Nursing Studies - Health and Safety, Movement and Exercise

Ensuring adequate health and safety is vital in the healthcare setting to prevent the spread of pathogens and to protect both the nursing professional and their patients. This free online nursing course provides the learner with an overview of important health and safety guidelines that aid in the prevention and transmission of human immunodeficiency virus and blood-borne pathogens. Other key elements of the course focus on good body mechanics that demonstrate the importance of correct posture and body alignment for lifting heavy objects or when moving patients or materials from one location to another. Ambulating the patient is one of the tasks the nursing professional performs regularly to assist the recovery process and ensure patient comfort, sleep, and relaxation when bed bound. The type and range of positions are outlined, together with procedures to apply when positioning and turning adult patients with specific spinal or surgical conditions. Range-of-motion exercises introduce the learner to the challenges presented by immobility, the impact on the patient’s overall body system, and the resulting psychosocial effects. The purpose, type, and time of exercises are discussed with guidelines for planning the appropriate range-of-motion exercises, the possible contraindications and the importance of documenting a patient’s progress. This free online nursing course will be of great interest to all healthcare professionals who would like to learn more about good nursing practices and techniques that help protect and maintain the health and safety of both nursing professional and patient in any healthcare setting.