INTRODUCTION A patient is not a passive object on which we perform nursing care procedures. A patient should never be thought of, or discussed, as merely a condition or injury. It is not acceptable to think of, or refer to, your patient as "the gallbladder" or "the fractured hip" or "the bleeding ulcer." A patient is much more than the condition that brought him to the hospital. A patient is a human being, possessing physical and emotional needs and wants.

The relationship between the patient and the nursing staff is extremely dynamic and personal. The patient places his trust in the nursing staff and they, in return, must utilize all their knowledge and skills to ensure the patient's well-being and assist in his return to good health and independence. This is accomplished by developing a therapeutic relationship between the patient, his family, and the health care professionals.

The nursing paraprofessional relates very closely with the patient and his family by virtue of his participation in providing nursing care and his presence at the bedside. It is often the nursing paraprofessional who makes the initial observation that something is not as it should be. Nursing paraprofessionals who are responsible, educated, and observant are assets to the therapeutic environment necessary for patient recovery. To help foster this therapeutic environment, the nursing paraprofessional must do the following:

-Assess the patient's ability to express himself.

-Assess the patient's mechanisms for coping.

-Assess the patient's level of understanding about his condition and the teaching provided by the health care professionals.

-Assist the patient to establish a trusting relationship with the health care providers.

-Utilize the nursing process to provide the best possible care.

-Continue to pursue his own education in order to sustain and enhance professional knowledge and skills.

The purpose of this subcourse is to enhance your knowledge of medical surgical nursing care related to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and the role of the nursing paraprofessional in providing that care.

Subcourse Components:

This subcourse consists of 2 lessons and an examination. The lessons are:

Lesson 1, Nursing Care Related to the Cardiovascular System.

Lesson 2, Nursing Care Related to the Respiratory System.

Students who desire credit hours for this correspondence subcourse must meet eligibility requirements and must enroll through the Nonresident Instruction Branch of the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School (AMEDDC&S). Examination Answer Sheets and Student Comment Forms are available by downloading the original correspondence course manual and printing the forms from it. The manual is available here.

Credit Awarded:

Upon successful completion of this subcourse, you will be awarded 12 credit hours.

Lesson Materials Furnished:

Lesson materials provided include this booklet, an examination answer sheet, and an envelope. Answer sheets are not provided for individual lessons in this subcourse because you are to grade your own lessons. Exercises and solutions for all lessons are contained in this booklet. You must furnish a #2 pencil.

Study Suggestions:

Here are some suggestions that may be helpful to you in completing this subcourse:

--Read and study each lesson carefully.

--Complete the subcourse lesson by lesson. After completing each lesson, work the exercises at the end of the lesson, marking your answers in this booklet.

--After completing each set of lesson exercises, compare your answers with those on the solution sheet that follows the exercises. If you have answered an exercise incorrectly, check the reference cited after the answer on the solution sheet to determine why your response was not the correct one.

--As you successfully complete each lesson, go on to the next. When you have completed all of the lessons, complete the examination, marking your answers in this booklet. Then, transfer your responses to the examination answer sheet.