Medical Nursing and Critical Care

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Discuss care bundles and develop care plans for common medical conditions to ensure delivery of holistic nursing care.
2. Discuss common infectious and non-infectious diseases and propose interventions relevant to the role of the veterinary nurse.
3. Critique the roles of the student and registered veterinary nurse in assisting with a range of emergency and intensive care techniques.
4. Discuss common poisons and toxic substances for dogs, cats, small mammals or equids.
5. Critique methods of providing fluid therapy and nutritional support to dogs, cats, small mammals or equids.
6. Discuss the use of evidence-based veterinary nursing and critical thinking for the successful management of medical and critical care conditions.

The aim of this module is to present information on the management, care and nursing interventions of dog, cat, small mammal and equid patients with common medical conditions of the respiratory, cardiovascular, haemopoietic, musculo-skeletal, endocrine, digestive, urinary, integumentary, nervous and reproductive systems. Critical care and emergency scenarios will be considered including poisons, infectious and non-infectious diseases and common support options explored. These include but are not limited to fluid therapy and nutritional support. The use of care bundles and in-depth care plans will be applied to cases to ensure delivery of holistic care. Evidence based veterinary nursing will be explored for the management of medical and critical care conditions.

1. Patient management and care
2. Assistance during specialised procedures
3. Nursing interventions
4. Fluid therapy and nutritional support
5. Emergency, general and neonatal critical care
6. Poisons and toxic substances
7. Non-infectious diseases including endocrine disorders, cancers, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, urinary, reproductive and neurological
8. Infectious diseases including those commonly vaccinated against and exotic diseases that may impact nationally e.g. parasite-bourne diseases, rabies, distemper, parvovirus, FIV, FeLV
9. Evidence based veterinary nursing of medical and critical care conditions

All content will be covered via a combination of lectures, seminars and where relevant practical sessions. There will also be an expectation for students to undertake 155 hours of independent or directed study.

The following RCVS Day One Skills (DOS) are covered within the content of this module:
4.1, 4.2, 4.12, 4.16
The following RCVS Day One Competences (DOC) are covered within the content of this module:
1, 12, 18, 19, 28

This module is at CQFW Level 5