Surgical Nursing.

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume II, Issue 2, 1 April 1909, Page 51

Surgical Nursing.

QUESTIONS.

TIME : TWO HOURS AND A HAI,F. 1. How would you prepare a patient for the removal of a stone in the bladder by suprapubic cystotomy ? Describe the nursing for the first week. 2. What instruments are required in an operation for appendicitis ? How would you prepare yourself in order to assist ? 3. Describe the treatment and nursing of a case of compound fracture of the tibia. What symptoms would make you suspect sepsis ? 4. What is meant by " shock " ? Describe the symptoms, nursing and treatment. 5. Enumerate the various degrees of burns. Describe nursing and symptoms of a severe case of scald in a young child. 6. How would you prepare (1), saline for transfusion (2), turpentine enema ? COMMENTS BY EXAMINER. The answers to this paper were, with few exceptions, very satisfactory, The instructions that " answers should be brief and to the point " were, on the whole, consistently

carried out, though a good many candidates erred in the direction of too much padding. In all examinations it is a serious mistake to add extraneous details, in the hope of obtaining extra marks for a comprehensive display of knowledge. Answers must be to the point. Any unnecessary padding only results in the trial of the examiner's patience without any benefit to the candidate. Care must, however, be taken not to omit necessary details. One candidate, in answer to question I, stated that she would "sterilise the parts in the usual manner." That is carrying brevity to excess for she gives no indication of her knowledge of the subject, and she may, or may not, know the proper procedure. Generally speaking, the answers to questions I and II were the best, and those to questions IV and Vthe worst. The instruments selected for the operation for appendicitis were many and varied. Some of the candidates were evidently prepared for more than usual emergencies. It would be well for nurses to familiarise themselves with the strength of lotions used in surgical nursing, and not to depend on stock solutions used in the hospitals. One candidate remarks that she would use " boracic lotion, strength half and half," while another recommends for a saline, half an ounce of the concentrated solution to a pint of sterilised water. Such replies are too indefinite to score any marks. Lastly, mistakes in spelling were so numerous in both papers, that it is necessary to advise candidates to pay a little more attention to correct orthography.