The purpose of this course is to prepare ENs to care for patients requiring emergency intervention. It is designed for nurses working in any clinical setting, including the emergency departments (EDs); the outpatient setting; the smaller regional, rural and remote hospitals where nurses are expected to work in all areas of the hospital. Some of these clinical areas have varied medical support, and the nurses are often required to intervene with limited or no medical support on-site. Medical support may be at the end of a telephone, within driving distance or off-site. Course information and assessment booklet 3 Expedient and accurate assessment and management reduces morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is imperative that nurses are able to manage patients who have life or limb-threatening conditions, and provide time-critical interventions, especially in relation to pain relief. This course will provide the knowledge underpinning the skills needed for attending to first-line assessment and management of patients requiring emergency care.

Regardless of your work environment, you need to have knowledge and skills to be able to respond in a timely and appropriate manner to a variety of emergency situations. This course will guide you in searching and reading the most current guidelines in the management of many different emergencies. You will be prompted to practice essential skills within your work environment, including critical engagement with policies and protocols. Past students have reported enhanced understanding of patient assessment and management in emergency clinical situations. They also developed improved confidence and competence in providing emergency care that is safe, effective and appropriate to suit individual client needs.

This course is completely online – all information and resources can be accessed via CNnect. This means that you will have the freedom to study and access the course content at a time and location that is convenient to you. You may also choose to print out the online course materials and resources if you prefer to read from a paper-based copy.

As an enrolled student, you will have access to:

• a tutor who is highly experienced in the field of emergency management of patients; who can answer your questions, help and guide you through the course, mark your assessments and provide you with feedback
• a nurse educator/course coordinator who can provide additional assistance
• IT support when you encounter issues associated with the technical aspects of CNnect.

This course will take you approximately 80 hours to complete. This includes reading, completing online activities and completion of assessments. It is estimated that you will spend approximately 8 hours a week on this course. As with any course, and given that no two individuals learn in the same way, you may find that some weeks may demand more hours than others.

Students will be guided by the study and assessment timetable for this 10-week course. Specific themes will be covered as outlined in the study and assessment timetable.

Week 1 is an orientation week whereby students are encouraged to explore in CNnect, and to become familiar with the online learning environment. Below is a typical example of the schedule.

• Week 1: Orientation
• Weeks 1 – 4: Theme 1 – Working in a critical care environment
• Weeks 5 – 8: Theme 2 – Health assessment and first line emergency nursing
• Weeks 9 – 12: Theme 3 – Practice in respiratory nursing
• Weeks 13 – 17: Theme 4 – Practice in cardiovascular nursing
• Weeks 18 – 20: Theme 5 – Neurological implications and pain

On successful completion of this course, it is anticipated you will be better able to:

• describe the enrolled nurse’s role and the role of other members within the multidisciplinary team
• demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of assessment methods to plan holistic nursing care for critically ill patients
• use evidence-based information to evaluate the appropriateness of interventions with critically ill patients
• analyse complex nursing interventions for patients with an altered health status
• evaluate effectiveness of nursing interventions and the patient’s understanding in relation to their current health status
• communicate effectively with critically ill patients to assess their level of understanding of their condition and treatment.

• Scenario-based questions
• Multiple choice questions

To enrol, you will need to complete and submit the appropriate form in the Enrolment form section above. There are two enrolment forms available:

1. 1. Fee-paying students – for all applicants paying their own fees
   2. Bulk purchases – for local health districts only

Please ensure you complete and submit the appropriate form. Failure to do so will mean your application will not be processed. Please contact Customer Services if you require any assistance.

Full payment must be received prior to the commencement of the course.

If the student withdraws after the course commences, or fails to meet the course requirements, the course fees are non-refundable.

It is best to speak to your accountant or contact the Australian Taxation Office.