Medical-surgical nursing involves the nursing care of adult patients whose conditions or disorders are treated medically/pharmacologically, or surgically • It is also defined as the diagnosis and treatment of human responses of individuals and groups to actual or potential health problems • It is the nursing care of the adults with suspected or diagnosed pathology of physiological function

These are organized bodies of knowledge to define what nursing is, what nurses do, and why they do it

Anatomic and Physiologic Overview • The nervous system consists of two divisions: Central nervous system (CNS), including the brain and spinal cord Peripheral nervous system (PNS), made up of the cranial and spinal nerves. • The peripheral nervous system can be further divided into: Somatic, or voluntary, nervous system Autonomic, or involuntary, nervous system

The health care industry, in the world, Kenya included has experienced profound changes during the past several decades. Nursing, as a health care profession and a major component of the health care delivery system, is significantly affected by shifts in the health care industry. In addition, nursing has been and will continue to be an important force in shaping the future of the health care system.

• A nurse who wishes to be an effective caregiver must first learn how to communicate effectively. • Good communication skills enable nurses to get to know their patients, take history, diagnose, plan and meet their needs for nursing care. • To adequately document the patient’s health history, communication techniques are important. • Communication skills are therefore the building blocks of professional relationships between nurse and client, and the nurse and co- workers. • Good skills help in exchange of ideas to facilitate problem solving.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition where airways become inflamed thus they narrow, swell and produce extra mucus causing difficulty in breathing, recurring episodes of wheezing , chest tightness and coughing.

A burn is an injury to the skin or any other organ tissue, primarily caused by exposure to heat, radiation, electricity, excess friction and contact with chemicals. • Young children especially those less than 5 years of age are at a high risk for burns and have the highest mortality rate among the paediatric population (burns are the leading cause of death from unintentional injury among children, 1- 4 years). • Most burn related injuries in children result in death; extensive burns, however, can result in serious body deformation and disfigurement • Carbon monoxide poisoning often occurs in conjunction with burns, children and infants being at a greater risk as compared to adults.

The word nursing is defined from a Greek word nutricia which means to nurture or nourish. Virginia Henderson in 1966 defined Nursing as an art of assisting an individual sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to peaceful death) that he/she would perform unaided if he/she had the necessary strength, will and knowledge. Nursing may also be described as use of clinical judgment in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death (Royal college of Nursing, 2003). EVOLUTION OF NURSING. To understand the current status of nursing it is necessary to have a base of the historical knowledge about the profession. By learning from historical role models, nurses can enhance their abilities to create positive change in the present and the future. They can also appreciate the advancements of the profession. The historical background of nursing may be divided into four main phases.

Pedia – Means Child • Iatrike means treatment • Ics means branch of science. Branch of medical science that deals with the care of children from conception to adolescence in health and illness. It is concerned with preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative care of children. The specialized area of nursing practice concerning the care of children during wellness and illness. It includes preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative care of children. Involves giving assistance, care and support to the growing and developing children to achieve their individual potential for functioning with fullest capacity.

Nursing process, as a problem solving method, is a discipline specific version of critical thinking. Traditionally, nurses have used a problem solving approach in planning and providing nursing care. Today the decision-making part of problem solving has become increasingly complex and requires critical thinking. Nursing process is a systematic rational method of planning and providing individualized quality nursing care to an Individual, Family and Community. It provides a systematic guide or method to assist nurses and students to develop a style of thinking that leads to appropriate clinical judgment.