Common Emergency Patient Presentations

Week 1 - Triage Assessment of the Trauma Patient and Stabilisation of the Emergency Patient

• Carrying out an effective triage assessment and the RVN's role
• Major body system assessment
• Approach to dysfunction of the cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological systems
• Practical considerations for managing the emergency patient stabilisation

Learning outcomes:

• Correctly identify a patient with dysfunction of a major body system
• Confidently triage and assess an emergency patient
• Recognise the approach to dysfunction of different major body systems and stabilisation techniques utilised for emergency patients
• Appreciate specific nursing considerations for the emergency presentation

Week 2 - Urethral Obstruction

• Identification of the patient with urethral obstruction
• Stabilisation techniques
• Evidence-based discussion on emergency management, fluid types and analgesia options.

Learning outcomes:

• Participate in case based discussions
• Identify the patient’s condition and the pathophysiology alongside potential complicating factors such as co-morbidities
• Understand how to correct fluid deficits and identifying the difference between hypovolemia and dehydration
• Participate in acid-base and electrolyte discussions, including how to address hypo and hyperkalemia
• Appreciate the specific nursing considerations for patients with urethral obstruction

Week 3 - Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• Presentation and initial emergency management
• Acid base balance and electrolyte abnormalities
• Pathophysiology of diabetic ketoacidosis and complicating factors

Learning outcomes:

• Participate in case based discussions
• Identify the patient’s condition and the pathophysiology alongside potential complicating factors such as co-morbidities
• Understand how to correct fluid deficits and identifying the difference between hypovolemia and dehydration
• Participate in acid-base and electrolyte discussions, including how to address hypo and hyperkalemia
• Appreciate the specific nursing considerations for patients with DKA

Week 4 - The Acute Abdomen: Surgical Cases

• Pre-anaesthesia stabilisation and assessment
• Analgesia choices in the critically ill patient
• Peri-operative and recovery periods
• Nursing specific concerns post operatively

Learning outcomes:

• Develop a pre-anesthetic plan and discuss suitable stabilisation as well as attribute an ASA score
• Complete with confidence a surgical checklist and identify areas of concern
• Understand analgesia choices, the options we have including CRIS, local and regional techniques
• Engage in cased based presentations, including abdominal foreign bodies and gastric dilatation and volvulus

Week 5 - The Acute Abdomen: Non-Surgical Cases

• Analgesia and pain scoring
• Non-surgical versus surgical patients
• SIRS and DIC
• Nutritional support

Learning outcomes:

• Understand pain scoring and the importance of using validated methods
• Understand analgesia choices, the options we have including CRIS, local and regional techniques
• How to decide if a patient is surgical or non-surgical, especially in the case of traumatic haemoabdomen
• Understand the pathophysiology behind systemic inflammatory response syndromes and disseminated intravascular coagulation and how to identify the early indications of development of these syndromes

Week 6 - Acute Gastrointestinal Disease

• Haemorrhagic gastroenteritis including
  parvovirus
• Fluid therapy
• Antibiosis

Learning outcomes:

• Identify appropriate approaches to fluid replacement including discussion of the use of crystalloids and colloids in the patient with AHDS
• Appreciate the importance of nutrition in the patient with acute gastro-intestinal disease and how we can provide that
• Potential complications that may occur, including sepsis
• Rational use of antibiotics using evidence bases

The course will be fully tutored by Kath Howie and will consist of 15 hours of CPD given in various formats, including tutorials, tasks, case scenarios, forum discussions and quizzes.

For some further information about our Online Tutored CPD courses - please open the guide below:

ONLINE TUTORED CPD COURSES - PDF GUIDE