Intensive Care Role Development

This course will help you to develop your knowledge and skills, enabling you to look after level-3 patients with multi-organ dysfunction.

This course will allow you to critically evaluate knowledge and understanding on haemodynamics and haemodynamic compromise on different body systems. This will allow you to develop proactive decision-making skills and actively participate in clinical decision making.

In this course, we will be focusing on the cardiovascular system, acute kidney injury and intracranial hypertension. Therefore, key aspects such as sepsis, haemodynamic monitoring/ management, care requirements following cardiothoracic surgery, renal replacement and management of raised intracranial pressure will be focused on.

Who is it for?

This course is for those nurses working in Critical Care environments who would like to expand their knowledge and experience of caring for patient with complex conditions. You must have completed the APM028 module.

Timetable

This course is offered every term and study days are from 9- 5

May: Tuesday 11 and 25 May 2021
June: Tuesday 8 and 22 June 2021
July: Tuesday 6 July 2021

Benefits

This course is worth 15 credits, which can be taken forward onto relevant PGDip, PGCert or MSc courses.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

The focus of the course will be on the role development of intensive care practitioners from a clinical perspective. Therefore, this course will focus on the following content:

• haemodynamic compromise such as shock mechanisms and sepsis
• haemodynamic assessment: physical assessment, ECGs, invasive and non- invasive technologies
• management strategies such as the sepsis care bundles and vasoactive drugs
• clotting and management of coagulopathies
• acute renal failure and renal replacement strategies
• altered cerebral haemodynamics and care requirements of patients with raised intracranial pressure

Knowledge and understanding:

• Utilise professional experience to demonstrate proactivity and prioritisation in responding to the changing needs of the intensive care patient.
• Apply physiological principles in order to rationalise and evaluate patient changes and associated care interventions.
• Critically rationalise the use of pharmacological agents in view of displayed physiological changes.

Skills:

• Critically evaluate and synthesise care in order to influence intensive care patient outcome.
• Demonstrate the ability to promote compassionate, collaborative care which is patient centred.
• Utilise a problem-solving approach to effective manage, rationalise and prioritise the care provided to the intensive care patient.

Values and attitudes:

• Critically reflect upon personal developmental needs and develop strategies to address these. Critically reflect upon leadership and team-working in intensive care and develop strategies to address these.

Teaching

This module is taught through a variety of methods including lecturers, seminars, practice experience, tutorials, student-directed learning and structured group work.

Assessment

The assessment for this course is a practice-based portfolio and clinical competencies.

On completion of this course you will receive a transcript as proof of completion.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

You must have completed the APM028 course.

English requirements

For those students whose first language is not English, the following qualification is also required:

• IELTS: 7.0

• Adam, S. K. & Osbourne, S. (2017) Critical Care Nursing: Science and Practice. 3rd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Aitken, L, Marshall, A & Chaboyer W (2019) ACCCN’s Critical Care Nursing 4th edition Chatswood: Elsevier
• Hudak, C. M., Gallo, B. M. & Gonce Morton, P. (1997) Critical Care Nursing: A Holistic Approach. 7th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott.
• Jevon, P. & Ewens, B. (2012) Monitoring Critically Ill Patients: Essential Skills for Nurses. 3rd edition. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.
• Kellum, J., Bellomo, R. & Ronco, C. (2009) Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy. (Pittsburgh Critical Care Medicine) Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• McGloin, S. and McLeod, A. (2010) Advanced Critical Care Practice: A Case Study Approach. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Other resources

• Surviving Sepsis

For further reading please see the course reading list on Moodle.