The online cardiac surgical nursing course is a practical guide to cardiac surgical nursing on the ITU and the ward (‘floor’). It has been designed by a group of cardiac surgical nurses and surgeons from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the US. It is delivered in a video-lecture style with multiple Q and A sessions throughout lecture series so that you can test your new knowledge as you go.

The Advanced online cardiac surgical nursing course is aimed at nurses who have been in Cardiac Surgical Nursing for some time and who are already are contemplating becoming an advanced nurse practitioner / practice provider in Cardiac surgery. It is also of use to ANP’s / advanced providers in general critical care who want to transition onto a Cardiac Surgical ITU or look after more Cardiac Surgical Patients.

It covers the basics of anatomy and physiology and operative cardiac surgery. It encompasses lectures on the patient journey from pre-operative decision making, through to patients arriving back on the ITU, being stepped down to the ward / ‘floor’ and finally being discharged home. It contains sections on the basics of wound care, pressure area care, dealing with sedation, analgesia and the confused post cardiac surgical patient. It also has sections on psychological care and the dealing with the difficult issues of death and dying in the cardiac surgical environment.

From the critical care point of view, it covers basic areas of cardiac ITU management and cardiac surgical nursing skills on the intensive care unit. Due to its more advanced nature, the advanced course goes into considerable depth about Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care decision making so as to aid the practitioner in becoming a dynamic part of the multi-disciplinary team looking after cardiac surgical patients. It gives practical advice about resuscitation of ‘sick’ cardiac surgical patients and gives a brief explanation of CALS / CSU-ALS. Furthermore, it gives very user-friendly lessons on pacing , chest drain management and the IABP, after which none of these devices (which are hallmarks of post cardiac surgical nursing care) will ever be a mystery again! It also gives advanced hands on advice about removal of epicardial pacing wires, chest drains and cardiac output monitoring.

Finally, there are in depth practical lectures about Examination and Assessment, CXR, ECG and Blood Gas analysis which will equip the advanced practitioner to be able to rapidly diagnose post-operative cardiac surgical deterioration.