Frequently Asked Questions:

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What is it?

BASIC for Nurses is a short course, usually held over 2 days, which covers essential and fundamental aspects of Intensive Care.

Who is it aimed at?

It is primarily designed as an introduction to Intensive Care for novice ICU nurses but is also suitable for nurses working in high dependency units

What is the format?

The format is similar to ACLS, ATLS and BASIC. The course consists of course manual, brief clinically-based lectures, skill stations and pre- and post-course tests. The course works on a cascading model with local instructors delivering the content after appropriate training.

How much does it cost?

There are no license fees for running BASIC. Course material is supplied in an electronic format. Course manuals can be printed locally from the supplied pdf (colour printing is required) or supplied at cost (approximately US$10 per book plus shipping). Registration fees for candidates vary from course to course depending on venue costs and degree of subsidy.

Who can run and teach courses?

The course director must have attended a BASIC for Nurses’ instructor course and we prefer it if most of the instructors have also attended the course. At least 50% of the instructors on any given course must be specialist Intensive Care nurses (however that is defined in your country).

What topics are covered?

• Applied cardiovascular physiology
• Haemodynamic monitoring
• Shock and oliguria
• Life-threatening arrhythmias
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Upper Airway Obstruction and Airway Management
• Respiratory physiology
• Acute respiratory failure
• Mechanical ventilation: Basics
• Mechanical ventilation: troubleshooting
• Non-invasive ventilation
• Care of the mechanically ventilated patient
• Respiratory monitoring
• Arterial blood gas interpretation
• Neurological assessment
• Intracranial hypertension
• Sedation
• Pain management
• Nutritional support
• Infection control
• Transport of the critically ill patient
• Communication with patients and their families
• Clinical handover
• Nursing assessment of the critically ill patient

Where has the course been run?

Australia, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Iran, Nepal, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Romania, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, The course has been run over 200 times.

What are the conditions for running a course?

• You acknowledge the source of the material
• The material is used for non-commercial purposes. We are happy for course organizers to make a small profit but all profits must be used for Acute Care or Intensive Care education or research
• The course is registered with us and pre- and post-course MCQ answers are submitted to us online.
• Courses must include 75% of the overall course material and 75% of the skill station material.
• The number of candidates should not exceed 6 per skill station.

If you are interested in running a course please contact us for further details.

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