Liver Function, Assessment and Common Diseases

Course Overview

Can you recognise the signs of liver disease or dysfunction? Begin this Course now and develop your assessment skills to immediately form a clearer clinical picture of a person with liver disease or dysfunction.

Topics

• What are the functions of the liver?
• How are these affected in liver disease?
• What clues from a head-to-toe assessment would reveal liver disease?
• A basic guide to interpreting pathology results and much, much more...

Need

There is a wide range of liver diseases some of which are very complex and life reducing. Liver disease can affect every organ system in the body because of the complexity of liver function. These relationships make clinical assessment difficult and confusing - particularly because early manifestations of liver disease may be subtle.

Given the diversity of liver disease, it is likely that most health professionals will care for acute and chronically unwell people with this condition. This timely Course provides an opportunity to review liver function, assessment and common diseases to achieve best patient outcomes.

Purpose

The purpose of this course is to review liver function, assessment and common disorders in order to support best outcomes in people with liver disease or dysfunction.

Learning Outcomes

• Correlate clinical assessment findings with pathophysiological processes to better identify those at risk of liver disease and dysfunction.
• Apply knowledge relating to the identification of liver dysfunction to prevent complications.
• Prioritise the holistic care of a person who has liver disease or dysfunction.

Target Audience

This Course will be of interest to health professionals working in hospitals, primary care and in community settings who occasionally, or frequently, care for patients with liver disease.

Disclosure

No conflict of interest exists for anyone in the position to control content for this activity. Wherever possible, generic or non-proprietary names of medications or products have been used.

Educator

Jana Van der Jagt

Jana Van der Jagt is a hepatology nurse practitioner from the Mid North Coast of NSW where she established and developed the Port Macquarie Liver Clinic. She has worked in the field of hepatology for 18 years. Her current roles include the provision of comprehensive liver disease assessment and management in private practice at Port Macquarie Gastroenterology as well as consultancy services developing and delivering education for healthcare workers. Particular interests include advanced liver disease, nurse education, and the development of responsive models of care. Jana’s qualifications include graduate diploma in critical care nursing, graduate diploma adult education and training, and a master of nursing (nurse practitioner).