This online course aims to improve your confidence in managing neurological patients. We will aim to equip you with the knowledge and skills required to apply clinical reasoning skills to important neurological problems that present in small animal practice. Not only will you develop and strengthen your problem-solving skills in nursing neurological patients, you will also become more confident in identifying abnormalities seen during hospitalisation that might benefit from a prompt action.

Week 1
The Neurological Exam  - What do I need to know?

• Neurology pathways and anatomy
• The neurological examination
• Interpretation and differential diagnoses

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants:

• Understand the anatomy of the neurology system that can be apply to nursing the neurological patient.
• Understand the normal function of the different pathways that are tested during the neurological examination
• Know the names of the different tests that are performed during the neurological examination, even under stressful situations and what they mean
• Prioritise the different parts of the neurological examination according to the type of emergency
• Recognise normal and abnormal findings during the neurological examination
• Know how to neurolocalise, demonstrated with clinical cases
• Understand how to list the most likely differential diagnoses based on clinical reasoning

Week 2
Seizures - Hospitalised Patients and Phone Consultations

• Seizure recognition and common causes
• Treatment and nursing care

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants:

• Recognise an epileptic event
• Review the classification of epileptic seizures
• Review the common causes of epileptic seizures
• Understand the emergency treatment during hospitalisation
• How to best nursing the epileptic patient

Week 3
Vestibular Syndrome

• Clinical signs and common causes
• Monitoring, treatment and nursing care

Learning objectives

After completion of this week, participants:

• Understand which structures are involved in the function of the vestibular system
• Learn to recognise clinical signs suggestive of vestibular syndrome and what to monitor during hospitalisation
• Understand which clinical signs can be used to differentiate between central and
  peripheral vestibular disease and clinical signs that indicate clinical deterioration
• Learn about the most common causes of vestibular dysfunction in dogs and cats

Week 4
The Neuromuscular System – from Function to Dysfunction

• Function and anatomy of the neuromuscular system
• Neuromuscular diseases

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants:

• Understand the anatomy and function of the neuromuscular system
• Learn to recognise clinical signs suggestive of dysfunction of the neuromuscular system
• Understand which clinical signs indicate clinical deterioration
• Learn about the most common causes of neuromuscular diseases in dogs and cats

Week 5
Intervertebral Disc Herniations

• Classification of disc herniation types
• Clinical signs, treatment and nursing care

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants:

• Understand the different types of intervertebral disc herniation and the different treatment and nursing approaches
• Learn to recognise clinical signs suggestive for each type of intervertebral disc herniation
• Understand which clinical signs indicate clinical deterioration in dogs with intervertebral disc herniation

Week 6
Clinical Cases - from Peripheral Nerves to the Brain!

• Case studies

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants:

• Apply all the knowledge acquired on the previous weeks to clinical cases
• Be able to discuss the most indicated nursing approach to provide the best care for individual patients.

This course will be fully tutored by Elsa Beltran and will consist of 15 hours of CPD given in various formats, including tutorials, tasks, case studies, forum discussions and quizzes.