Trauma Nurse Orientation Course - MayJun 2023
Trauma Nurse Orientation Course
Contact: Michelle Broge-Connor
Target Audience
The target audience for this course is the registered nurse who provides care for the multi-trauma patient, including but not limited to nurses in: trauma stepdown, trauma intensive care, emergency department, OR/PACU, as well as SWAT and System Resource Nurses.
Learning Objectives
At the completion of this course, the learner will be able to:
1. Describe how the UPMC Presbyterian Trauma Services practices relate to the PTSF standards requirements.
2. Discuss disaster preparedness and mass casualty management.
3. Define predictable clinical manifestations relative to mechanism of injury.
4. Outline a basic trauma nursing assessment incorporating primary survey, secondary survey, and tertiary survey.
5. Identify etiology and clinical manifestations indicative of an airway obstruction.
6. Describe the perioperative phase as it relates to the operative management of traumatic injury and to predisposition of complications (occurrences).
7. Recognize the signs, symptoms and management strategies of shock.
8. Describe methods of hemorrhage control in the trauma patient.
9. State the signs and symptoms seen with increased intracranial pressure (ICP).
10. Describe the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and medical and nursing management of maxillofacial and ocular trauma during the acute phase of care, including issues for discharge planning.
11. Outline the components of an examination of the patient with acute spinal cord injury.
12. Review the UPMC Presbyterian guidelines for cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral injury precautions.
13. Differentiate between the six types of chest injuries which are immediately life threatening and the eight that are potentially lethal.
14. Describe the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and medical and nursing management of abdominal trauma during the acute phase of care, including issues for discharge planning.
15. Describe the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and medical and nursing management of genitourinary trauma during the acute phase of care, including issues for discharge planning.
16. Discuss potential complications of pelvic and extremity fractures.
17. Describe the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and medical and nursing management of injuries to burn and cold during the acute phase of care, including issues for discharge planning.
18. Discuss pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of pain in trauma.
19. Describe the metabolic response to trauma.
20. Discuss rehabilitation issues in relation to traumatic injuries.
21. Discuss both pre-injury tactics (community outreach and education) and post-injury approaches (patient and family education, substance abuse counseling, and resources).
22. Define the geriatric trauma patient based on physiologic changes related to the aging process.
23. Describe the normal physiologic changes of pregnancy and how the changes relate to clinical management of traumatic injury.
24. Describe the care of the bariatric patient based on the physiologic and emotional component.
25. Relate the common causes of mortality and morbidity to mechanisms of injury in the pediatric trauma patient.
26. Identify the nurse’s role in the assessment of reporting of suspected abuse and neglect.
27. Describe resources for Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) for staff.
28. Differentiate between donation after brain death and donation after cardiac death.
TRAUMA NURSE ORIENTATION COURSE – SAMPLE COURSE AGENDA
This course consists of three days of classroom lectures/hands-on skills, as well as six (6) online modules. The topics of the course are listed below. The order of presentations may vary.
DAY 1 – CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
8:00 – 8:30 Introduction
8:30 – 9:30 Mechanism of Injury/Kinematics
9:30 – 9:45 BREAK
9:45 – 10:45 Initial Resuscitation
10:45 – 11:15 Airway Considerations in Trauma
11:15 – 12:00 Hemorrhage Control
12:00 – 12:45 LUNCH
12:45 – 1:45 Craniocerebral Trauma
1:45 – 2:45 Maxillofacial/Ocular Trauma
2:45 – 3:00 BREAK
3:00 – 4:00 Spinal Trauma
4:00 – 4:30 Daily Eval’s, Quiz, Adjourn
DAY 2 – CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
8:00 – 9:00 Thoracic Trauma
9:00 – 10:00 Abdominal Trauma
10:00 – 10:15 BREAK
10:15 – 11:15 Musculoskeletal Trauma
11:15 – 12:15 Shock
12:15 – 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 – 2:00 Prehospital Care of the Trauma Patient
2:00 – 2:45 Rehabilitation of the Trauma Patient
2:45 – 3:00 BREAK
3:00 – 4:15 Perioperative Care of the Trauma Patient
4:15 – 4:30 Daily Eval’s Quiz, Adjourn
DAY 3 – CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
8:00 – 8:30 End of Life/Organ Donation
8:30 – 9:30 Pediatric Trauma
9:30 – 9:45 BREAK
9:45 – 10:45 Obstetrical Trauma
10:45 – 11:45 Psychosocial Aspects of Trauma/Abuse
11:45 – 12:15 Critical Incident Stress Management
12:15 – 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 – 1:30 Bariatric Considerations in Trauma
1:30 – 2:30 Burn Trauma
2:30 – 3:30 Tour of ED Trauma Bay and Stat MedEvac/Helipad
3:30 – 4:30 Daily Eval’s, Quiz, Adjourn
Topics covered in the ONLINE MODULES:
0.5 hr The Trauma System
0.5 hr Injury Prevention
1.0 hr Geriatric Trauma
1.0 hr Pain Management in the Adult Trauma Patient
0.5 hr Genitourinary Trauma
1.0 hr Nutritional Needs of the Trauma Patient
*Note: The 6 Online Modules are accessed via Learning in HR Direct. Approximately 2 weeks prior to class, instructor will send links to the online modules to the students to allow ample time to complete them. Instructor will verify online module completion by viewing transcripts in HR Direct
Michelle Broge-Connor, MSN RN CCRN-K PHRN
In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Nursing (CNE)
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 24.0 contact hours.
Available Credit
- 24.00 ANCCUPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation