Common Emergency Patient Presentations - A Few More! (Oct 2024)

Description

This course is aimed at nurses working in general practice

Week 1

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Traumatic brain injury is a relatively common emergency presentation following road traffic accidents or other traumatic episodes. There are several priorities to consider when nursing these patients, which are vital to support their recovery. We will discuss the initial approach to these patients including the use of mannitol and hypertonic saline, along with analgesia and specific nursing techniques that minimise intra-cranial pressure. Use of the Glasgow Coma Scale is very helpful in these patients and should be part of our toolbox. Ongoing patient care beyond the first 24 hours will be discussed, including options for nutritional support and continued management.

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

Determine the difference between a patient with TBI compared to those with facial trauma or altered mentation for another reason
Understand the difference between primary and secondary brain injury
Appreciate the interventions that will make these patients worse and how to mitigate that risk
Confidently conduct a neurological assessment to complete the Glasgow Coma Scale assessment
Understand the ongoing problems these patients may encounter and how to resolve them

Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)

Pre-recorded tutorial with Kath = 60 minutes
Further reading = 60 minutes
Forum discussion topic = 10 minutes
Multiple choice questions quiz = 10 minutes

Week 2

Heat Stroke

Despite several media campaigns, we continue to see patients presenting with heat stroke every year. The nursing team are vital to the recovery and ongoing management of these patients and rapid recognition at triage can lead to improved outcomes. We will look at methods for cooling these patients, the issues we may encounter with them on presentation but also the potential for complications such as Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC).

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

Determine the difference between heat stroke, heat stress and pyrexia
Understand the priorities for treatment of these patients
Discuss effective cooling methods by reviewing the evidence bases available
Understand the complications associated with heat stroke including development of SIRS and DIC

Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)

Pre-recorded tutorial with Kath = 45 minutes
Further reading = 60 minutes
Forum discussion topic = 10 minutes
Multiple choice questions quiz = 10 minutes

Week 3

Common Intoxications

Intoxication is a common emergency presentation and the range of toxins our patients can encounter in the environment and the home is very variable. We will look at the toxins that are most encountered and how we need to approach and address these including nephrotoxins and CNS toxins. We will look at treatment considerations including the use of intravenous lipid emulsion and the evidence supporting its use. Ongoing patient management and monitoring will be discussed in detail.

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

Understand the approach to the intoxicated patient and our priorities
Explain how intravenous lipid emulsion works and which patients it may be suitable for
Provide nursing care for the patient requiring prolonged sedation or anaesthesia due to intoxication
Effectively monitor the patient depending upon the toxin that has been ingested

Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)

Pre-recorded tutorial with Kath = 60 minutes
Further reading = 60 minutes
Written task (case study scenario) = 45 minutes (to be submitted before 5pm Friday week 4)
Crossword quiz = 10 minutes

Week 4

BOAS Crisis

We see an increasing number of brachycephalic patients presenting in respiratory distress. It is vital we are confident at managing these patients from initial admission to stabilisation and ongoing management. We will discuss the anatomy that leads to airway obstruction and the priorities when we are faced with a patient in a BOAS crisis. When to anaesthetise and intubate is a vital consideration as well as when we might consider placing a tracheostomy tube.

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

Understand the conformation issues and environmental factors that may lead to a BOAS crisis
Identify other complications associated with the syndrome and explain how to manage them, including regurgitation and hiatal hernia
Confidently manage a tracheostomy tube patient and understand the indications for placement

Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)

Pre-recorded tutorial with Kath = 55 minutes
Further reading = 60 minutes
Forum discussion topic = 10 minutes
Crossword quiz = 10 minutes

The course will be fully tutored by Kath Howie and will consist of 10 hours of CPD given in various formats, including tutorials, tasks, case studies, forum discussions and quizzes. This course is tutored for 4 weeks, followed by a two week extension of untutored ‘catch up’ time, before the course officially ends.

All delegates will then have unlimited lifetime access to the learning material for future reference

3 reviews for Common Emergency Patient Presentations – A Few More! (Oct 2024)

Rated 5 out of 5

Sarah Bennett – 01/12/2023

Very good course, I have learnt lots.

Rated: Intermediate level
(Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)
Rated 5 out of 5

Laura Mills – 26/11/2023

Fantastic!

Rated: Intermediate level
(Referral or specialist RVN – UK)
Rated 5 out of 5

Chloe Woolvin – 22/11/2023

Informative and enjoyable

Rated: Intermediate level

Add a review

Speaker

Kath Howie VTS (ECC), RVN
Principal Nurse Manager, VetsNow

Kath worked in a primary care practice through her training and qualified in January 2000. After a few years in practice as a registered nurse she decided to take the step into referral nursing in 2003. After a couple of years gaining experience of nursing intensive care patients and those with complex needs, she moved into emergency practice in 2005. In 2009 she achieved the Veterinary Technician Speciality in Emergency and Critical Care and re- certified in 2014.

CPD Hours

This online course is worth 10 hours of CPD.

A certificate will be available from the ‘My Courses’ section, for you to download and print, once you have completed the course. A permanent record of your total CPD hours will also be recorded in your account section.

AVNAT

Australia and New Zealand

The Australian Veterinary Nurse and Technician (AVNAT) Regulatory Council has allocated 10 AVNAT CPD points to this continuing education activity.

This course is also recognised by the New Zealand Veterinary Nursing Association (NZVNA) as providing 10 CPD points.

Information

Upon purchase you will be registered to attend the course, for 4 weeks from the start date. The course will consist of various interactive tasks and lessons, including quizzes, case studies, forum discussions and further reading material.

The course is fully tutored, with new material will be provided each Monday morning, but the onus will be on the individual delegate to ensure that all tasks are fully complete. The certificate will only be issued at the end of the course when all tasks have been accomplished. Fewer CPD hours will be awarded at the the end of the course if there are unfinished tasks or there has been no contribution to the discussion forum, for example

The course is fully flexible, and there are no weekly ‘deadlines’ – the lessons and tasks may be completed whenever is convenient for each delegate, and any live lessons with be recorded and made available later that same day. Furthermore, all the course material will be available for a further 2 weeks, to allow delegates the opportunity to catch up on missed lessons and tasks, or to take the opportunity to delve further into the suggested reading texts. Please note however, that the course will not be tutored by the speaker during these final two weeks, but the time spent will count towards your CPD hours

After 6 weeks, the course will be complete and there will be no further opportunity to gain the certificate or CPD hours, however, you will have unlimited lifetime access to the tutorials, further reading and quizzes for future reference. If you make any personal notes during the course using the ‘take notes’ app, these will be saved, along with your certificate and CPD record for permanent access in ‘My CPD’

Levels

This course has been listed as ‘Intermediate’ level

All of our courses are aimed at veterinary nurses in general practice, but everyone who works in the veterinary profession is very welcome to attend, whether you are a clinical receptionist, veterinary surgeon, student nurse or have been a qualified nurse for over 20 years!

The courses are not formally assessed for skill level, so the following CPD levels are just a rough guide to help you decide if a course may be more or less suitable:

Introduction
– maybe most suitable for qualified nurses in general practice approaching a new topic or looking for a refresher course

Intermediate
– maybe most suitable for qualified nurses in general practice along with referral / specialist nurses looking for a refresher course

Advanced
– maybe most suitable for referral / specialist nurses and highly experienced qualified nurses in general practice

Pawprints

You will earn 205 Pawprint Points (£20.50 website credit) when you purchase this course

Our loyalty scheme rewards you with 10% in website credit to spend on future courses. Choose pay with Pawprint Points during checkout.

Invoice My Practice

Invoice

Debit or credit card is the preferred payment method

Please ask your practice manager or accounts department to visit the website, register an account in their own name, and during checkout, complete the ‘delegate name’ and ‘delegate email’ sections with your personal details. We will then register you a personal account on your behalf, and transfer the course booking over to your new personal account. We will of course email you all the information you need to access this new account and your CPD course.

If you need an invoice and no other payment method is available to you, then please email [email protected] with all the following information:

Full name of delegate
Email address for delegate
Course(s) booking
Any discounts / promotions being redeemed
Practice name and address
Invoice address (eg Linnaeus, IVC Evidensia, Vets4Pets, Companion Care)
Practice code (eg Vet4Pets practices)
Booking / invoice reference (if required)
Email address to send the invoice (practice manager, accounts department or head office – not your own email address please)

Please note the following:

Invoices must be requested a minimum of 4-6 weeks prior to a course starting, to allow time for the payment to be received
Delegates will not be allowed access to any course without prior payment
An invoice will be emailed to the contact provided and the course booking will be reserved for 7 days, whilst payment via debit / credit card or BACS is arranged
There will be an administration fee of £2.50 +VAT per invoice generated. You may book multiple delegates / multiple courses on a single invoice to the same practice

Tutored Online CPD