Step-by-Step Guide to Applying Splints & Casts

Learn the procedures, steps, risks, and requirements for applying splints and casts. A cast or splint is used to immobilize a limb or joint. Casts and splints hold bones that have been reset in place while they heal. In addition, casts or splints may support damaged joints, usually after surgery. Splints are not traditionally used […]

Step-by-Step Guide to Ear Irrigation

Learn the procedures, steps, risks, and requirements for performing ear irrigation. Our bodies produce ear wax, clinically known as cerumen, to clean and protect the ear. Wax works in concert with the tiny hairs in the ears to trap dust and other foreign particles that could damage the deeper structures in the ear, such as […]

Step-by-Step Guide to Stitches

Learn the procedures, steps, risks, and requirements of placing & removing sutures. If a wound or incision is large, you’ll need sutures to close it. There are different types of sutures and techniques for closing a wound. The words “sutures” and “stitches” are often used interchangeably, but that’s inaccurate. A suture is the actual medical […]

Step-by-Step Guide to Patient Education & Counseling

Learn the procedures and methods involved with patient education and counseling. In the healthcare universe, nurses usually have the most interaction with patients. They are often the point of contact between the hospital/medical team and the patient. As such, they have a crucial role in patient education and counseling. This is much more than “How […]

Step-by-Step Master’s Guide to Tracheostomy Care

Learn the procedures, risks, and requirements of tracheostomy care. When a patient’s breathing is either blocked or severely reduced, it may be necessary to perform a tracheostomy to deliver oxygen directly to the lungs through a hole in the neck. The entry hole and breathing tube are known as tracheostomy. While a surgeon performs the […]

Step-by-Step Master’s Guide to Blood Transfusions

Learn the procedures, risks, and requirements of blood transfusions. Whether a patient has lost blood during surgery or injury or an illness is preventing the proper production of blood, a blood transfusion can correct the situation. A transfusion introduces donated blood into the patient’s circulatory system. Blood transfusions are safe and rarely involve complications. As a […]