NU142CL Unit 7 Procedure Note Example

Course	NU142CL Medical-Surgical Nursing I Clinical
Unit	Unit 7
Paper type	Procedure note
Length	About 600 words, 5 pages double-spaced
Format	APA 7 student paper
School	Purdue University Global
Program	BSN (prelicensure)
Updated	October 2026

Free sample paper for NU142CL Unit 7

Thirty-Five Milliliters, Serosanguineous, Bulb Recompressed: A Procedure Note for Emptying and Assessing a Closed-Suction Drain After Mastectomy for a Composite 54-Year-Old Woman, Written So the Next Reading Can Be Compared

[Student Name]

Purdue University Global

NU142CL: Medical-Surgical Nursing I Clinical

Unit 7 Procedure Note

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The patient is composite; values are bracketed where illustrative, and the facility's procedure and the surgeon's orders govern.

What this part is doingEvery element of the note is recorded in a form the next nurse can compare, which is how a procedure note earns its marks.

The Procedure in Brief

A closed-suction drain removes fluid from the space under the skin after surgery so that it does not collect and form a seroma. Its soft bulb creates suction when squeezed flat and capped. Emptying it involves hand hygiene and gloves, unplugging the port, pouring the fluid into a measuring container, cleaning the port, squeezing the bulb flat and replugging it while compressed, then securing the tubing (Potter et al., 2023).

The Note

Date and time: [day 1, 0800]. Drain: one closed-suction bulb drain, left chest wall, lateral to the incision, labeled drain 1. Output since last emptied at [2000]: [35] mL. Character: serosanguineous, pink-tinged and thin, no clots, no odor. Yesterday evening's output was [60] mL, darker red. Insertion site: skin edges intact, small amount of dried drainage under the dressing, no redness beyond [2] mm, no swelling, no leakage around the tube. Tubing: patent, no kinks; milked gently from the site toward the bulb to move a small fibrin strand, per order. Suction: bulb compressed and recapped; remained flat after five minutes, confirming suction. Securement: tubing pinned to her surgical bra below the bulb level to prevent pulling. Patient: pain [3] out of 10 at the drain site; no fever, temperature [37.1] C. Teaching: she watched the procedure, emptied the bulb herself with guidance, and recorded the volume in her home log. Output totals entered on the intake and output record.

The note states not just today's volume but last evening's, so the falling trend and the lightening color are visible without opening another page.

Why Each Element Is There

Volume and the time since last emptying let the next nurse calculate a rate rather than guess. Color and character show the expected change from bloody to serosanguineous to serous; a return to bright red, sudden increase or cloudy, foul-smelling drainage would suggest bleeding or infection and must be reported (Harding et al., 2023). The site description catches early infection, whose signs at a surgical site include redness, warmth, swelling and purulent drainage (Mangram et al., 1999). Confirming that the bulb stayed compressed matters because a bulb that re-expands has lost suction, often from a leak, and will not drain. Securement prevents accidental removal. Recording her teaching progress supports discharge, since many patients go home with drains and must measure output daily until the surgeon removes the drain, often when output falls below about [30] mL a day.

What this part is doingThe rationale section ties each element to a decision it supports, such as when the drain can come out.

Common Gaps in Drain Notes

Notes that say only "drain emptied, 35 mL" give the following nurse no way to judge whether the drainage is changing color, whether suction was restored or whether the site is healthy. Another frequent gap is recording a volume without the time since the last emptying, so a rate cannot be calculated. Some notes forget to say which drain was emptied when a patient has more than one. Labeling the drain, timing the interval, describing color and site, and confirming suction close those gaps in a few extra words.

What Would Prompt a Call

More than [100] mL in an hour, bright red drainage, a bulb that will not stay compressed after troubleshooting, fever, or spreading redness at the site.

References

Harding, M. M., Kwong, J., Hagler, D., & Reinisch, C. (2023). Lewis's medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems (12th ed.). Elsevier.

Mangram, A. J., Horan, T. C., Pearson, M. L., Silver, L. C., Jarvis, W. R., & The Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. (1999). Guideline for prevention of surgical site infection, 1999. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 20(4), 247-280. https://doi.org/10.1086/501620

Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Stockert, P. A., & Hall, A. M. (2023). Fundamentals of nursing (11th ed.). Elsevier.

The Purdue Global NU142CL Unit 7 instructions

Unit 7 usually asks for a written record of one bedside procedure, judged on whether the next nurse can compare a new reading against it and see the change. Prompts commonly want the procedure briefly described, a note with every finding recorded in measurable terms, an explanation of why each element matters and the thresholds for reporting. Instructors look for volume with the time interval, color and character, the condition of the site and equipment, confirmation that the device works after the procedure and any teaching given. Recording the previous reading beside the current one shows the trend directly. Procedure details should follow facility policy, which governs technique.

Inside the NU142CL Unit 7 example

The note opens with a short description of what a closed-suction drain does and how it is emptied, citing the fundamentals text. The note itself follows as a list of labeled entries: date and time, drain label, output since the last emptying, character compared with the previous evening, site, tubing, suction check, securement, the patient's comfort and her teaching progress, with the highlighted line on recording both readings. A rationale section ties each element to a decision, citing the medical-surgical text and surgical infection guidance, with a margin note on drain removal. A section lists common gaps in drain notes, and the closing list names findings that prompt a call.

Where the points sit in the NU142CL Unit 7 rubric

Procedure notes in NU 142CL are scored on completeness, measurability, comparability and safety. Completeness credit requires every element that the next nurse needs, from drain label to securement. Measurability rewards volumes with time intervals, sizes and specific descriptions of color and character. Comparability is weighted heavily, since a note earns its marks when the next reading can be set beside it and a trend seen; recording the prior value helps. Safety points go to confirming the device works after the procedure and stating thresholds for calling the provider. Teaching progress, cited sources in APA 7 and concise wording complete the expectations for a strong note. A note that a nurse on the next shift could use without asking you anything meets the standard.

NU142CL Unit 7 help from the desk

Drain notes often say only that a drain was emptied with a volume, leaving out the interval, color, site and whether suction was restored. Another frequent gap is failing to label which drain was emptied when there is more than one. Some notes describe drainage as normal or moderate, words no later reading can be measured against. Many omit teaching, though patients often go home with drains. Label the drain, state the volume with the time since the last emptying, describe color and character, assess the site and tubing, confirm the bulb stays compressed, record the prior reading, note teaching and list what would make you call.

Get an NU142CL Unit 7 example written to your instructions

Tell us which procedure your Unit 7 note must document, a drain, a wound dressing or a catheter, and name the documentation format required. A blank form and the rubric help too. The sample documents a composite version with quantities bracketed and review lines left empty. Your first custom sample is free, normally ready in 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.

More NU142CL papers and BSN samples

NU142CL Unit 7 questions, answered

Where can I find a free NU142CL Unit 7 sample paper?

This page presents the full NU142CL Unit 7 procedure note for a closed-suction drain after mastectomy, with each element, the rationale behind it, common gaps and the findings that prompt a call, with three references. Tell us the procedure you performed and we can help document it.

What should a drain note include in NU142CL Unit 7?

The drain label, output volume and time since last emptying, color and character, site condition, tubing patency, confirmation that suction was restored, securement, patient comfort and any teaching.

Why record the previous drain output?

Placing last evening's volume and color beside today's lets the next nurse see the trend at a glance, such as falling volume and lightening color, without searching other pages.

How do you know a bulb drain has suction?

After emptying, the bulb is squeezed flat and capped. If it stays compressed after several minutes, suction is working; if it re-expands, there is likely a leak.

When can a surgical drain usually come out?

Often when output falls below about 30 mL a day, as the surgeon directs. Patients going home with drains measure and record output daily until then.