Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE NUR5130

 
TITLE Emergency Trauma Care

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 10

 
DEPARTMENT Nursing

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit is primarily aimed at nurses who work in areas of emergency care, and who are expected to assess and manage, either independently or as part of a team, patients who have sustained traumatic injury.

This study-unit builds on the principles of emergency assessment and immediate interventions. Students will be guided to apply principles of emergency assessment and immediate care in the context of emergency trauma care. This study-unit provides deeper knowledge of assessment and management of traumatic injury to specific body-sites. This study-unit is characterised by a focus on nursing care and nursing interventions in emergency trauma care.

This study-unit will adopt a problem-based approach and will be conducted through lectures and workshops. Lectures will provide the baseline knowledge on which students will be expected to pursue additional self-directed learning. Through workshops students will have the opportunity to discuss case-scenarios with experienced emergency nurses and emergency physicians.

At the end of the study-unit, participants will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of emergency trauma care, competence in trauma patient assessment and knowledge of nursing care through a written examination, viva-voce case discussions and a written case study respectively.

Study-unit Contents:
- Trauma: definition, kinematics and mechanisms of injury;
- Emergency patient assessment in trauma: The primary and secondary;
- Trauma life support: The ABCs;
- Shock and the lethal triad;
- Imaging modalities for trauma;
- Pain in traumatic injury: Assessment and management;
- Emergency medical and nursing management of traumatic injuries;
- Multiple trauma;
- Paediatric and obstetric considerations in emergency trauma care;
- Emergency trauma care in the pre-hospital setting;
- Multiple casualty incidents;
- Team approach to emergency trauma management; and
- Ethical issues in emergency and trauma care.

Study-unit Aims:

- To consolidate the emergency assessment of patients who sustain traumatic injury/ies;
- To acquaint students with advanced emergency assessment procedures that are required for the identification of immediately or potentially life-threatening traumatic injury/ies;
- To provide students with the knowledge required to manage a patient who has suffered traumatic injury/ies; and
- To enable students to develop the communication, teamwork and leadership skills required for the management of serious trauma in the emergency department.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Define trauma and critically discuss the effects of traumatic injury on the body;
- Describe the kinematics and mechanisms of injury, and critically discuss their significance in patient assessment and management;
- Critically describe and discuss the physiology of hypovolaemic, neurogenic and obstructive shock, and their emergency management;
- Critically describe and discuss the effects of hypothermia, coagulopathy and acidosis in a patient with serious bleeding due to trauma;
- Critically describe and discuss the primary and secondary assessment of a patient who has sustained traumatic injury/ies;
- Describe and discuss the imaging modalities used in the diagnosis of trauma;
- Discuss the emergency medical and nursing management of a patient who has sustained traumatic injury;
- Describe and discuss the assessment and management of pain due to trauma;
- Describe and discuss the medical and nursing management of a patient who has sustained multiple traumatic injuries;
- Discuss the application and adaptation of principles of trauma care to the pre-hospital setting;
- Discuss paediatric considerations in emergency trauma care;
- Discuss considerations for multiple casualty scenarios; and
- Discuss ethical issues related to trauma and emergency care.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Carry out a comprehensive assessment and examination of the patient who has sustained traumatic injury/ies, using a systematic approach;
- Identify traumatic injury/ies, including occult and distracting injury/ies;
- Identify immediately life-threatening traumatic injuries through appropriate imaging modalities, such as c-spine, chest and pelvic x-rays, and ultrasound;
- Identify acute and critical deterioration of a patient who has sustained traumatic injury/ies;
- Provide emergency nursing care to patients who have sustained traumatic injury/ies;
- Assess and manage pain in a patient who has sustained traumatic injury/ies; and
- Demonstrate leadership and teamwork in the emergency management of a patient who has sustained traumatic injury/ies.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

MAIN TEXTS:

- Campbell, J.E. and Alson, R.L. (2017) International trauma life support for emergency care providers. (8th ed.) Pearson Education, Harlow.
- Curtis, K., Ramsden, C., Shaban, R.Z., Fry, M. and Considine, J. (2019) Emergency and trauma care for nurses and paramedics. (3rd ed.) Elsevier, Chatswood.
- McQuillan, K.A. and Flynn-Makic, M.B. (2019) Trauma nursing: From resuscitation through rehabilitation. (5th ed.) Elsevier, Philadelphia.

SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

- Campo, T.M. and Lafferty, K.A. (Eds.) Essential procedures for emergency, urgent and primary care settings: A clinical companion. (2nd ed.) Springer Publishing, New York.
- Driscoll, P. and Gwinnutt, C. (2019) European trauma course: The team approach. (4th ed.) European Resuscitation Council, Belgium.
- Greaves, I., Porter, K. and Smith, J. (2011) Practical pre-hospital care: The principles and practice of immediate care. Elsevier, London.
- Lott, C. (Ed.) (2015) Advanced life support: ERC guidelines 2015. European Resuscitation Council, Belgium
- Merrick, C. (Ed.) (2018) Advanced trauma life support: Student manual. (10th ed.) American College of Surgeons, Chicago.
- Nutbeam, T. and Boylan, M. (2013) ABC of pre-hospital emergency medicine. John Wiley & Sons, New York
- Roberts, J. (2017) Roberts and Hedges’ clinical procedures in emergency medicine and acute care. (7th ed.) Elsevier, Philadelphia.
- Shah, K.H., Weingart, S.D., Medlej, K. and Lee, J. (2013) Practical emergency resuscitation and critical care. Cambridge Universty Press, Cambridge.
- Soar, J., Perkins, G.D. and Nolan, J. (2013) ABC of resuscitation. (6th ed.) John Wiley & Sons, New York.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-Requisite qualifications: Registered nurses, in possession of an MQF Level 6 qualification, with at least 1 year experience in an area of emergency or urgent care.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture, Independent Study and Workshop

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM2 Yes 50%
Multiple Choice Questions Examination (2 Hours) SEM2 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Trevor Abela Fiorentino

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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