Week 1

Preparing for Surgery

Organisation of rooms and equipment in the theatre area

Scheduling and planning surgical caseload

Infection control related to the surgical theatre

Preparation of the patient for surgery

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand the basics of infection control in the operating theatre

Identify the correct order of surgical procedures based on availability of equipment, personnel and rooms

Prepare the patient for a range of procedures, including preparation of skin, eyes and mucous membranes

Develop infection control protocols relating to procedure in their own practice

Week 2

The Theatre Nurse’s Role

Circulating nurse duties

Preparing the surgical team

Surgical hand preparation

Scrub nurse role

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand the key qualities and requirements for the circulating nurse and scrub nurse roles

Identify the correct products and techniques for an effective surgical hand preparation and be able to demonstrate those

Choose appropriate protocols for the preparation of the surgical team

Correctly position patients for a range of surgical procedures

Week 3

Instrumentation and Sterilisation

Common surgical instrumentation

Taking care of your instruments and equipment

What happens after surgery!

Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilisation

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Identify common surgical instruments and understand their use

Develop the skills to take apart and reassemble surgical equipment for the cleaning process

Understand the key sterilisation techniques used in veterinary medicine

Week 4

Bringing it all Together – Surgical Skills for Nurses

Suture material – what to use and when??

Common suture patterns

Surgical skills

Developing the surgical nurse’s role in practice

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Identify properties of suture material and understand how that helps guide the choice of which one to use

Demonstrate common surgical suture patterns that could be performed by a veterinary nurse

Understand relevant surgical skills for veterinary nurses and how these can benefit your practice