Ketamine and esketamine training for care and nursing staff

3. Why take this course?

Why ketamine and esketamine medication training matters

• Recognise deterioration earlier by identifying sedation, dizziness, dissociation, altered perception, reduced responsiveness and respiratory concerns.
• Understand professional boundaries so workers do not assume that a medication plan alone authorises ketamine or esketamine administration.
• Support safer post-treatment care by understanding observation, falls risk, transport, handover and restrictions communicated by the treating service.
• Identify interaction risks involving alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines and other central nervous system depressants. Spravato medicine information specifically identifies CNS depressants as medicines or substances that may interact with treatment.
• Build nursing and worker confidence when a person returns from specialist treatment or develops concerning symptoms.
• Strengthen provider systems around Schedule 8 medication safety, incidents, documentation, worker scope and escalation.

4. What you’ll gain

Practical Schedule 8 medicine safety and monitoring skills

• Identify ketamine and esketamine as Schedule 8 medicines and recognise that their treatment settings and administration requirements can differ.
• Distinguish between injectable ketamine and supervised intranasal esketamine treatment.
• Check the person’s treatment instructions, worker role and authorised scope before providing medication-related support.
• Recognise sedation, dizziness, dissociation, altered perception, nausea and increased falls risk.
• Identify concerning reduced responsiveness, breathing problems or other unexpected deterioration requiring urgent escalation.
• Recognise that esketamine can temporarily increase blood pressure and requires clinical monitoring around treatment.
• Follow restrictions and discharge instructions communicated by the treating service, including transport and activity requirements.
• Complete clearer handovers after treatment so the next worker understands observations, restrictions and escalation instructions.
• Document incidents and changes accurately and communicate concerns to the appropriate clinician, supervisor or emergency service.
• Avoid making independent decisions about additional doses, altered treatment or administration outside the person’s authorised clinical plan.

5. Who’s it for?

Schedule 8 training for workers, nurses and provider teams

• Registered and enrolled nurses
• NDIS and disability support workers
• Aged care and community care workers
• Mental health support workers
• Allied health professionals
• Supported accommodation and SIL teams
• Team leaders and service managers
• Workers supporting transport or post-treatment handover
• Provider managers responsible for medication safety, clinical risk and workforce training

6. What’s included?

Online ketamine and esketamine Schedule 8 safety course

• Short, practical online video lessons
• Four modules covering ketamine, esketamine, professional scope, monitoring and escalation
• Scenario-based training involving post-treatment sedation, deterioration, transport, interacting sedatives and handover
• Practical examples covering supervised esketamine treatment and injectable ketamine contexts
• Knowledge checks and online quizzes
• Downloadable resources for workplace reference
• Certificate of Completion – Ketamine and Esketamine: Schedule 8 Medicine Safety and Monitoring
• Learner progress and completion records through the Learn to Care online dashboard
• Team reporting for eligible organisation accounts
• Public online certificate verification

7. Which Practice Standards does this course align to?

NDIS Practice Standards

• Management of Medication – Provision of Supports Environment: Supports workers to follow current medication information, monitor effects, recognise adverse responses and understand safe medication-related responsibilities. The NDIS Practice Standards expect medication to be administered, stored and monitored safely and medication incidents to be prevented or appropriately managed.
• Safe Environment – Provision of Supports Environment: Supports workers to identify risks following treatment, including falls, deterioration and changes requiring involvement from healthcare or allied health providers.
• Risk Management – Provider Governance and Operational Management: Supports identification and management of medication, sedation, falls, transport, interaction and clinical deterioration risks.
• Incident Management – Provider Governance and Operational Management: Reinforces recognition, documentation, reporting and review of medication-related incidents and unexpected deterioration.
• Human Resource Management – Provider Governance and Operational Management: Supports provider systems that identify worker responsibilities, scope and limitations and provide relevant training and supervision.

Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards

• Standard 5 – Clinical Care, Outcome 5.3: Safe and quality use of medicines: Directly supports safe medication systems, defined worker roles, monitoring, documentation, adverse-event escalation and high-risk medicine management.
• Standard 2 – The Organisation, Outcome 2.4: Risk management: Supports identification and management of risks associated with sedation, falls, treatment transitions and clinical deterioration.
• Standard 2 – The Organisation, Outcome 2.5: Incident management: Supports appropriate response, documentation and escalation when medication-related incidents or adverse events occur.
• Standard 2 – The Organisation, Outcome 2.9: Human resource management: Supports workforce training, supervision and clear responsibilities for workers involved in medication-related care.
• Standard 3 – The Care and Services, Outcome 3.3: Communicating for safety and quality: Supports accurate handover of clinical information, risks, deterioration and treatment instructions between workers, health professionals and other people involved in care.
• Standard 5 – Clinical Care, Outcome 5.4: Comprehensive care: Supports recognition and communication of deterioration and coordinated responses to changing clinical needs.

8. FAQ

Is the ketamine and esketamine training online and self-paced?

Do I receive a certificate after completing the Schedule 8 safety course?

Are ketamine and esketamine both Schedule 8 medicines?

Can a support worker administer ketamine or esketamine if there is a medication plan?

What happens during supervised esketamine treatment?

Can someone drive after Spravato treatment?

Does this course count as professional development or CPD?

How does this Schedule 8 safety course help providers with audits and compliance?