Healthcare-Acquired Infections: Surgical Site Infections (SSI) for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Master
To Master a topic you must score > 80% on the lesson quiz.
Included In This Lesson
NURSING.com students have a 99.25% NCLEX pass rate.
Outline
Healthcare-Acquired Infections: Surgical Site Infections (SSI)
Definition/Etiology:
- SSI- infection to the surgical site
Pathophysiology:
- Opening in skin = access
Noticing: Assessment & Recognizing Cues:
- Prevention
- Clean site prior to surgery
- Cleanse site (per policy/provider)
- Assessment
- Increased temp
- Surgical site red
- Painful
- Swollen
- Drainage from the surgical site
Interpreting: Analyzing & Planning:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
- Basic/Complete Metabolic Panel (BMP)
- Find/confirm the source of infection
- Culture fluid (surgical site)
Responding: Patient Interventions & Taking Action:
- Antibiotics
- IV fluids
- Prevent sepsis!
Reflecting: Evaluating Patient Outcomes:
- Patient improvement:
- S/S decline
- Decreased temp
- Continued treatment:
- Abx
Linchpins (Key Points):
- An infection is an infection. How do we prevent it?
- Infection: inflammatory response
- SSI-specific: Surgical site is affected (s/s)
- Prevent: Prevent SSI
- Treat: Treat with abx; prevent sepsis
Unlock the Complete Study System
Used by 300,000+ nursing students. 99.25% NCLEX pass rate.
- ✓Full lesson outlines
- ✓NCLEX simulator (SIMCLEX)
- ✓6,500+ practice questions
- ✓2,000+ lesson videos
- ✓300+ cheatsheets
200% NCLEX Pass Guarantee.
No Contract. Cancel Anytime.
Transcript
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2010). Surgical site infection (SSI). https://www.cdc.gov/hai/ssi/ssi.html.
Study Faster with Full Video Transcripts
99.25% NCLEX Pass Rate vs 88.8% National Average
- ✓Full lesson outlines
- ✓NCLEX simulator (SIMCLEX)
- ✓6,500+ practice questions
- ✓2,000+ lesson videos
- ✓300+ cheatsheets
200% NCLEX Pass Guarantee.
No Contract. Cancel Anytime.
Adaptive Brain SIMCLEX Study Plan – 14 Sep 2026
Concepts Covered:
- Disorders of the Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands
- Male Reproductive Disorders
- Communication
- Perioperative Nursing Roles
- Postoperative Nursing
- Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
- Basics of NCLEX
- Urinary Disorders
- Shock
- Intraoperative Nursing
- Urinary System
- Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
- Vascular Disorders
- Respiratory Emergencies
Study Plan Lessons
Nursing Care Plan (NCP) for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Nursing Care Plan (NCP) for Epididymitis
Patient Communication Techniques for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Patient Status Communication for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Wound Classification for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Conflict Management (Patient, Perioperative Team, Family) for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Wound Dressing Maintenance for Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
Caring Practices for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Healthcare-Acquired Infections: Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CAUTI) for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Sepsis for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Healthcare-Acquired Infections: Surgical Site Infections (SSI) for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Electrolyte Imbalances for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Hypertension (Uncontrolled) and Hypertensive Crisis for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Vascular Disease for Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)