Description
This CPD course is aimed at veterinary nurses working in general practice
As veterinary nurses, we want to provide our patients with the best possible care that we can and it’s hard to see our patients suffering and in pain. Luckily our profession allows us to prevent this in many ways, but are we tackling pain the right way and making the best choices for analgesia? Can we make improvements to help our patients remain pain free and reduce side effects of the therapies we choose – whether that’s for our patients in the clinic or at home?
In order for us to treat and manage pain in our patients, we first need to understand the physiology behind how animals feel pain. We will start by expanding our knowledge and understanding of the pain pathway, before moving on to the different analgesia options for acute and chronic pain conditions. We will finish the course with pain scoring. By the end of the 4 weeks, we will have overviewed pain and the different treatment options available with the hope, that alongside the veterinary surgeon, we can build patient specific multi-modal analgesia plans for all our patients.
Week 1
The Physiology of Pain
- Pain definitions
- The mammalian pain pathway
- Different types of pain
- Principles of analgesia
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Outline the definition of pain and associated terminology
- Describe the different stages of the pain pathway and sites for analgesia intervention
- Understand the concept of multi-modal analgesia and pre-emptive analgesia
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Lisa = 25 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Forum discussion topic = 10 minutes
- Crossword quiz = 10 minutes
Week 2
Analgesia for the In-patient
- Review the analgesia agents used to treat acute pain conditions:
- Opioids
- NMDA antagonists
- Local anaesthetics
- Alpha 2 agonists
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Be familiar with the different systemic and local options for treating acute pain
- Discuss balanced multi-modal analgesia plans for patients in the veterinary practice
- Understand the mechanisms of action, effects and side effects of the listed analgesic agents
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Lisa = 90 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Forum discussion topic = 10 minutes
- Multiple choice questions quiz = 10 minutes
Week 3
Analgesia for the Out-patient
- Review the analgesia options for managing pain on a longer term basis:
- NSAIDs
- Paracetamol
- Tramadol
- Gabapentin
- Alternative therapies
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Be familiar with the different systemic and alternative therapies for treating chronic pain
- Discuss balanced multi-modal analgesia plans for patients at home
- Understand the mechanisms of action, effects and side effects of the discussed analgesic interventions
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Lisa = 45 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Written Assignment (clinical case scenario – analgesia plan) = 60 minutes
- ‘Fill in the blank’ questions quiz = 10 minutes
Week 4
Pain Assessment Methods
- Review the different pain scoring options for both in-patients and out-patients
- Canine pain scales
- Feline pain scales
- Grimace scales
- Chronic pain scales
- Pitfalls and problems with pain assessment
Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:
- Have a better understanding of the different pain assessment types
- Appreciate where pain assessments can be beneficial for managing conditions and allowing for appropriate analgesia interventions in the hospitalised patient
- Provide owners with the tools to monitor and assess their pet’s pain and quality of life at home
- Describe the indications and contraindications for pain scoring
Learning materials this week:
(released on Monday morning for on demand learning until the course ends – approximate timings)
- Pre-recorded tutorial with Lisa = 40 minutes
- Further reading = 60 minutes
- Forum discussion topic = 10 minutes
- Crossword quiz = 10 minutes
The course will be fully tutored by Lisa Angell, 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
Ffion L –
Very interesting and in depth, able to apply knowledge in practice
Rated: Intermediate level
(Qualified RVN in general practice <5 years - UK)
Emma J –
The course was good for a refresher of medications and pain scores. My practice is already using a lot of techniques discussed on the course as we are quite up to date with pain management. I think this is a good course for anyone who is newly qualified, a student or anyone who has been out of practice for a while and needs a refresher.
Rated: Introduction level
(Qualified RVN in general practice <5 years - UK)
Hannah M –
Great information on all types of analgesia. It gave more in-depth reasonings to certain pain reliefs and why.
Rated: Intermediate level
(Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)
Poppy M –
I found the course really in-depth and the feedback from tutors was always really helpful and made me think of things from an angle I hadn’t considered. I find analgesia really interesting and think a lot of effort has gone into making the course quite interactive and fun to learn!
Rated: Intermediate level
(Referral or specialist RVN – UK)
Sarah B –
Lots of useful, practically transferable information.
Rated: Introduction / Intermediate level
(Newly qualified (<2 years) - UK)
Rachel F –
Great course to remind yourself about how the medication works and why we use the drugs we do. really enjoyed it.
Rated: Introduction level
(Referral or specialist RVN – UK)
Ruth L –
A really informative course with useful tutor feedback.
Rated: Intermediate level
(Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)
Elizabeth S –
well rounded course
Rated: Intermediate level
(Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – AUS)
Melissa P –
Very well written and useful.
Rated: Introduction / Intermediate level
Emily O –
An informative course that was a great refresher and also learnt some new things! Easy to follow and flexible to fit in around work and life.
Rated: Intermediate level