Advanced Trauma Life Support for Nurses
Advanced Trauma Life Support for Nurses equips you with the clinical skills to manage life-threatening injuries from the first minute of patient contact through definitive care. You will master haemorrhage control, shock resuscitation, traumatic brain injury management, and special population protocols. This course is built for nurses who need to perform under pressure and make the right call when it counts.
What you will learn:
This course covers the full spectrum of trauma nursing, from the physiological response to injury and the structured primary survey to damage control resuscitation and secondary assessment. You will learn to manage traumatic brain injury, thoracic and abdominal trauma, spinal cord injuries, and orthopaedic emergencies. Special population modules address paediatric, geriatric, and obstetric trauma patients. You will also develop competency in mass casualty triage, burn and blast injury care, and trauma quality improvement. By the end, you will have the clinical knowledge and decision-making framework to function as a confident, high-performing member of any trauma team.
How you study in practice Advanced Trauma Life Support for Nurses
How you practise Advanced Trauma Life Support for Nurses
For companies looking to train their teams
With Dedika for businesses, the course includes exercises and examples tailored to your company and its specific needs.
Course content
8 Chapters • 32 LessonsDuration between 4 and 360 hours (you decide)
Chapter 1HideHide detailsSee detailsFoundations of Trauma Nursing Practice
Foundations of Trauma Nursing Practice
Lesson 1 • Legal and Ethical Foundations
Addresses consent, documentation standards, and ethical decision-making in trauma. Prepares nurses to act within professional and regulatory boundaries.
Lesson 2 • Epidemiology and Mechanisms of Injury
Covers injury patterns, energy transfer principles, and trauma statistics. Provides context for anticipating injury severity based on mechanism.
Lesson 3 • Physiological Response to Trauma
Explains neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and inflammatory responses to injury. Links pathophysiology to clinical signs nurses will assess.
Lesson 4 • Trauma System and Team Roles
Defines trauma centre levels, activation criteria, and interdisciplinary roles. Positions the nurse within the trauma team hierarchy.
Chapter 2HideHide detailsSee detailsPrimary Survey and Rapid Assessment
Primary Survey and Rapid Assessment
Lesson 1 • Disability and Exposure Assessment
Evaluates neurological status and exposes the patient for hidden injuries. Completes the primary survey before secondary assessment begins.
Lesson 2 • Circulation and Haemorrhage Control
Assesses perfusion status and identifies external haemorrhage sources. Establishes the link between early haemorrhage control and shock prevention.
Lesson 3 • Breathing and Ventilation Assessment
Evaluates respiratory rate, effort, and breath sounds to detect ventilatory failure. Guides nurses in prioritising oxygen delivery interventions.
Lesson 4 • Airway Assessment and Management
Identifies airway obstruction signs and initial nursing interventions. Connects airway patency to oxygenation and survival outcomes.
Chapter 3HideHide detailsSee detailsShock Recognition and Resuscitation
Shock Recognition and Resuscitation
Lesson 1 • Damage Control Resuscitation Principles
Covers permissive hypotension, haemostatic resuscitation, and massive transfusion protocols. Connects resuscitation strategy to coagulopathy prevention.
Lesson 2 • Classifying Shock in Trauma Patients
Differentiates haemorrhagic, obstructive, neurogenic, and distributive shock by clinical signs. Establishes classification as the basis for targeted treatment.
Lesson 3 • Monitoring Resuscitation Endpoints
Identifies haemodynamic, lactate, and urine output targets for resuscitation adequacy. Guides nurses in recognising treatment response and escalating care.
Lesson 4 • Intravenous and Intraosseous Access
Teaches large-bore IV insertion, intraosseous access, and central line assistance. Ensures nurses can establish rapid vascular access under pressure.
Chapter 4HideHide detailsSee detailsSecondary Survey and Injury Identification
Secondary Survey and Injury Identification
Lesson 1 • Diagnostic Adjuncts in Trauma
Introduces FAST exam, trauma labs, and imaging interpretation relevant to nursing. Prepares nurses to anticipate and facilitate diagnostic workflows.
Lesson 2 • Head and Neck Injury Assessment
Identifies scalp lacerations, skull fractures, and cervical injuries through structured examination. Builds on primary survey neurological findings.
Lesson 3 • Extremity and Musculoskeletal Assessment
Evaluates long bone fractures, vascular compromise, and compartment syndrome risk. Links musculoskeletal injuries to systemic blood loss.
Lesson 4 • Thoracic and Abdominal Assessment
Detects rib fractures, haemothorax, and abdominal organ injuries through physical examination. Connects findings to respiratory and haemodynamic instability.
Chapter 5HideHide detailsSee detailsTraumatic Brain Injury Management
Traumatic Brain Injury Management
Lesson 1 • Neuroprotective Nursing Interventions
Implements positioning, oxygenation, and glucose control to limit secondary injury. Connects each intervention to its physiological neuroprotective mechanism.
Lesson 2 • TBI Classification and Pathophysiology
Distinguishes mild, moderate, and severe TBI using clinical and imaging criteria. Links primary and secondary injury mechanisms to nursing priorities.
Lesson 3 • Neurological Monitoring Techniques
Covers serial GCS assessment, pupillary monitoring, and ICP awareness. Enables nurses to detect neurological deterioration before herniation occurs.
Lesson 4 • Pharmacological Management of TBI
Reviews osmotic therapy, sedation, and seizure prophylaxis used in TBI care. Prepares nurses to administer and monitor neurological medications safely.
Chapter 6HideHide detailsSee detailsThoracic and Abdominal Trauma Care
Thoracic and Abdominal Trauma Care
Lesson 1 • Life-Threatening Chest Injuries
Identifies and manages tension pneumothorax, massive haemothorax, and cardiac tamponade. Prioritises interventions by immediacy of threat to life.
Lesson 2 • Rib Fractures and Pulmonary Contusion
Manages pain, ventilatory support, and secretion clearance in chest wall injuries. Links inadequate pain control to respiratory failure risk.
Lesson 3 • Abdominal Organ Injury Management
Covers solid organ injury grading, non-operative management criteria, and surgical preparation. Prepares nurses to monitor for delayed haemorrhage.
Lesson 4 • Abdominal Compartment Syndrome
Identifies intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome through bladder pressure monitoring. Connects elevated pressures to organ dysfunction.
Chapter 7HideHide detailsSee detailsOrthopedic, Spinal, and Vascular Trauma
Orthopedic, Spinal, and Vascular Trauma
Lesson 1 • Spinal Cord Injury Assessment and Care
Assesses spinal cord injury level, completeness, and neurogenic shock. Implements spinal motion restriction and autonomic dysreflexia prevention.
Lesson 2 • Pelvic Fracture and Haemorrhage Control
Manages unstable pelvic fractures as a source of massive haemorrhage. Links pelvic binder application to haemodynamic stabilisation.
Lesson 3 • Long Bone Fracture Management
Covers femur, tibia, and humerus fracture stabilisation and fat embolism prevention. Prepares nurses to monitor for neurovascular compromise post-splinting.
Lesson 4 • Vascular Injury Recognition and Management
Identifies arterial and venous injuries through hard and soft signs of vascular compromise. Prepares nurses for emergent vascular surgery support.
Chapter 8HideHide detailsSee detailsSpecial Populations in Trauma Care
Special Populations in Trauma Care
Lesson 1 • Paediatric Trauma Assessment
Applies age-adjusted vital signs, weight-based dosing, and paediatric airway differences to trauma care. Addresses the child's unique anatomical vulnerability.
Lesson 2 • Patients with Obesity and Comorbidities
Identifies assessment and airway challenges in patients with obesity and chronic disease. Modifies standard trauma protocols for altered anatomy and physiology.
Lesson 3 • Obstetric Trauma Management
Manages trauma in pregnant patients with attention to fetal monitoring and uterine displacement. Balances maternal resuscitation with fetal viability considerations.
Lesson 4 • Geriatric Trauma Considerations
Addresses blunted physiological responses, polypharmacy effects, and frailty in older trauma patients. Adjusts resuscitation targets for age-related comorbidities.
Your valid completion certificate
This course is for you:
Emergency nurses: seeking structured trauma expertise beyond general emergency care skills.
ICU nurses: managing post-trauma patients who need deeper injury-specific clinical knowledge.
New trauma unit nurses: building confidence before their first high-acuity trauma activation.
Flight and transport nurses: preparing for autonomous trauma management in pre-hospital environments.
Perioperative nurses: expanding competency to support emergent trauma surgical cases effectively.
Nurse educators: developing or updating trauma curriculum for hospital-based training programmes.
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