Nursing Faculty Resources

In an average workday, healthcare workers are required to stand or sit for long periods of time and lift heavy, cumbersome weight, often non-ambulatory patients, sometimes in awkward positions or in confined spaces such as bathrooms. As a result, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that healthcare workers have the highest rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of all occupations. This series helps healthcare workers protect themselves from these injuries through an understanding of basic body mechanics, leverage, balance and the force of gravity to help move more safely, and through the use of lifting strategies and assistive devices to prevent injury. Overview: This program demonstrates and describes the mechanics of lifting and moving weight, including using appropriate muscle groups, using the center of gravity, and balance. Objectives: After completing this course, the learner should be able to: Identify muscle groups typically used in lifting and moving weight Describe three components of the mechanical principles of lifting and moving Describe the body mechanics involved with sitting. (Medcom, c. 2012. 13:09 min)

In an average workday, healthcare workers are required to stand or sit for long periods of time and lift heavy, cumbersome weight, often non-ambulatory patients, sometimes in awkward positions or in confined spaces such as bathrooms. As a result, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that healthcare workers have the highest rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of all occupations. This series helps healthcare workers protect themselves from these injuries through an understanding of basic body mechanics, leverage, balance and the force of gravity to help move more safely, and through the use of lifting strategies and assistive devices to prevent injury. Overview: This program demonstrates and describes ways healthcare workers can maintain their own safety and avoid injury when they move, turn, and ambulate patients, and when to obtain the assistance of another person or a lifting device. Objectives: After completing this course, the learner should be able to: Assess and plan patient moves Safely move a patient confined to a bed with and without a lift sheet Safely transfer a patient to a chair and wheelchair Safely ambulate with a patient Safely assist a falling patient to the ground Describe when to use a lifting device. (Medcom, c. 2012. 14:55 min)

Explains the concepts and principles of range of motion exercises, and describes the necessary steps involved in planning an individualized exercise program. Exercises for all the major body joints are demonstrated in supine, prone and side-laying positions. (Medcom, c. 1993. 22:50 min.)

Causing systemic problems in both acute and chronic health care settings, pressure ulcers and skin breakdown also severely impact individual patients, both emotionally and physically. However, with the help of proper medical procedures, neither ailment should be considered inevitable. This program outlines risk factors contributing to pressure ulcers and skin breakdown, highlights preventative measures for maintaining skin integrity, and suggests strategies for early intervention and treatment. Viewers receive information on commonly affected body areas; typical causes, such as immobility, friction, shearing forces, and moisture; and effective positioning, turning, cushioning, nutritional, and hygienic methods. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (18 minutes)

This program demonstrates and describes the procedures for making a patient bed in a clinical setting. Making the occupied patient bed and the unoccupied patient bed are shown. Related issues regarding patient safety and comfort, infection control, and documentation are discussed. (Medcom, c. 2002.)

Personal care and grooming are important factors in maintaining health and controlling infection. A person's sense of dignity and of self-worth may be directly related to cleanliness and good grooming. As a care provider, you may be responsible for the personal care and personal hygiene for persons who are not capable of doing these things for themselves. Assisting with personal care is an important part of "morning care." This program demonstrates the proper techniques for: Cleaning and Trimming Nails, Shaving the Beard, Assisting with Hair and Makeup, Assisting with Dressing, Dressing When an IV Catheter is in Place.(Medcom, c. 2008. 20:06 min)

The bed bath is an important part of the individualized care many patients receive while hospitalized, and is one of the basic skills all nurses must know. The bed bath not only helps keep the patient clean but also: Maintains healthy skin by providing stimulation and increasing circulation. Provides the patient with mild exercise. Provides an opportunity for close observation of any skin condition. The time spent giving a bed bath is ideal for assessing the condition of the patient's skin, interacting with the patient and providing important emotional support. (Medcom, c. 2011. 22:18 min.)

Cleanliness is extremely important for the physical and emotional well-being of an individual who is dependent upon caregivers. Bathing provides the resident with mild exercise, provides an opportunity for close observation of skin condition and enhances circulation. Medcom’s classic Nursing Assistant program on bathing has been revised and updated to be more convenient to use, more concise and easier to understand. Bathing skills are now presented in two shorter programs to make education more flexible and convenient. And, learning retention is enhanced by clearly identifying each of the three stages of a procedure: preparation, the procedure itself, and completing care. In addition, these programs have been updated to demonstrate the performance of nursing assistant skills as described by the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP™). (Medcom, c. 2010. 14:11 min)

Oral care should be provided on a daily basis to all those who are in any form of nursing care. The purpose of oral hygiene is to keep the mouth, teeth, gums, and tongue healthy. Poor mouth care can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and a lack of appetite. Providing oral care is an important skill that not only maintains resident health, but also preserves dignity and self-worth. The purpose of oral hygiene is to keep the mouth, teeth, gums, and tongue healthy. Poor mouth care can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and a lack of appetite. This program will help develop the skills needed to provide quality oral care by demonstrating the proper techniques for providing the following: Assisted oral care, Denture care, Oral care for the unconscious resident. (Medcom, c. 2008. 11:15 min)

Personal care and grooming are important factors in maintaining health and controlling infection. A person's sense of dignity and of self-worth may be directly related to cleanliness and good grooming. As a care provider, you may be responsible for the personal care and personal hygiene for persons who are not capable of doing these things for themselves. Assisting with personal care is an important part of "morning care." This program demonstrates the proper techniques for: Cleaning and Trimming Nails, Shaving the Beard, Assisting with Hair and Makeup, Assisting with Dressing, Dressing When an IV Catheter is in Place.(Medcom, c. 2008. 20:06 min)

Providing meals in long term care can be a labor intensive and time consuming process. In response to this, the Feeding Assistant position has been developed as a means of maximizing skilled staff potential while continuing to provide a high quality of care to residents. This program provides fundamental training to feeding assistants and demonstrates the basic skills of serving a meal to an independently eating person, and feeding a dependent person. (Medcom, c. 2004. 12:05 min)

This program discusses the prediction, prevention, and early intervention of pressure ulcers and details the stages of pressure ulcer development. It features graphics of each stage of pressure ulcers, outlines risk factors for pressure ulcer development, and emphasizes the importance of proper nutrition to pressure ulcer healing. (NEVCO, c. 1994, 2001, 19:47 min)

The measurement of vital signs - including temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure and an assessment of pain - is performed routinely in every healthcare setting. Evaluations of these findings through comparison with previous measurements can indicate important changes in physical and/or emotional conditions. Measuring vital signs is a fundamental clinical skill that every nurse need to master to provide competent patient care. Medcom's two-part Measuring Vital Signs series has been updated to provide a fresh look at mastering these basic skills. The series explains the clinical significance of measuring these health indicators, and demonstrates the correct techniques for: . Measure temperature . Measure pulse rate . Measure respiration rate . Measure blood pressure . Make a pain assessment OVERVIEW: This first of two programs on measuring vital signs, demonstrates and describes the techniques used to accurately measure temperature, pulse and respiration in a patient. Measurement of temperature is demonstrated using a variety of thermometers emphasizing the use of electronic, aural (tympanic), and temporal thermometers. Techniques and sites used for measuring the pulse are shown, and assessment of the rate, depth, rhythm and quality of respiration is demonstrated.(Cypress, CA: Medcom, 2017), 20 mins

Watch Blood Pressure segment. The measurement of vital signs - including temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure and an assessment of pain - is performed routinely in every healthcare setting. Evaluations of these findings through comparison with previous measurements can indicate important changes in physical and/or emotional conditions. Measuring vital signs is a fundamental clinical skill that every nurse need to master to provide competent patient care. Medcom's two-part Measuring Vital Signs series has been updated to provide a fresh look at mastering these basic skills. The series explains the clinical significance of measuring these health indicators, and demonstrates the correct techniques for: . Measure temperature . Measure pulse rate . Measure respiration rate . Measure blood pressure . Make a pain assessment OVERVIEW: This second of two programs on measuring vital signs demonstrates and describes the techniques used to accurately measure blood pressure and assess pain. (Cypress, CA: Medcom, 2017), 17 mins

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 received significant changes made to it as a part of the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009." Medcom's three-part series "HIPAA for Healthcare Workers" has been updated to reflect these changes. (Medcom, c. 2010. 13:48 min)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 received significant changes made to it as a part of the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009." Medcom's three-part series "HIPAA for Healthcare Workers" has been updated to reflect these changes. (Medcom, c. 2010. 14:06 min)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 received significant changes made to it as a part of the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009." Medcom's three-part series "HIPAA for Healthcare Workers" has been updated to reflect these changes. (Medcom, c. 2010. 14:04 min)

Protecting personal health information is not only the law, but also an ethical and moral obligation of all healthcare professionals. This program will concentrate on HIPAA Title II, the Administrative Simplification section of HIPAA. This regulation focuses on two things: the security and privacy of protected health information and the national standards for its transfer. (Medcom, c. 2015, 14:45min)

Confidentiality is the foundation for trust in the patient-caregiver relationship. Efforts to maintain and protect confidential information once focused solely on paper medical records. But as communication technology has made it possible to easily store and transmit enormous amounts of medical information through computerized databases, fax machines, and the internet, there is an increased danger that confidential information may be revealed to inappropriate individuals. (Medcom, c. 2015 17:22min.)

Nurses are required to protect the confidentiality of patient healthcare and personal information as part of their professional duties. Not only is this required by federal law, but it is foundational to the trust in a patient-caregiver relationship. However, it is not always easy to know precisely what to do in every situation. To help learners think through and prepare for these situations, this program presents a number of scenarios, in a variety of nursing situations, and asks the learner to use critical thinking skills to decide if the correct decision about confidentiality is being made in each case. (Medcom, c.2015, 14:14min.)

As we age, we can expect changes to occur in the systems that make up the human body. Although exactly what kinds of changes will take place and when vary greatly with each individual, aging is inescapable - a part of the continuum of life. While some changes are easy to accept, we may find other changes disturbing. Especially when we see them in our loved ones. Learning about normal age-related changes will both help alleviate anxiety you may have and more importantly, help you provide better care for your loved one by being able to understand and communicate better with them and their healthcare team. (Medcom, c. 2002. 29:32 min)

Cognitive impairment can be caused by a variety of conditions, commonly Alzheimer's Disease, multi-infarct dementia, and post-traumatic brain injury. This program describes how symptomatic conditions such as impaired awareness, memory, mood, and judgment affect providing care. Specific strategies for providing care to patients with dementia are demonstrated in an acute care setting, and the assessment of critical areas is discussed including: communication, patient comfort, daily caregiving issues, discharge planning, and follow up. (Cypress, CA: Medcom, 2017), 19 mins

Medcom, 2012. 36 min. This video concentrates on those portions of a total assessment that are commonly performed in a clinical setting. It describes a functional assessment, and demonstrates a step-by step physical assessment, identifying steps that may differ in evaluating the health status of an older adult. It also provides a brief overview on mental status assessment as well as the importance of an inventory of medications.

Medcom, 2013. 23 min. This program describes commonly used approaches to documentation, a review of the basic data to record in patient records, and practice guidelines to follow that protect patient privacy, comply with federal regulations and protect the nurse against potential legal actions.

Medcom, 2015. 27 min. The Nursing Process is an essential decision-making system used by nurses to meet the healthcare needs of patients. It can be used in any setting and it allows for specific, individualized and holistic activities that promote the patient’s return to optimum health. This program provides a description of each of the five steps of the nursing process, and demonstrates their application in a realistic patient case scenario.

Medcom (2007) 20 min. This program, the first of a three part series, provides nursing students, new nurses, and others with the fundamental information they need to begin building their understanding of the role fluids and electrolytes play in the health of a body.This program describes: . The basics of fluid balance . The basics of electrolyte balance . The main electrolytes in the body . Acid-base balance in the human body

Medcom (2015) 22 min. Fluid volume balance is a crucial measure of the state of a patient's health. The body is constantly losing water through the skin, kidneys, lungs and GI tract. As fluid enters and exits, the simple amount of fluids in the body must remain in balance. This program will introduce various forms of fluid volume imbalances, the conditions that cause them and nursing interventions to correct them.

Medcom, (2015) 22 min. Body fluids are filled with dissolved salts and minerals called electrolytes that are ionized with an electrical charge. The electrolyte balance in the body's fluids is absolutely crucial to many body processes, and imbalances can cause pathological conditions and even be life threatening. This program will discuss imbalances in some of the main electrolytes in the body