Role Development Intensive Care

The purpose of this course is to enable you to progress and develop into a proficient practitioner within the specialism of intensive care nursing. The course will develop your knowledge of haemodynamics and haemodynamic compromise on cardiac, renal and neurological function. Patient and management and advanced support will be rationalised. This will then allow you to be actively involved in proactive decision making in the intensive care setting.

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 course.

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 course 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.

Certificate

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.

The tutor will suggest material during the class.