Nursing Technician Refresher Course

Lesson 1 • Healthcare Team Communication

Introduces structured communication tools used in clinical handoffs and interdisciplinary collaboration. Effective communication reduces errors across all care settings.

Lesson 2 • Role and Scope of Practice

Defines the nursing technician's duties, limitations, and accountability within the healthcare team. Anchors all subsequent clinical learning in professional identity.

Lesson 3 • Legal and Ethical Obligations

Covers patient rights, informed consent, confidentiality, and mandatory reporting duties. Provides the ethical lens applied throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Sterile Technique and Asepsis

Teaches surgical and medical asepsis principles for wound care, catheterisation, and invasive procedures. Sterile technique mastery directly reduces infection rates.

Lesson 2 • Safe Patient Handling and Fall Prevention

Addresses ergonomic transfer techniques, assistive devices, and fall-risk assessment tools. Reduces injury to both patients and nursing technicians.

Lesson 3 • Incident Reporting and Near-Miss Analysis

Explains how to identify, report, and analyse adverse events and near misses to improve system safety. Builds a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.

Lesson 4 • Standard Precautions in Clinical Care

Covers hand hygiene, personal protective equipment selection, and safe handling of body fluids. These precautions form the baseline for every patient interaction.

Lesson 1 • Oxygen Saturation and Pain Assessment

Introduces pulse oximetry operation and validated pain scales for diverse patient populations. Links oxygenation and pain data to clinical decision-making.

Lesson 2 • Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration

Covers correct technique for measuring temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate across all age groups. Accurate baseline values enable detection of significant changes.

Lesson 3 • Blood Pressure Measurement

Teaches manual and automated blood pressure techniques, common errors, and orthostatic assessment. Accurate readings guide medication and fluid management decisions.

Lesson 4 • Head-to-Toe Assessment Basics

Provides a systematic framework for observing and reporting physical assessment findings by body system. Structured assessment ensures no critical finding is overlooked.

Lesson 1 • Subcutaneous and Intramuscular Injections

Teaches site selection, needle sizing, and injection technique for subcutaneous and intramuscular routes. Proper technique minimises pain, tissue damage, and infection risk.

Lesson 2 • Oral and Topical Medication Techniques

Covers preparation and administration of oral solids, liquids, and topical agents including patches and creams. Correct technique ensures therapeutic effect and patient safety.

Lesson 3 • Rights of Medication Administration

Introduces the ten rights framework as the foundation for every medication administration task. Consistent application of rights prevents the most common medication errors.

Lesson 1 • Pressure Injury Prevention and Staging

Covers pressure injury risk factors, staging criteria, and repositioning schedules to prevent skin breakdown. Prevention strategies reduce patient suffering and care costs.

Lesson 2 • Wound Irrigation and Debridement Assistance

Covers irrigation technique, solution selection, and the technician's role in assisting with wound debridement procedures. Proper irrigation removes debris without damaging healing tissue.

Lesson 3 • Dressing Selection and Application

Introduces categories of wound dressings and their indications based on wound characteristics. Correct dressing choice optimises the moist wound healing environment.

Lesson 4 • Wound Assessment and Classification

Teaches systematic wound description using standardised terminology for size, depth, exudate, and tissue type. Accurate assessment drives appropriate treatment selection.

Lesson 1 • Peripheral IV Site Assessment and Care

Covers inspection of peripheral IV sites for infiltration, phlebitis, and infection at each shift. Routine site assessment prevents serious IV-related complications.

Lesson 2 • Central Line and PICC Site Care

Addresses dressing changes, cap changes, and site assessment for central venous and PICC lines. Proper central line care is the primary prevention for bloodstream infections.

Lesson 3 • Infusion Rate Monitoring and Pump Operation

Teaches operation of volumetric infusion pumps, rate verification, and alarm response. Accurate rate delivery prevents fluid overload and under-infusion.

Lesson 4 • IV Fluid Types and Indications

Introduces isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic fluid categories and their clinical purposes. Understanding fluid types supports accurate monitoring and patient education.

Lesson 1 • Urinary Catheter Insertion and Care

Covers indwelling and intermittent catheter insertion using sterile technique and ongoing catheter maintenance. Correct technique is the primary prevention for catheter-associated infections.

Lesson 2 • Urinary Output Monitoring and Abnormalities

Teaches measurement, documentation, and interpretation of urinary output including colour, clarity, and volume. Abnormal output patterns signal renal or systemic complications.

Lesson 3 • Bowel Elimination Assessment

Introduces Bristol Stool Scale, bowel pattern documentation, and assessment of constipation and diarrhoea. Systematic bowel assessment guides timely intervention.

Lesson 4 • Ostomy Care and Appliance Management

Teaches pouching system changes, stoma assessment, and peristomal skin care for colostomy and ileostomy patients. Competent ostomy care supports patient independence and skin integrity.

Lesson 1 • Nasogastric Tube Insertion and Management

Teaches NG tube insertion, placement verification, and ongoing tube feeding and drainage management. Correct placement verification prevents aspiration and serious patient harm.

Lesson 2 • Oxygen Therapy Delivery Devices

Covers nasal cannula, simple mask, non-rebreather mask, and Venturi mask setup and flow rate settings. Correct device selection delivers the prescribed fraction of inspired oxygen.

Lesson 3 • Choking and Airway Obstruction Response

Teaches abdominal thrust technique, back blows, and unconscious choking management for all age groups. Rapid airway clearance prevents hypoxic injury and death.

Lesson 4 • Specimen Collection and Diagnostic Support

Covers blood glucose monitoring, venipuncture assistance, and collection of urine, stool, and sputum specimens. Accurate specimen collection ensures reliable diagnostic results.