Course overview
This course will provide Registered Nurses and Midwives with the introductory knowledge and skills to recognise and respond to patients/women with the potential for clinical deterioration. The course incorporates evidence based care and offers the following sub-streams: intensive care; cardiac care; emergency; neonatal care; and high dependency. Across each of the specialty areas the content is similar; however, the tutorials (virtual classrooms), discussion forums, case studies, and clinical management will vary in relation to relevant clinical. Weekly topics will include respiratory, cardiac, neurological and renal considerations; a comprehensive patient/woman assessment; discussion of the underlying pathophysiology; recognition and management of clinical deterioration; management of a patient/woman with advanced care needs requiring high acuity support; clinical decision making; and legal and ethical aspects of nursing and midwifery care (NB: neonatal sub-stream provides a modified course format reflective of the needs of the neonate and the woman).
Course learning outcomes
- Evaluate the physical, psychosocial, cultural and spiritual impact of critical illness on the patient/person and their family.
- Demonstrate integrated comprehensive assessment and clinical decision making in nursing and midwifery management of patients/persons with high acuity needs
- Apply specialist knowledge in recognising and responding to clinical deterioration of a high acuity and/or critically ill patient/person.
- Implement competent advanced life support for a high acuity and/or critically ill patient/person.
- Integrate best available evidence in the management of high acuity and/or critically ill patients/persons.
- Synthesise knowledge of ethical practice in the nursing and midwifery management of high acuity and/or critically ill patients/persons.
- Critically analyse the use of technology in the management of high acuity and/or critically ill patients/persons.