Think Kidneys is keen to signpost visitors to the website to educational resources on the subject of acute kidney injury, that have been produced either locally or nationally for health and social care professionals.
To the best of our knowledge, the contents of educational resources posted on or linked to this website are in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance relating to the management and treatment of acute kidney injury.
Professional advice should be sought before taking, or refraining from taking, any action on the basis of the content of these educational resources posted or link to on our website. We cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions therein, nor for the consequences of these or for any loss or damage suffered by readers or any third party informed of its contents.
The UK Renal Registry disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the information contained in educational resources posted or linked to from this website by you or any third party who may be informed of its contents.
Click on the ‘owls’ below for resources appropriate to each health and social care professional group.
Educational resources for undergraduate nurse educators
The following Think Kidneys resources are for undergraduate nurse educators. They consist of guidance, lesson plans, a video seminar and slide sets which also be accessed via our SlideShare account, where you can download and edit them to suit your needs.
- Guidance for undergraduate nurse educators
- Slide set for year one undergraduate nurse educators (Link to Slideshare version)
- Slide set for year two undergraduate nurse educators (Link to Slideshare version)
- Slide set for year three undergraduate nurse educators (Link to Slideshare version)
RCGP AKI E-Learning Module
This e-learning module has been developed in association with the Think Kidneys Programme and the Royal College of General Practitioners. It is available to all UK health professionals although it is predominately aimed at GPs and is FREE to RCGP members . If you are non-member, you can purchase it on the RCGP website. The module takes around 30 minutes to complete. It focuses on which patients are at greater risk of AKI, how to identify them, how to detect AKI and how to initiate appropriate actions.
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University Hospitals of Leicester AKI E-Learning
This general e-learning resource focuses on the prevention and management of AKI. It includes a number of case studies and various interactive features to test the user’s knowledge of AKI. The module aims to allow users to identify AKI and those at risk, to understand basic management principles and know when to refer for help. It is aimed at all healthcare professionals who care for patients with or at risk of AKI, although Doctors may find the GP e-learning resource below more suited to their specific needs.
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University Hospitals of Leicester AKI GP Package
This GP e-learning resource focuses on the prevention and management of AKI. It includes a number of case studies and various interactive features to test the user’s knowledge of AKI. The module aims to allow users to identify AKI and those at risk, understand which patients with AKI need to be admitted to hospital and which need discussion with a nephrologist. It is aimed specifically at GPs, although other healthcare professionals may benefit from the general AKI e-learning resource above.
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RCP Toolkit on Acute kidney injury and intravenous fluid therapy
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) have developed a new toolkit on acute kidney injury and intravenous fluid therapy. Dehydrated patients are particularly at risk, so the toolkit underlines the importance of accurate measuring of fluid intake, when to start giving the patient fluids intravenously, and how much and what kind of fluids should be administered. Once diagnosed, patients are also at risk of complications, so the toolkit lists these to help doctors provide ongoing care to prevent them. Patients who have recovered from AKI have a higher risk of later kidney and heart disease, so the toolkit also outlines the risk factors and the actions that the clinical team can take to prevent this from happening. Discharge and the need for follow-up treatment are also covered in the toolkit, with advice on potential follow-up medication.
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Derbyshire Hospitals Nursing AKI Guidlines
This resource was developed by Derbyshire hospitals as part of an education package for nurses. It may also be useful for medical students and junior doctors.
It contains some site-specific material but is largely applicable to a general audience. The presentation should be delivered as part of a lecture by a subject expert.
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Durham and Darlington AKI Fluid Balance Teaching Package
This study package has been designed by Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust to aid multidisciplinary staff in developing their knowledge of Acute Kidney Injury and Fluid Balance. The best format for this package is as an interactive study day with a facilitator and expert faculty members to deliver the content. It should be used in conjunction with the Scenario and Facilitator Notes below.
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Durham and Darlington AKI Fluid Balance Scenario and Facilitator notes
This study package has been designed by Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust to aid multidisciplinary staff in developing their knowledge of Acute Kidney Injury and Fluid Balance. The best format for this package is as an interactive study day with a facilitator and expert faculty members to deliver the content. It should be used in conjunction with the Teaching Package above.
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What is AKI?
This bitesize animation has been produced by Andrea Fox of the School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Sheffield, and Louise Wild of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. It is designed to give staff an introduction to AKI and signpost further sources of information. It is aimed at all healthcare professionals who care for patients with or at risk of AKI.
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Sheffield Hospital Surgical Care Guidelines for AKI
This resource was developed by Sheffield Teaching hospitals as part of an education package for Healthcare Professionals in Surgical. It contains some site-specific material but is largely applicable to a general audience. The presentation should be delivered as part of a lecture by a subject expert.
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Sheffield Hospital Medical Care Guidelines for AKI
This resource was developed by Sheffield Teaching hospitals as part of an education package for Healthcare Professionals in Medical. It contains some site-specific material but is largely applicable to a general audience. The presentation should be delivered as part of a lecture by a subject expert.
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BAPN Flow diagram for acute kidney injury in children
This flow diagram was developed by representatives from paediatric renal units at a meeting held in February 2015. The group reviewed the following documents:
- Royal Cornwall Hospital Clinical Guideline for AKI
- University Hospital Aintree AKI Guideline
- London AKI Network Manual
- Paediatric AKI Guideline – Nottingham
- KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for AKI
The output was a consensus document highlighting children at high risk of developing AKI and advising investigations, management and tertiary service referral criteria. The document was circulated to all members of the British Association for Paediatric Nephrology and comments were incorporated into the final document.
The purpose of this guideline is to provide non-specialist clinicians with practical advice when they receive an alert indicating one of their patients has AKI.
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Nursing Times – Preventing Dehydration
This online module is sponsored by Think Kidneys and is one of many online courses for nurses available from Nursing Times, the UK’s leading independent, peer-reviewed journal for nurses. The hydration module focuses on the causes and symptoms of dehydration, as well as prevention strategies. The module requires a login and is free to Nursing Times subscribers.
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National Kidney Foundation AKI Video
This film focuses on the recommendations made by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report into AKI. It looks at work being carried out at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to ensure that AKI is swiftly diagnosed and treated.
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London AKI Network Academy
The London Acute Kidney Injury Network (London AKI Network) is a collaboration of healthcare professionals and organisations involved in acute kidney care throughout London and its referring regions. A range of online learning modules and videos are available, covering AKI risk, recognition and prevention. The resources are aimed at doctors of all grades but are accessible to all health and care professionals.
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Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE)
This programme aims to support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in advancing their knowledge and skills in relation to AKI by helping them to deliver advanced-level pharmacy practice for patients with AKI and ensure medicines optimisation for patients with this acute condition.
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Kidn-e in partnership with RCP
Developed in partnership with the Royal College of Physicians, this e-learning course contains two modules – one for AKI, and for CKD. It is available, free of charge, to all clinicians in the NHS, with a specific focus on the training of junior doctors (first years and those in the early years of specialist training).
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Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) App for smart phones
Free access app from Apple or Android store – search ‘AKI’ – developed by NHS Kidney Care and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The app is aimed at doctors and is accessible to all health and care professionals. It includes information and advice on the classification, diagnosis and management of AKI, as well as interactive case studies and an AKI medical calculator.
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