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Departments
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Special Interest
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Nurse Education on Waikato hospital ICU Waikato Hospital ICU is a tertiary referral centre catering for a population spread over a large geographical area. We care for severely ill people with multi-organ dysfunction, including those with medical or renal problems, trauma and burns, as well as patients who have undergone cardiac, neurological or general surgery. We also provide care for paediatric patients and offer an interhospital transport service for the critically ill. Critical care nursing is becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. Providing education for a team of around 70 nurses in such a dynamic environment with a broad spectrum of patient specialities is a great challenge. The Unit has addressed this by appointing 2 educators, Sarah Walker and Mark Reynolds, and there is an education plan in place to address the needs of a continuum of skill levels, from Novice to Expert.
We offer 3 ICU courses, at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels: 1) Basic Course The Basic Course is a beginner level course consisting of 2 study days that cover core concepts related to nursing care of critically ill patients. The aim of the course is to introduce essential concepts that promote a greater understanding of the theoretical basis underpinning delivery of critical care. It has been designed with the intention of leading novice practitioners towards a competent level of knowledge and nursing practice within a critical care environment. The course focuses on assessment, rationale for interventions, key aspects of basic nursing care, patient safety, the risks of critical care and the psychological impact of critical care for the patients, family and the nurse. The course involves some reflection, which promotes sharing of knowledge and experience amongst the students. The course aims to guide the candidates towards a safe level of independent practice in critical care, by providing them with a broad knowledge base of nursing aspects of critical care and exploring some of the wider issues in this speciality.
2) The Clinical Skills Course The Clinical Skills Course is an intermediate level course consisting of a series of 7 systems based study days that incorporate core aspects of patient care related to normal and altered anatomy, physiology and disease processes. The course is delivered in a modular format, which enables the candidates to study each system on a stand-alone basis, or as a discrete package leading to a Certificate in Clinical Skills. Each Clinical Skills Study and its associated workbook focuses on the anatomy, physiology and patho-physiology of a body system or patient group. Each study day contains a simulation component. These consist of realistic scenarios providing a safe and controlled environment in which students can consolidate common threads of knowledge and practice taught throughout each day. The course content assumes that the candidates already have basic knowledge, understanding and experience of Intensive Care Nursing. The aim of the course is to foster or provide the knowledge and skills necessary to provide high standards of evidence based nursing practice, coupled with the introduction of related competency based nursing skills in key areas. It has been designed with the intention of leading competent practitioners towards a proficient level of nursing practice and knowledge within the setting of ICU. Negotiations are currently taking place to align this course with a Victoria University qualification by 2009.
3) The Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing (Intensive care) The postgraduate certificate in clinical nursing is delivered on site, at Waikato Hospital, but is provided by Victoria University of Wellington. It is at Masters level, consisting of two thirty point papers. The course runs from March to October, and comprises 14 study days including academic, practical, simulation and presentation components. It is designed to prepare intensive care nurses to care for patients and families with complex needs and to develop the knowledge and skills associated with advanced nursing practice. Intensive care nursing as a speciality is an ever-growing profession encompassing more complex and varied challenges. This course has been designed to extend and deepen students’ academic, practical and technical knowledge through formal instruction and directed inquiry. Through this, intensive care nurses should be able to integrate theory and practice in the management of patients presenting with acute health needs.
Other educational opportunities on Waikato Hospital ICU
We have a comprehensive orientation package for all staff new to the unit, whether experienced or inexperienced. The focus of orientation of experienced staff is to provide support in the transition phase of moving from one unit to another and to facilitate familiarity with the different protocols, guidelines and environment. All staff are provided with a minimum of three weeks orientation but this may be extended after negotiation to facilitate learning and confidence. The orientation programme is supported by a large team of experienced preceptors. The intensive care unit also runs regular simulation days for nursing and medical staff. These are clinical based education days run in our clinical skills centre using state of the art manikins and computer software to provide realism and atmosphere in the learning environment. A variety of other ICU specific and general hospital study days are provided, in addition to in-service training on a wide variety of subjects, equipment and projects that are underway.
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