Description
This course is aimed at nurses working in general practice
Week 1
Principles of Anaesthetising Critical Patients
- Anaesthetic risk in the compromised patient
- The importance of patient history and physical examination
- Diagnostic tests
- Patient stabilisation
- Anaesthetic protocol, monitoring and recovery
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Understand why critical patients are at an increased anaesthesia and sedation risk
- Understand that improving patient safety requires a holistic, overall management process, not simply using “the best drug protocol”. This will include consideration of:
- What pre-anaesthetic tests may be required and the benefit they offer
- What pre-anaesthetic stabilisation may be required
- Recall an introduction into the type of patient monitoring which is required during the peri-anaesthetic period
- Understand general principles for appropriate anaesthetic drug protocols for the critical patient
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Rebecca = 55 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Forum discussion topic = 15 minutes
- Multiple choice questions quiz = 10 minutes
Week 2
General Approach to Adverse Events and Introduction to Anaesthetic Complications
- Near misses and adverse events
- Minimising adverse events by preparation
- Checklists and non-technical skills
- Common anaesthetic complications
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Name the three steps necessary for approaching adverse events and discuss why they are important, including methods in which near misses and adverse events can be minimised in practice
- Understand the role of human factors in patient safety and the value of checklist use in anaesthetic practice
- Give an overview of what anaesthetist non-technical skills (ANTS) are and be able to begin using them in clinical practice
- Know the most common anaesthetic complications encountered in small animal practice
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Rebecca = 30 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Forum discussion topic = 15 minutes
- Multiple choice questions quiz = 10 minutes
Week 3
Cardiovascular Complications
- Alterations in heart rate:
- Bradyarrhythmias
- Tachyarrhythmias
- Alterations in blood pressure:
- Hypotension
- Hypertension
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Recognise abnormal physiological parameters with regards to the cardiovascular system for individual patients undergoing anaesthesia
- Understand the most common underlying causes for alterations in heart rate (bradyarrhythmias and tachyarrhythmias) during general anaesthesia
- List some main treatments for the most common arrhythmias which present under general anaesthesia
- Understand the most common underlying causes for alterations in blood pressure (hypotension and hypertension) during general anaesthesia
- List some main treatments for the most common blood pressure alterations which present under general anaesthesia
- Begin to apply this knowledge to individual cases within the clinic with use of the available equipment
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Rebecca = 55 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Forum discussion topic = 20 minutes
- Multiple choice questions quiz = 10 minutes
Week 4
Respiratory Complications
- Alterations in ventilation:
- Hypoventilation
- Hyperventilation (including tachypnoea)
- Apnoea or respiratory arrest
- Hypoxaemia
- Respiratory obstruction:
- Upper respiratory tract
- Lower respiratory tract
- Restrictive pulmonary disease
- Aspiration (and regurgitation)
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Recognise what are abnormal physiological parameters with regards to the respiratory system for individual patients undergoing anaesthesia
- Understand the most common underlying causes for alterations in ventilation, including hypo- and hyperventilation, apnoea and respiratory arrest
- List the main treatments for the most common changes in ventilation under anaesthesia.
- Understand the difference between hypoxaemia and hypoxia, listing the potential causes for these and therefore be able to suggest methods to manage these conditions
- Recognise the clinical signs of respiratory obstruction and restrictive pulmonary disease and describe what steps could be taken to alleviate the underlying problem
- State why aspiration is a risk under anaesthesia and how to manage a case of gastro-oesophageal reflux in order to minimise patient risk
- Begin to apply this knowledge to individual cases within the clinic with use of the available equipment
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Rebecca = 50 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Written task (brachycephalic anaesthesia plan) = 60 minutes
- Multiple choice questions quiz = 10 minutes
Week 5
‘Other’ Complications
- Central nervous system:
- Emergence delirium
- Post anaesthetic blindness and deafness
- Thermoregulation:
- Hypothermia
- Hyperthermia
- Anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions
- Embolism
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Outline why cats are at particular risk for post anaesthetic blindness and deafness and describe methods which can minimise this risk
- List available methods for patient warming, with recognition of the need to counteract patient hypothermia and the potential risks associated with warming device use
- List risk factors associated with peri-operative hyperthermia and discuss steps which can be implemented to manage the hyperthermic patient
- Recognise if an anaphylactic or anaphylactoid reaction is occurring and be able to suggest steps to manage the situation
- Understand that embolisms are a rare, but potential complication during anaesthesia and be able to list the clinical signs associated with their occurrence
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Rebecca = 40 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Forum discussion topic = 10 minutes
- Multiple choice questions quiz = 10 minutes
Week 6
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- Detecting cardiopulmonary arrest
- Basic life support:
- Chest compressions
- Tracheal intubation
- Ventilation
- Advanced life support
- Drug therapy
- Oxygen supplementation
- Intravenous fluid therapy
- Correction of electrolyte and metabolic disturbances
- Defibrillation
- Monitoring during CPR
- Post cardiac arrest care
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Explain the purpose of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and describe its two main components
- Recognise when cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be instigated
- Understand the importance of regular CPR training within the practice team
- Describe and demonstrate the method for effective chest compressions, tracheal intubation and ventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- List what steps can be taken to provide advanced life support during cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Know what monitoring tools are recommended for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and be able to interpret the main waveforms that will be seen during a resuscitation event
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Rebecca = 50 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Forum discussion topic = 10 minutes
- Multiple choice questions quiz = 10 minutes
This course will be fully tutored by Becky Robinson, and will consist of 15 hours of CPD given in various formats, including tutorials, tasks, case studies, forum discussions and quizzes. This course is tutored for 6 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
Olivia Barnes –
I enjoyed the course it was very informative and helpful
Rated: Intermediate level
(Newly qualified <2 years - UK)
Stephanie Reyes –
I have learnt a lot of very useful information in this course, which I will be sharing and implementing with my colleagues
Rated: Introduction level
(Newly qualified <2 years - UK)
Samantha Canner –
Good refresh and additional learning with good discussions and activity
Rated: Intermediate level
(Referral or specialist RVN – UK)
Caroline Le Brocq –
Very useful further training for when things arent normal
Rated: Intermediate level
(Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)
Claire Ramsay –
Excellent information and tutor guidance. Thoroughly enjoyed the forums! Very interesting to read everyone’s comments and Becky’s feedback.
Rated: Intermediate level
(Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)
Jessica Wellard –
I have found this course to be very useful in refreshing and enhancing my knowledge of the subject. The information was interesting and well presented and the feedback constructive and helpful. The only point I would make is that I felt pressured to write on the forums as this applied towards my cpd hours but I feel I would still have gained from the course without the pressure as writing on forums is really not something I enjoy.
Rated: Intermediate / Advanced
(Referral or specialist RVN – UK)
Georgia Theobald –
Very informative and a good set of notes to use throughout my career
Rated: Intermediate level
(Newly qualified <2 years - UK)
Emily Reid –
I found this course extremely helpful for improving my confidence in anaesthetic emergencies. The course content was interesting and relevant and Becky’s responses to forum posts were always very detailed and helpful.
Rated: Introduction level
(Newly qualified <2 years - UK)
Kayleigh Hanlon –
A really good course and i like that we can save the notes and that it makes you get involved with the forum and assignment request. The tutors feedback is really helpful too.
Rated: Introduction / Intermediate
(Referral or specialist RVN – UK)
Clerinda Larsson –
This is my first Excel CPD Course but definitely not my last! The coursework structure interface is easy to understand and use. I loved the access to the further reading and forum questions, it’s an excellent community!
Rated: Intermediate / Advanced level
(Referral or specialist RVN – AUS)