Course description

This module aims to explain the physiological mechanisms for maintaining a normal or optimum body temperature, and the factors that can positively or adversely affect this. The module discusses why measuring and recording the body temperature of patients is important to nursing care, and presents methods of doing this.

Don't forget that you do not have to complete our two-hour learning modules all in one go. Tailor your learning to fit into your busy schedule by undertaking one or two sections at a time. You can stop and save your learning at any point and pick up where you left off when you return.

Learning aims and intended outcomes

• Describe the factors involved in maintaining body temperature
• Discuss the importance of monitoring a patient's temperature accurately
• Evaluate the different ways of monitoring a patient's temperature in relation to evidence-based practice
• Identify patients who are at risk of developing hypothermia or hyperpyrexia, and the actions that can be taken to minimise the risk of these two conditions
• Outline the nursing interventions that can be used to make patients who have an altered body temperature feel more comfortable
• Discuss the link between professional accountability and the accurate recording of clinical observations