The Deteriorating Patient: Cardiac and Respiratory Assessment

The Deteriorating Patient: Cardiac and Respiratory Assessment is organized by Education at Sea, Nurses for Nurses Network (NFNN) and will be held from Sep 09 - 18, 2026 at Carnival Splendor, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Outline:
Conference Synopsis:
Join us for an engaging conference aboard a fabulous cruise ship. Designed for both novice and experienced nurses, as well as midwives seeking to expand their knowledge, this event is designed to help you feel more capable, confident, and prepared in your role. With healthcare becoming increasingly complex, advanced assessment skills are no longer optional — they’re essential for nurses stepping into various roles, making critical decisions, and supporting their teams.

This conference provides practical, easy-to-understand strategies that you can implement immediately, all within a supportive and enjoyable setting. Relax, recharge, and learn from highly regarded content that nurses and midwives have praised for years. Combine professional development with time to connect with peers and fully immerse yourself in the cruising experience. Step off the ship with more confidence, skills, and clarity to take your practice to the next level.

Advanced assessment skills are essential for nurses because they significantly enhance the quality of patient care, improve patient outcomes, and encourage professional growth. As healthcare becomes increasingly complex, nurses are taking on more in-depth assessment and critical thinking roles. Nurses with advanced assessment skills are more likely to take on leadership roles in clinical settings, such as team leader, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse practitioner. These roles often involve making independent decisions, exercising complex clinical judgment, and collaborating with other healthcare providers.

This conference is for novice and experienced nurses who want to gain confidence in cardiac and respiratory assessment. Its content has been highly evaluated over many years. Midwives would also benefit from this knowledge, as pregnant women have increased co-morbidities that require advanced cardiac knowledge. The conference commences with a cardiac assessment and aims to empower all nurses to perform an expert clinical assessment of patients deteriorating with cardiac disorders. We will then explore the significance of advanced respiratory assessment, beginning with an explanation of various respiratory disorders, many of which are life-threatening.

Continuing, we will also discuss the following:

• The increased incidence of vaping by adolescents and the effects on the respiratory system
• The increasing prevalence of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and the nurses’/midwives’ responsibilities relating to oxygen administration
• Chest auscultation
• Interpretation of chest x-rays and
• Interpretation of arterial blood gases (ABG)

Learning Outcomes:
At this Conference, participants will:

• Explore the general cardiac assessment of a deteriorating patient with cardiac compromise
• Gain expert knowledge and skills in the interpretation of arrythmias and 12-lead ECG
• Discuss the general respiratory assessment of a deteriorating patient with respiratory compromise
• Investigate communication skills and tips that will obtain immediate action for your patient from other members of the health care team

You Will Also Learn:

• To recognise a patient deteriorating with a cardiac disorder
• To interpret deterioration of a monitored patient
• To recognise a patient deteriorating with a respiratory disorder or condition
• Interesting respiratory conditions such as silicosis, psittacosis and, legionnaires disease, and the deadly emerging C.auris
• To read a chest x-ray
• The presentation on the chest x-ray of a variety of disorders such as: heart failure, pneumothorax, pneumonia and placement of various catheters
• To recognize Becks Triad and relate to the deteriorating patient with a pericardiac effusion
• The anatomy of the lung fields, examining the lobes and landmarks for auscultation
• To auscultate both the lungs and the heart
• The significance of a post- operative patient who develops crackles and shortness of breath
• How syncope or mild fitting can be misdiagnosed and relate this to the Long QT (LQT) interval syndrome
• To perform the clinical assessment of a collapsed patient and address the controversy of performing pulses
• The vital role ward nurses have in managing a patient after an antidepressant overdose and the required knowledge of all nurses in this serious disorder of LQT
• The assessment of chest pain in a pregnant woman or in the post-partum period ANZCOR’s (Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation)
• Resuscitation guidelines relating to PEA (pulseless electrical activity) cardiac arrest
• The common arrhythmia associated with a post op haemorrhage or trauma The significance of recognition of a murmur

The Program:
The program content is provided by expert Educators with extensive clinical and education experience. The education content provided in this program meets the same exacting standards as anything offered in an Australian land-based program.

No matter what conference you attend you always need accommodation a cruise ship provides a great all-inclusive* accommodation option to enhance your Conference experience.

Education at Sea and The Nurses for Nurses Network combine great education with fabulous travel adventures. We have taken a holistic approach to Nursing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to ensure you get the most out of your education-travel experience.