Elevate Emergency Nursing Program

Learning Outcomes:

• Provide appropriate nursing care for hospital patients
• Use pain scoring in dogs and cats
• Develop appropriate hospital charts for patients
• Know how to competently place peripheral intravenous catheters
• Know how to competently perform venepuncture in dogs and cats, and how to collect and store different clinical pathology samples
• On module completion, you should be able to competently provide nursing care to hospitalised patients

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the normal and abnormal vital signs of a cat and dog
• Effectively phone triage and provide appropriate advice to clients
• Understand and apply the principles of primary and secondary survey of a patient
• Understand the initial life-saving interventions in common emergencies
• On module completion, you should be able to perform triage and appropriate life-saving interventions

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand dehydration and how to recognise it
• Have a knowledge of the fluids commonly used in veterinary practice – including indications for use
• Calculate a fluid plan for patients and know how to administer with and without a fluid pump
• Understand and recognise fluid overload and underload
• Have knowledge of the complication and potential risks of fluid therapy
• Understand and recognise shock
• On module completion, you should be able to identify shock and dehydration, and administer appropriate fluid plans

Learning Outcomes:

• Be able to calculate the dose of required medications
• Be able to calculate and set up infusions for various medications
• Understand administration of common additives into fluid bags
• Understand drug administration, including contraindications for various medications
• Have knowledge of the common analgesic drugs used, including their indications and side effects
• On module completion, you should be able to accurately calculate and administer medications

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the essentials required in an emergency kit
• Understand how Basic Life Support (BLS) is performed
• Understand how Advanced Life Support (ALS) is performed
• Recognise signs that indicate the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)
• On module completion, you should be able to prepare for & perform basic & advanced life support

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the function of the heart and lungs
• Understand the different oxygen delivery methods and their suitability for each patient
• Understand congestive heart failure, clinical signs and treatment
• Understand the approach to the dyspnoeic dog and cat
• On module completion, you should be able to provide nursing care to a patient with respiratory or cardiac disease

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the definition of anaesthesia
• Competently set up the common anaesthetic circuits, including troubleshooting
• Appropriately categorise the anaesthetic patient using the ASA classification
• Competently use physical monitoring parameters to assess the patient under anaesthesia
• Recognise the different planes of anaesthesia and respond to these as appropriate
• Understand the complications and emergencies that can occur with general anaesthesia
• On module completion, you should be able to prepare for & successfully monitor general anaesthesia in both dogs and cats, in the emergency situation.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognise a range of different common toxins and their systemic effects
• Provide phone triage for identified and unidentified intoxications
• Provide first aid and lifesaving stabilisation for patients with intoxications
• Identify the ideal methods of decontamination for specific/unknown intoxications
• Understand the methods of treatment and clinical support for specific (and non-specific) intoxications
• Recall the key nursing considerations for some specific intoxications.

• This final exam, fully online and multiple choice format, is your opportunity to reflect on the knowledge gained in the 8 prior modules and tutorials.