9012 U&E + You and Me
Understanding Your Patients' Lab Results
Each day patients undergo a variety of laboratory tests within the acute care setting in order to diagnose conditions or monitor progress. The ability to accurately interpret the results of such tests is an important aspect of comprehensive patient assessment. This workshop provides an introduction to interpretation of laboratory data gained from blood tests, in particular biochemistry analysis, liver function tests, haematology and coagulation tests and arterial blood gas interpretation.
Workshop Outline
- Biochemistry analysis
- Liver function tests
- Haematology and coagulation
- Arterial blood gas interpretation
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this workshop the participant will be able to:
- Outline the key aspects of biochemistry analysis and the physiological effects of specific alterations
- Outline the key aspects of liver function tests and the trends associated with liver impairment and failure
- Outline the key aspects of haematological and coagulation tests and the physiological effects of specific alterations
- Identify the steps required for systematic interpretation of an arterial blood gas sample, including oxygenation and acid/base balance
Clinical Supervision and Clinical Teaching
Teaching and learning are fundamental aspects of the professional responsibilities of nursing staff. Clinical nurses required to teach and supervise junior staff and students often model their performance of these activities on what they experienced in their own training, whether or not that was appropriate. Developing understanding and skill in the clinical workforce in aspects of adult learning, clinical teaching and supervision is the foundation of an effective learning organisation.
Workshop Outline
This workshop is aimed at helping nursing staff to develop awareness of their responsibilities in teaching and supervising junior staff and to provide opportunities for developing understanding and skill in these areas. It focuses on teaching and supervision in the clinical setting.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop the participant will be able to:
- Outline the key aspects of successful adult learning
- Understand and describe key aspects of the learning cycle
- Identify opportunistic teaching opportunities in a clinical setting
- Understand and identify the key features of effective appraisal and assessment
- Understand the importance of and develop skill in providing feedback
- Identify the elements of effective supervision