Clinical Detective: Neurological

Course Overview

This highly interactive Course takes you through a real-life case study. It requires you, the Clinical Detective, to consider why certain diagnostic tests, observations and procedures are undertaken.

As you move the case study you’ll be able to confirm or eliminate potential clinical problems. You will be asked a series of questions throughout the Course that will assist you with this and your learning.

Topics

• What are red flags in your assessment findings?
• Why are certain diagnostic tests ordered?
• Which diagnoses can be ruled out?
• How are clinical conditions treated?
• What does this mean for the patient?

Need

We use critical thinking skills and professional judgment on a daily basis in our practice.

It is important that we continue to revise and strengthen these skills to ensure that we are able to recognise deteriorating patients and changes to conditions in a timely manner.

Purpose

The purpose of this Course is to enhance your critical thinking, assessment, and problem-solving skills by working through a case study in order to identify and act on a common clinical condition.

Learning Outcomes

• Promptly identify signs and symptoms of a condition that are evident from a patient’s presentation and their history
• Undertake a comprehensive assessment relative to the patient’s presentation and concerns and implement timely action based on the interpretation of the data obtained
• Use knowledge of diagnostic tests for the specific condition to further confirm the presenting condition and how these will influence treatment required for the patient
• Provide an outline of the expected outcomes for the patient with the condition related to the potential treatment and nursing management

Target Audience

This Course is designed for registered nurses and other health professionals working in primary health care, community and acute settings who encounter patients with neurological conditions.

Disclosure

No conflict of interest exists for anyone in the position to control content for this activity. Wherever possible, generic or non-proprietary names of medications or products have been used.

Educator

Genevieve Brideson

Dr Genevieve Brideson completed her general nurse training in 1985, operating room certificate in 1988, midwifery in 1992, and a bachelor of nursing in 2000. She commenced aviation nursing in 1991 on commercial flights with critical care patients and then with RFDS Eastern Goldfields (now Western Operations) in 1993. She moved into hospital management roles at the end of 2007, but aviation nursing has remained her passion. She completed honours in 2010, looking at how flight nurses in Australia maintain their midwifery skills and graduated with a PhD in September 2017, which examined the work of contemporary flight nurses in Australia. Genevieve is currently working as a freelance consultant in various nursing roles, including as a member of the South Australian Health Practitioners Tribunal. See Educator Profile