Anaesthesia for Nurses: Monitoring the Unstable Patient

Patients can quickly become unstable during anaesthesia and it can be a challenge to correctly interpret vital parameters and chose the correct approach to stabilise them. Equipment used for monitoring can be crucial in helping with decision making in these cases, but it is the interpretation of the information that they provide that is most important in allowing you to quickly identify and resolve complications.  This one day course is designed to provide you with the skills to confidently monitor even the most unstable of anaesthetics by discussing how to use equipment commonly found in general practice as well as hands on monitoring, to assess not only depth of anaesthesia but also your patient’s circulation, oxygenation and ventilation status. The course will also cover how to use this information to identify potential complications and how to correct these to ensure anaesthetic stability and safety.

Topics to be covered include:

• Cardiovascular monitoring: identifying abnormal rates and rhythms, ECG interpretation & blood pressure monitoring
• Respiratory monitoring: Capnography, pulse oximetry and blood gas analysis
• Accurate assessment of depth of anaesthesia
• Completing anaesthetic records correctly
• Understanding and interpreting what monitors are telling you: what to believe and what not to believe
• Treating common anaesthetic related complications: hypothermia, bradycardia, tachycardia, hypotension, hypertension, hypoxia