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Congress on Demand 2021: Veterinary Nursing
Selected lectures from BSAVA virtual congress 2021
We are pleased to present a selection of lectures from BSAVA virtual Congress 2021 that are of interest to veterinary nurses. This collection can be purchased as a standalone item, with a discount for BSAVA members including veterinary nurse student members. Visit our Congress on Demand information page for information about how to access the rest of our 2021 congress lectures.
Collection Contents
7 results
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Tackling post-op complications, including checklists and auditing
BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2021Author Helen SilverPost-operative complications commonly seen in veterinary practice range from wound healing difficulties to multiple organ failure and death. Regardless of their severity, whenever post-operative complications arise, they are never welcome; let’s face it, the last thing you want to hear when reaching for your coat, after mopping the floor, hungry and tired after a long day, is that the bitch spay from this morning is not doing well and needs to return to theatre as a bleed is suspected. To reduce the rate of post-op complications, clinical audits are used to support quality improvement in clinical settings. Clinical audits enable patient care to be improved by assessing and evaluating current processes in a systematic way. By selecting the correct type of audit, getting the whole practice team on board, and ensuring a blame-free culture is embraced improvement strategies can be identified and implemented. The surgical safety checklist (SSC) is an example of a tool that has been proven to reduce the rates of post-operative complications. By involving the whole practice team in tackling post-operative complications though adoption of audits and checklists the benefits quickly become obvious and real improvements in patient care can be seen.
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Tame that vein
BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2021Authors: Amy Newfield and Sophie McMurroughBad veins – how to get IV access when all the veins have gone: This presentation covers a variety of different techniques of IV catheter placement on ‘naughty’ veins with videos and step-by-step illustrations. Catheter selection and vein selection are discussed. A variety of trouble shooting methods are reviewed of how to get catheters in difficult veins.
Intravenous catheter care and maintenance: As nurses we place intravenous (IV) cannulas on a daily basis. Once placed, it is important to stay up to date on how to successfully maintain and care for cannulas to prevent complications and nosocomial infections. Catheter care should form part of our patient’s daily checklist to guarantee patency and check for signs of complications. From aseptic technique and preparation to handling and personal protective equipment (PPE), these are all factors to consider.
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Teaching owners to recognise pain?
BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2021Author Emma LoveThis session considers how we can help owners to recognise acute and chronic pain. Both chronic and acute pain recognition are enormous topics in themselves so the session will focus on ‘how, what and how’ and cover key points relating to each of these areas. Assessing a subjective, multi-dimensional experience such as pain in non-verbal species is a challenge yet there are inextricable links between pain – a negative affective state, welfare and quality of life. Recently, research has resulted in us having a range of pain scoring tools that can be applied to assess both acute and chronic pain in dogs and cats, as well as quality of life. Owners are uniquely placed to observe dogs and cats in their home environment where animal behaviour can be observed in wider contexts and over time, enabling the dynamic nature of pain to be tracked. A combination of Client Specific Outcome Measures and pain assessments can be used to evaluate the animal and assess response to interventions; these can be incredibly useful tools for working in partnership with owners, motivating and actively engaging them in the management of their animal’s pain.
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Team urology
BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2021Authors: Sophie McMurrough and Kathryn LatimerDon’t hate urinate – urethral catheterisation: Urinary catheters can be placed for a variety of reasons from stranguria to spinal surgery. It is a useful skill for a nurse to master and utilise in practice. There are multiple different techniques to follow depending on the sex and species of the patient. Learn about the different types of catheters, how to successfully place, measure and monitor in practice.Urine for a treat – nursing the blocked bladder: Urinary tract obstruction is a common, potentially life threatening emergency which requires immediate attention. Over-filling of the bladder causes an increase in pressure within the bladder, ureters and kidneys resulting in decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The reduced GFR leads to reduction of urine production and excretion of potassium and acids. Without prompt recognition of the condition and immediate treatment, this can give rise to azotaemia, hyperkalaemia, metabolic acidosis and hypovolaemia. Many of these patients present cardiovascularly unstable secondary to these fluid deficits and metabolic derangements. After confirmation of obstruction, the patient is likely to need a period of stabilisation prior to sedation or general anaesthesia to allow for the obstruction to be relieved. Intravenous fluid therapy (IVFT) plays a vital role in the stabilisation of these patients. Bolus therapy with a balanced electrolyte solution should not be withheld in order to correct hypovolaemia, hyperkalaemia and metabolic acidosis. Severe hyperkalaemia can be life-threatening and the cardiotoxic effects of hyperkalaemia can greatly increase anaesthetic risks. IVFT will not only to help improve tissue perfusion but will also dilute the potassium lowering its serum concentration. Other stabilisation methods in severely hyperkalaemic patients may include the use of calcium gluconate, and insulin and dextrose.
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The recruitment conundrum: we need you – do you need us?
BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2021Author Dave NicolRCVS and BVA data suggest career satisfaction for vets ‘ain’t what it used to be’. The most obvious symptom of this is seen in the difficulty practices face in hiring and retaining clinical team members. But underlying the recruitment issue is a deeper fundamental failing. We are simply not meeting the needs of the next generation of clinical staff who are voting with their feet and leaving not just our practice, but also the general practice arm of the profession. Wage stagnation, poor support and chronic mental health issues were all problems before COVID-19 showed up and raised the stakes and pushed demand for vet services higher than ever before. If you are a leader in practice, then you should be paying attention because this is an existential threat to practice as we know it. This session shines a spotlight on the causes of the issue and options available to leaders to make the changes needed so everyone has the chance to thrive in their clinical career.
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The team approach to the brachycephalic patient
BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2021Authors: Julia Riggs, Chris Shales and Lydia SmithThis is a recording of a session giving Congress delegates the opportunity to ask questions and discuss practical tips and techniques used by three experienced team members to manage their busy BOAS clinics. The session complement the pre-recorded seminars and other live sessions that form part of this stream and gives a very useful exchange of ideas and experiences in this challenging but rewarding area.
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Tubes, tubes and more tubes: nursing the high dependence patient
BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2021Author Elle HaskeyThis session covers the nursing care of commonly managed devices in the critical patient including vascular catheters, urinary catheters, chest drains, tracheostomy tubes and nasal oxygen catheters. Many nurses will be placing some of these indwelling devices and so it is important that the RVN understands the indications and contraindications to placement in addition to the placement technique. Most importantly nurses need to be familiar with how to manage the tube/drain once in situ, how to troubleshoot problems and prevent complications arising.
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