Special Care Considerations of the Post-Anesthesia Patient in the ICU

All surgeries come with potential risk and the patient may arrive at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) intubated. This requires special care and knowledge by the ICU care team to ensure safe extubation and positive outcomes. If the patient has any underlying cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, the risks can be even greater. This course will prepare the learner to identify the scope of respiratory failure in the post-anesthesia patient. It teaches the important aspects of the respiratory assessment and includes the evidenced-based protocols for the treatment of respiratory failure. Also included in this course are other complication considerations such as bleeding, hypovolemia and surgical site infections. The Nurse will learn to identify postoperative prevention methods and infection recognition of surgical site infections in the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU. The course will also address the definition, incidence, recognition, assessment, and the proposed treatments of postoperative cognitive delirium in the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU. 

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Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Explain the scope of respiratory failure in the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.
  2. Identify important aspects of the respiratory assessment of the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.
  3. List evidence-based protocols and treatment for respiratory failure in the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.
  4. Recall the scope of bleeding complications and hypovolemia in the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.
  5. Report important aspects of the nursing assessment by surgical type of the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.
  6. Name evidence-based protocols for bleeding complications and hypovolemia in the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.
  7. State the scope of surgical site infections in the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.
  8. Summarize perioperative prevention methods of the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.
  9. Describe  postoperative prevention methods and infection recognition of surgical site infections in the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.
  10. Discuss the definition, incidence, recognition, assessment, and proposed treatments of postoperative cognitive delirium in the post-anesthesia patient in the ICU.

Curriculum

Chapter 1: Introduction – Respiratory Failure/Early Extubation

  • Scope of the Problem
  • Assessment of Extubation Readiness
  • Proposed Treatments/Evidence-Based Protocols

Chapter 2: Bleeding/Hypovolemia

  • Scope of the Problem
  • Assessments by Surgical Type

Chapter 3: Surgical Site Infection

  • Scope of the Problem
  • Perioperative Prevention Methods
  • Postoperative Prevention Methods and Infection Recognition

Chapter 4: Postoperative Cognitive Delirium

  • Definitions
  • Incidence
  • Recognition of Each Condition/Assessment

Chapter 5: Pain Management

  • Special Considerations in Postop Pain Management
  • Proposed Treatments

Chapter 6: References

  • California Bill 241
  • Implicit Bias in Healthcare
  • What is Implicit Bias?
  • Implications of Implicit Bias in Healthcare
  • How to Reduce Implicit Bias

Price: $10.00

Contact Hour: 1

Course Author

HTRSD.org

HTRSD is a provider of continuing education training focused on human trafficking and other social disparities for health care providers, as well as courses that address nurses' health and well-being and under-served topics in advanced critical care.

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