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
Samantha M –
I enjoyed this informative course.
Rated: Introduction / Intermediate
Frankie P –
Very good course. Great knowledge depth.
Rated: Intermediate level
Hannah C –
Very in depth course which has taught me so much about the in-depth physiological effects of anaesthetic crisis that may occur and how best to deal with them.
Rated: Intermediate / Advanced level
Kirsty T –
Useful for expanding knowledge around anaesthesia, especially with regards to multi-parameter monitoring and identifying abnormalities.
Rated: Introduction / Intermediate
Brogan O –
I did struggle with this course, I think its definitely more suited for nurses who may be in referral practice already who want a refresher? It was a very good course, very indepth, however I struggled because I didn’t know some of the words/forgot their meaning making it slightly harder going ‘in depth’ on these words when I needed to remember the basics first! Very well put together though and easy to follow/pick up from where you left off & the help is always there if you require it.
Rated: Intermediate / Advanced
Gillian W –
Very interesting points to help increase confidence and what to look out for in areas of difficulty
Rated: Intermediate level
Aoife M –
Very informative, interactive and realistic
Rated: Intermediate level
Helen T –
Great online CPD over a 6 weeks course. Materials useful and learned much more than through face to face CPD
Rated: Intermediate level
Moa Therése W –
Covers the basics of anesthesia complications that may occur. Very good for newly grads!
Rated: Introduction level
Caroline J –
I found the course to be informative and interesting.
Rated: Intermediate level