Clinical Detective: Rheumatology

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 through the case study, you’ll be able to confirm or eliminate potential clinical problems.

Topics

• What are the 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

• Correlate clinical assessment findings with appropriate and timely interventions to improve patient outcomes.
• Strengthened professional judgment may lead to earlier detection of signs and symptoms of deterioration and decrease the burden of illness.
• Knowledge of appropriate diagnostic tests and procedures may decrease the potential for over-servicing and unnecessary interventions.

Target Audience

This Course is designed for nurses, midwives and other health professionals working in primary healthcare, community and acute settings.

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

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.