Topic 12 - Intro to Nursing Animals

Question 1

Describe the obligations of a VN required to meet patient needs

Answer 1

• ensure husbandry, health & wellbeing req. are met
• minimise stress, fear, pain & distress
• mental & physical stimulation (enrichment)
• grooming, toileting
• psychological needs

Question 2

What are some daily needs of patients?

Answer 2

exercise
physical therapy & rehab
nutrition

Question 3

What are IV fluids used for?

Answer 3

correct fluid imbalances
maintain normal fluid levels
-dehydration, shock, blood loss, stress, facilitate meds

Question 4

Describe procedure to apply IV fluids & their set up

Answer 4

• warm fluids to BT
• choose appropriate catheter & lines
• double check fluid is correctly prescribed, in date, undamaged, visually clear
• prepare fluid pump if appropriate
• connect bag aseptically, remove air
• prep skin
• insert IV catheter & attach line
• tape catheter
• flush w/ heparin-saline
• turn on fluids & adjust flow rate
• secure apparatus

Question 5

What is the fluid rate for…
Typical maintenance?
shock?
surgical?

Answer 5

maintenance - 60ml/kg/day or 25ml/kg/hr
shock - 1st hour 80-80ml/kg/hour
surgical - 10ml/kg/hr

Question 6

Describe ways to monitor fluid therapy

How do patients appear if they have had too much fluid?

Answer 6

Patient will have > RR, > respiratory sounds (lung congestion), frothing of fluid from nose

• change every 3 days
• record fluid rates, inputs, outputs, when bags are changed & by whom, bag contents
• check for pain, swelling, discharge etc
• flush drug catheters after admin

Question 7

Describe some complications that may occur with IV treatment

Answer 7

Phlebitis - inflamm of vessel wall due to endothelial damage
Thrombosis - formation on clot
catheter embolism - fragment of catheter dislodges, entering circulation & lodges in heart/lungs
infection
Infiltration - diffusion of fluids into surrounding tissues

Question 8

What is the ideal oxygen supplementation [ ] ?
should the oxygen be humidified?
Name 3 ways of providing O2 supplementation

Answer 8

• 40-60% oxygen
• humidified
• intubation/ventilation, nasal cannula, oxygen cage

Question 9

Describe cardiac compressions and rescue breathing

Answer 9

rescue breathing - compression every 1-2 secs
cardiac compression - lay animal on right side, place hands in middle of rib cage. Compress 15 times followed by two rescue breaths
= 90 compressions/minute; 3 x every 2 secs

Question 10

What is shock?

Describe the symptoms and treatment of shock

Answer 10

Shock is lack of circulation of oxygenated blood to body tissues
S:
-weak, fast pulse, rapid HR,

Question 11

What is haemorrhage?

Describe the symptoms and treatment of haemorrhage

Answer 11

bleeding
S:
arterial bleeding: bright red & spurting
venous bleeding: dark red, pooling
capillary bleeding: slow oozing

T:
direct pressue
pad/bandage wound
avoid tourniquets

Question 12

What are the aims of first aid?

Answer 12

• save life
• prevent further injury
• reduce pain & stress
• reduce chance of infection
• increase rate of recovery