surgical nurse for over 20 years. Throughout her years as an educator, she has established preceptorship programs in acute, subacute, and long-term care settings. She is a member of the National League for Nursing. Ms. Ciocco was awarded the Sigma Theta Tau-Lambda Delta chapter Hannelore Sweetwood Mentor of the Year award in 2012. She is the author of Fast Facts for the Medical-Surgical Nurse: Clinical Orientation in a Nutshell, published by Springer Publishing Company in 2014.