Managing Acute Changes in Health Status (Adult Field)

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Identify, prioritise and respond to risk factors that may lead to deterioration in health status
• Explain how clinical judgement and decision making skills are important aspects of managing nursing care
• Justify nursing responses to acute changes in health status using evidence based interventions
• Discuss the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake a prioritised assessment of people who are experiencing an acute change in health status

Content for ALL Fields:

Clinical judgement & decision making

Responding to mental and emotional distress including agitation, aggression and challenging behaviour

Responding to self-harm and or suicidal ideation

Recognising and responding to acute deterioration in physical health status (e.g. sepsis)

Breaking significant news

Sudden and / or traumatic death

Ethical and legal issues in acute care: DNACPR, DOLS

Managing risks to vulnerable groups with acute health care needs (e.g. Learning Disability)

Human Factors: Safety culture, Debriefing

Medicines Management: Safe medicine use. (e.g. drug interactions / reactions including anaphylaxis; recreational drugs; using technology to improve medicines safety; forms of prescribing including PGD)

ADULT Specific Content:

Assessing, recognising and responding to acute and critical physical illness

Respiratory Care and Support: Respiratory failure, NIV, Chest Drain, ABG Interpretation

Referral pathways and escalation of care (e.g. role of EWS; Outreach; communication frameworks)

Managing symptoms and distress in acute care (to include pain, agitation, psychological distress in critical illness, nausea)

Surgical and post-operative care.

Pharmacology related to commonly encountered drugs in acute conditions.

Assessment, interventions and related pathophysiology in relation to acute changes in:

Respiratory function

Cardiovascular function

Shock and Fluid balance disorders

Neurological function (to include acute neurological deterioration,

delirium, epilepsy)

Genito-urinary function (including UTI, AKI)

Endocrine function (e.g. diabetes and DKA)

SKILLS to include:

Responding to physiological deterioration

Airway skills and supporting the at risk patient

BLS yr 2 update

NG Tube Insertion

The module is taught using a variety of learning and teaching approaches which may include:

Lectures

Seminars

Directed study activities

Self-directed Study

Technology enhanced learning

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Seminar

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Peer & seminar lead feedback.
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: Yes

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.