What you'll learn:

This course offers nursing-specific content and new interactive modules to meet course objectives. While this course focuses on care of the mechanically ventilated patient, care of the critically ill patient also requires basic knowledge of a number of other areas including: electrocardiogram interpretation and management, hemodynamic monitoring, management of shock, titratable IV drips and others. Additional resources to support foundational knowledge of these areas is also available in this course. This course intends to introduce non-ICU nurses to the ICU setting.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the ICU setting
• Introduce concepts of titratable IV infusions
• Analyze appropriate considerations related to pain in the critically ill patient
• Define purpose and indications for sedation
• Identify nursing roles in relation to the sedated patient
• Describe implications for titratable sedation and analgesia infusions

• Compare pathophysiological mechanisms of VQ mismatch
• Demonstrate accurate arterial blood gas interpretation and related nursing management
• Describe the clinical manifestations of respiratory failure
• Describe appropriate nursing and collaborative interventions for the patient with respiratory failure
• Identify the basic pathophysiology of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
• Prioritize appropriate nursing and collaborative management strategies for the patient with ARDS.

• Discuss the indications for mechanical ventilation
• Discuss collaborative care and management of patients needing mechanical ventilatory support
• Describe the modes of mechanical ventilation and related relevant nursing care
• Recognize the risks associated with positive pressure mechanical ventilation
• Identify indicators of readiness to wean as well as successful and unsuccessful weaning
• Apply knowledge of mechanical ventilation and respiratory physiology to acid base balance
• Recognize appropriate use of neuromuscular blocking agents in the mechanically ventilated patient

• Discuss BLS and ACLS guidelines related to COVID-19
• Identify key nursing considerations when caring for a patient with a COVID-19 diagnosis
• Review correct donning and doffing of PPE relevant to care of the COVID-19 patient

• Correctly identify common EKG rhythms including: Sinus Rhythm, Sinus Tachycardia, Sinus Bradycardia, Atrial Fibrillation, Atrial Flutter, SVT, 1st degree AV Block, 2nd Degree AV Block, 3rd Degree AV block, Junctional Rhythm, Ventricular Tachycardia, Ventricular Fibrillation, Premature Atrial and Ventricular Contractions, Asystole, Pulseless Electrical Activity
• Discuss collaborative care and nursing management of dysrhythmias
• Identify lethal dysrhythmias (Ventricular Tachycardia, Ventricular Fibrillation, Asystole, Symptomatic Bradycardia, 3rd Degree AV Block, Pulseless Electrical Activity) and their priority interventions

• Define significance of different select hemodynamic parameters
• Identify potential causes for abnormal (high and low) select hemodynamic parameters
• Describe the indications for hemodynamic monitoring
• Describe the types of hemodynamic monitoring systems
• Review invasive line insertion and removal techniques
• Describe the complications associated with hemodynamic monitoring
• Discuss collaborative care and nursing management for a client receiving hemodynamic monitoring
• Analyze health conditions that alter hemodynamic status

• Define Shock
• Describe the progression of shock from the initial stage, to the compensatory stage, to the progressive stage, to the irreversible stage
• Differentiate between the four categories of shock
• Identify expected hemodynamic measurements related to cardiogenic, hypovolemic, obstructive, and all types of distributive shock
• Identify potential causes for cardiogenic, hypovolemic, obstructive, and distributive shocks
• Describe the collaborative and nursing care necessary for a patient in shock

What you'll do:

Watch videos and lectures, complete a knowledge check and participate in the Community Feedback Forum (optional).

Who this course is designed for:

The purpose of this course is to support non-ICU registered nurses (RNs) in their transition to caring for COVID-19 patients in the ICU setting. This course was created under the assumption that learners are registered nurses with active licenses.

Course Requirements: Suggested completion of EdEx and AACN courses (links provided on course homepage).

Ask the Expert Questionnaire

Arizona State University Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation is seeking volunteers to assist with an "Ask the Expert" section of our recently developed course, Introduction to Adult ICU Nursing and Mechanical Ventilation. In response to the current Covid-19 pandemic, this course was developed by our talented nursing faculty as self-paced and unfacilitated. However, we understand that some professionals who enroll in the course may have additional questions outside of the content. Therefore, we are creating a bank of qualified professionals, our ASU nursing alumni, who are willing to assist in this role. We anticipate that this will be less than one-hour commitment per week.