Venous Thromboembolism

Course Overview

Could you recognise the signs of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)? Are you confident your assessment skills would identify a pulmonary embolism (PE)? Begin this Course to refresh your existing knowledge of venous thromboembolism (VTE), now!

Topics

• How does the blood clot?
• What physical signs may indicate a DVT or PE?
• What comes after the assessment?
• What are common interventions for the treatment and management of VTE?

Need

Venous thromboembolism is a serious, life-threatening, clinical condition that must be recognised and assessed immediately for best patient outcomes.

Although there is widespread awareness of the risk of developing a blood clot, this may not translate to being familiar with the signs and symptoms. This Course will provide the learner with an opportunity to understand how to perform a detailed assessment for DVT and PE so that a clinician can recognise VTE and initiate appropriate management.

Purpose

The purpose of this Course is to provide nurses with education relating to venous thromboembolism in order to assist in the prevention of disability and premature death.

Learning Outcomes

• Receive the best, evidence-based information on preventing the risks of DVT/PE.
• Assess and initiate appropriate treatment when signs and symptoms of clot pathology manifest in someone in your care.
• Apply in-depth knowledge of the clotting cascade to support best-practice use of anticoagulant medicines and reduce the likelihood of unwanted effects.

Target Audience

All health professionals will gain confidence from undertaking this Course, given the prevalence of and harm associated with VTE.

Disclosure

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

Educator

Tracy Edwards

Tracy Edwards is a Nurse Practitioner who works in the emergency department at Modbury Public Hospital in South Australia. In this role, she works in a “see and treat” model of care. She also works with the rapid assessment team, where she is required to fulfil both clinical and educational duties. Tracy has experience as a practice nurse and has held other management positions, including acting quality and clinical risk manager. Tracy is particularly interested in vascular health and has run several extra vocational programs focused on the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Tracy was a finalist in the "future leader" category for the South Australian Nursing and Midwifery Awards 2011 and won a South Australian Premiers Travelling Scholarship in 2011/12. See Educator Profile