More than 21 million blood components are transfused annually in the U.S. But if blood types are mismatched, transfusions can be deadly. Three factors that commonly lead to ABO incompatibility errors have been identified as mislabeling of the blood specimen for cross-matching, misinterpretation by the blood bank, and misidentification of the patient before blood transfusion. Nurses who generally administer blood products must follow facility policy to ensure that they give the correct blood product to the correct patient.

When treating patients for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), medical professionals seek to stabilize the immune system so opportunistic infections (OIs) are less likely to occur. The chief method used is highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART, previously referred to as HAART), an approach that has significantly improved the mortality rates of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This module explains the management of HIV-induced lipodystrophy and the criteria for initiating ART. You will learn the prophylactic management of opportunistic infections, along with different classes of antiretroviral drugs used for HIV treatment. 

This course, intended for nurses who frequently encounter wounds while working with a geriatric population, covers the basics of wound assessment. Included: accurately performing wound assessments, standardizing the components of wound assessment, and facilitating wound healing.

This course provides the most current and relevant information about the abuse of children, elders, and dependent adults, along with facts about intimate partner violence. This discussion, designed for all Human Service personnel in entry-level training or compliance reviews, includes how to recognize various signs of abuse and what your reporting responsibilities and procedures are. You will come away with the key competencies you need to assist victims of violence and help others to avoid victimization.

As the number of older adults increases, especially those who are older and frailer, the incidence of elder abuse is expected to increase. Mistreatment of older adults often occurs in isolation and often remains undetected. The first step to addressing the problem is to heighten awareness of abuse of the old, in particular among those who serve them or have frequent contact with them. Throughout this course, you will learn about types of elder abuse, indicators, consequences, risk factors of abuse, and interventions. You will have the opportunity to test what you have learned in each section through brief quizzes. The course also offers typical elder abuse case scenarios drawn from actual case material from Adult Protective Services or other elder abuse program caseloads.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders diagnosed in childhood, and its symptoms can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Since many children at times exhibit inattentiveness, hyperactivity, or impulsivity, it can be challenging to diagnose and treat individuals with ADHD. This course, appropriate for healthcare professionals with basic to intermediate levels of experience working with children, adolescents, and young adults in a variety of healthcare settings, will give you the tools you need to make an accurate diagnosis and choose the most effective treatment options. Included are the three different presentations of ADHD and key behaviors of each, specific diagnostic criteria, typical symptoms and how they manifest differently in individuals of different ages, possible causes of ADHD, and current treatment options for children, teenagers, and young adults.

Obesity affects the entire scope of a person‘s life, including health, social relationships, self-image, and psychological well-being. Now recognizing obesity as a chronic disease that must be managed long term, the American Medical Association has added a new sub specialty to its continuum of care: the obesity medicine physician. As the number of obese people in our society rises, the health care industry must assimilate this aspect of their treatment and care into daily practice. This module discusses the epidemic that obesity has become, reviews current treatments and care plans, and includes the psychosocial impact that being obese has upon the individual and society.

Despite intensive efforts to motivate patients and families to formulate advance directives (ADs), most Americans do not have them and may face a life-threatening illness without a plan to guide their relatives and healthcare providers. Experts stress the need for major changes in the approach to promoting ADs, including a focus on ongoing dialogue between patients and healthcare providers. This course outlines what happens in the absence of an advance directive and identifies how to overcome barriers to implementation. As a clinician, you will learn new ways to involve patients in advance-care planning.

All health centers funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) must have in place a system to improve patient care and outcomes, which is your center’s quality improvement (QI) program. While the primary benefit is improving patient care and outcomes, there are also financial benefits. The Department of Health and Human Services has allocated $36.3 million to fund centers that meet or exceed quality improvement measures. Although most health centers have established some QI functions, this course will enable you to take a comprehensive approach to implementing QI systems. You will learn about the essentials of QI infrastructure, systems, and programs, along with how to identify quality-related problems using proactive strategies, such as peer review and patient satisfaction surveys, as well as reactive strategies, such as patient complaint tracking systems. Also included is how to put the FOCUS-PDSA model into action.

Not only do patients consider anesthesia to be a major risk of surgery, but they also expect perioperative team members to be their advocates by caring for their pre- and intraop needs. This continuing-education module discusses medications and anesthetics used in clinical settings, anesthesia-related problems—such as aspiration, injection of bolus anesthetic agents, and malignant hyperthermia—and the nurse‘s role in dealing with these problems. You will come away better equipped to provide safe and effective care for surgical patients.

The rise of the serious problem of multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) has been linked to the inappropriate prescribing and use of antibiotics. In response, antibiotic stewardship programs have been developed to guide best practice in treating this powerful group of medications resourcefully. The goal is for healthcare providers to steward antibiotics in such a way that these medications can continue to be used to fight infections. This course discusses the Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and how you can apply components of the program to your nursing practice.

This course provides an overview of how anxiety impacts children and adolescents. You will learn about the specific types of anxiety disorders and the multiple pathways by which anxiety can develop. As you progress through this course, you will learn assessment strategies and evidence-based interventions that you can implement to identify and treat these disorders in children and adolescents.

The ECG, an easily mastered tool of remarkable clinical power, can provide helpful and even vital information in a wide range of situations. One glance at an ECG can diagnose an evolving myocardial infarction, identify a potentially life-threatening arrhythmia, pinpoint the chronic effects of sustained hypertension or the acute effects of a massive pulmonary embolus, or determine the likelihood of underlying coronary artery disease in a patient with chest pain. Since the ECG is only as capable as its user, this course will help you to understand the characteristics of atrial arrhythmias and ectopics, as well as their associated clinical implications.

This course, for nurses and physicians in acute care facilities, presents three cases of atypical presentations for preeclampsia in pregnancy. These cases illustrate the pattern of renal involvement in preeclampsia, pre-viable and postpartum preeclampsia, and diagnostic significance. This review will assist you in keeping your skills sharp and your patients safe.

The role of supervisor includes being a leader, a motivator, and a coach when guiding and directing others toward common goals. A supervisor’s success is enhanced with a proven set of characteristics, skills, and experiences that can help you effectively lead your organization, whether you are new to the role or have had some supervisory experience in the past. This course discusses specific skills, the qualities of good leadership, and approaches to enhance communication and time-management strategies to maximize your effectiveness as supervisor.

The connection between physical and behavioral health includes the impact that behavioral health disorders have on chronic health conditions. Behavioral health screening has been shown to improve the identification of disorders, facilitate referrals to needed services, and reduce adverse outcomes by helping avoid complications, achieve treatment goals more rapidly, and reduce the overall cost of care. This screening can be implemented fairly quickly in a variety of health-care settings, requiring minimal time and effort on the provider’s part. This module reviews some of the most widely used behavioral health screening tools and explores important factors for consideration when implementing them in your practice.

Telehealth, which uses information technology to facilitate healthcare between two or more people separated by distance, is designed to enable everyone to have access to healthcare. This course aims to teach you about different modalities of treatment using telehealth in the behavioral health sciences, including a description of the most effective approaches.

You will gain knowledge about building and maintaining rapport with clients remotely via telehealth. You also will learn about the strengths and weaknesses of telehealth practice, including ways to address those weaknesses. Information and vignettes will be blended to offer practical strategies that you can apply in your own setting to use telehealth for adults with behavioral health issues.

The patient interview is the most important part of your exam. Gaining the patient’s perspective and learning more about issues important to them can guide you in developing patient-specific care plans. This course will discuss how to conduct patient-centered interviews. You will learn interviewing methods to effectively elicit the important details about a patient's reason for presenting to the clinic. Information will also be presented on how to approach a challenging patient and how to adapt for several specific patient types.

Substance use and abuse represents a serious health concern in the United States, with the number of deaths from tobacco use and illicit-drug overdoses increasing at alarming rates. Based on content from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this course provides an overview of the biopsychosocial model of addiction. It emphasizes the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to addiction, and includes information about various drug types, stages of addiction, risk factors, and treatment options. New and seasoned clinicians will learn how to identify who may be at risk for addiction, as well as how to help clients engage in the recovery process.

As a working professional, you may find yourself in situations where boundaries are blurred between staff and persons who receive services from the organization. Some boundary violations can be dangerous for you and the people you work with. This course explores best practices for maintaining professional boundaries, the difference between areas that are flexible and open to good judgment versus unprofessional and unhealthy situations, and what actions should take place when you recognize that a boundary has been crossed. You will come away knowing how to make sure your working relationships remain professional.

This course examines the factors that may contribute to the underutilization of healthcare services, as well as ways to improve cultural understanding and competency in healthcare treatment. More specifically, this course covers the significance of cultural diversity, demographics, as well as individual and cultural diversity factors. The information in this training proposes some helpful conceptual frameworks for embracing cultural considerations in healthcare.

You can better assist your patients who have asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by building care teams in primary care. Learn how to assemble these teams and utilize certain disease-specific checkpoints for improved patient outcomes and health management.

Learn how to identify best practices for building care teams for patients with depression and anxiety, define key checkpoints and patient follow-ups, identify strategies for coordinating care with other providers, and evaluate the care provided by the team.

Diabetes, a very common chronic condition, can be managed by prescribing proper diet, exercise, and pharmaceutical treatments. This course discusses building care teams for these patients, teaching team members key milestones and checkpoints, ensuring medication adherence, and coordinating care with other providers as it relates to diabetes.

Identify checkpoints for managing and preventing the hospitalization of patients with hypertension (HTN), congestive heart failure (CHF), and coronary artery disease (CAD).

Bulimia nervosa is a relatively common eating disorder in Western society. Treatments include antidepressants and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy; however, relapse is common. This module identifies physical and emotional signs and symptoms of bulimia nervosa, its complications, and pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management strategies. You will come away from this course equipped with effective strategies for managing the people you serve who are dealing with bulimia nervosa.

Opioid dependence continues to be a growing problem in the United States. Even when patients discontinue opioid use, they often require treatment to prevent relapse. In this module you will learn key differences between three drugs—including Buprenorphine—that the FDA has approved for treating opioid dependence. Also presented is a discussion of the safety and efficacy of each formulation, along with regulations that control prescribing and dispensing them.

The number of cases of nosocomial C. difficile and the proportion of cases with severe and fatal complications have been increasing in hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 250,000 infections requiring hospitalization per year with 14,000 deaths. Healthcare professionals play a vital role in preventing transmission of this pathogen to patients when they pay careful attention to infection-control measures and ensure that everyone in contact with infected patients follows contact (barrier) precautions. 

This final presentation in a six-part webinar series is intended to help both new and experienced staff in the cardiac catheterization lab to prepare for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) examination. This comprehensive program includes a review of anatomy and physiology, advanced waveform analysis, shunts and treatment modality, right- and left-heart catheterization, interventional equipment, and commonly used cardiac medications.

This fourth presentation in a six-part webinar series is intended to help both new and experienced staff in the cardiac catheterization lab to prepare for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) examination. This comprehensive program includes a review of anatomy and physiology, advanced waveform analysis, shunts and treatment modality, right- and left-heart catheterization, interventional equipment, and commonly used cardiac medications.

This fifth presentation in a six-part webinar series is intended to help both new and experienced staff in the cardiac catheterization lab to prepare for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) examination. This comprehensive program includes a review of anatomy and physiology, advanced waveform analysis, shunts and treatment modality, right- and left-heart catheterization, interventional equipment, and commonly used cardiac medications.

This first presentation in a six-part webinar series is intended to help both new and experienced staff in the cardiac catheterization lab to prepare for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) examination. This comprehensive program includes a review of anatomy and physiology, advanced waveform analysis, shunts and treatment modality, right- and left-heart catheterization, interventional equipment, and commonly used cardiac medications.

This second presentation in a six-part webinar series is intended to help both new and experienced staff in the cardiac catheterization lab to prepare for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) examination. This comprehensive program includes a review of anatomy and physiology, advanced waveform analysis, shunts and treatment modality, right- and left-heart catheterization, interventional equipment, and commonly used cardiac medications.

This third presentation in a six-part webinar series is intended to help both new and experienced staff in the cardiac catheterization lab to prepare for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) examination. This comprehensive program includes a review of anatomy and physiology, advanced waveform analysis, shunts and treatment modality, right- and left-heart catheterization, interventional equipment, and commonly used cardiac medications.

Pharmacological management is both an art and a science. This course discusses the basic mechanisms of action found in commonly used classes of cardiac agents. As you learn the relevant clinical implications of select cardiac medications, you will be better equipped to properly manage various cardiac conditions.

As they age, many patients find themselves developing one or more chronic diseases, but they don’t know how to navigate this country’s fragmented and exorbitantly expensive healthcare system in order to receive appropriate care. Care coordination by the medical team—providing additional services such as education and close monitoring of the disease process—has been shown to decrease healthcare costs while improving patients’ health. Unfortunately, standardized techniques or processes for care coordination are not in place. This course for nurses discusses care coordination’s process, its various components, current efforts, ideas for improvement, and a review of practical applications for your nursing practice.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that about 50 percent of American adults have at least one chronic condition. Today's primary care providers have the ability to better manage this population by utilizing care management. This course discusses use of the care management model in the ambulatory care setting to increase patients' access to providers and decrease hospital visits, including readmission. It also addresses the issue of some payment systems not allowing providers to profit from managing chronic conditions.

Care plans are developed to help residents attain and maintain physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. This course provides information that your team can use in developing comprehensive care plans that maximize the well being of each resident. Also covered are resources, the use of Care-area Triggers, and a Care Area Assessment (CAA) summary, so that decision-making can be supported and documented in the care of each resident.

This course explains the indications for hysterectomy, a commonly performed surgical procedure. You will learn the different approaches and the areas of special learning needs for women experiencing this procedure. Also covered is post-operative nursing care for women who undergo a hysterectomy, whether that care takes place in a surgery center, a hospital, or at home.

In order to reduce variability in the interpretation of fetal heart rate (FHR) tracings, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) proposed FHR monitoring assessment and categorization standards (1997, revised 2008). As a result, a three-tiered categorization pattern, based on visual assessment of the fetal heart rate pattern, was adopted. In this supplemental, case-based module, you are placed in medical scenarios where you will make decisions about the appropriate handling of a patient situation, enabling you to review and reinforce your training to keep your skills sharp and your patients safe.

Caregivers who work with older adults with dementia often report that the biggest obstacles they face are related to managing challenging behaviors. This course offers a clinically based overview of such behaviors, along with the most common effects of the pharmacological agents used to treat these behaviors. You will learn practical techniques to use in your own setting to help you determine the most effective strategies for managing the people you serve.

This case-based module places you into medical scenarios in which you will make decisions about the appropriate handling of a patient situation. The purpose of this module is to review and reinforce training, keeping your skills sharp and patients safe. Throughout each scenario you will be asked questions about your decisions, but your answer choices will not be scored and you will not receive a report. You can move freely throughout the module and visit earlier sections without losing progress on previously answered questions. You can revisit this module in the future as many times as you would like.

Hypertensive diseases complicate 5%–8% of pregnancies, and are estimated to account for over 75,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths worldwide. Delays in seeking medical care, establishing the diagnosis, and providing treatment have been associated with an increased risk for adverse perinatal outcomes.

The more familiar you are with the essentials of ethical care, informed consent, and advance directives, the better equipped you will be to provide higher quality patient care in medical and behavioral healthcare settings. This course covers the fundamentals of the Client Bill of Rights, the six principles of ethical care, the process for obtaining informed consent, and how to interpret behavioral health advance directives. Through interactive exercises and vignettes, you will have the opportunity to apply these concepts so you can provide your clients with a higher standard of care.

Due to increasing demands on healthcare providers—along with dwindling resources with which to provide care—telehealth services (enhancing healthcare through the use of telecommunications technologies) offer immense value to your organization and the people you serve. This course for licensed providers in behavioral health settings focuses on delivery systems and specific remote clinical services that begin with remote intake and referral processes. You will learn helpful approaches for establishing rapport during the comprehensive intake process, and gain information about screening assessments, interventions, and treatment referrals. Interactive exercises and practical examples will help you to incorporate these assessment strategies in your own setting.

Learn what cultural sensitivity is and the need to respect other cultural backgrounds.

In this course, you will learn how to assist the patient with end of life needs and issues. 

In this course, you will learn the most common causes of falls and how to prevent them. 

This course presents methods for ensuring that the continuity of care for the patient is maintained.

Learn how CLABSIs occur and how to prevent them.

Learn how properly assessing patients’ pain can help prevent further complications.

Learn how to implement a pain-management program that includes non --pharmacological interventions, as well as analgesics.

Learn how to select the right spot for placement of a CVC (central venous catheter) to decrease the opportunity for mechanical problems and to enhance proper care.

Learn about how to prevent and control MDROs (multidrug-resistant organisms).

In this course, you will learn how to support the patient's spiritual beliefs.

This course will teach what is considered a restraint and when a restrain can or cannot be used.

Learn about risk factors and how to prevent a surgical-site infection.

Learn how to detect risk of suicide and what to do if such risk is identified.

Learn what a whistleblower is, what constitutes retaliation, and the protection of the whistleblower under the law.

This webinar, presenting an overview of the current opioid epidemic, discusses methods for identifying the potential risks of opioid treatment. It also presents recommended treatment strategies for patients with chronic pain, including an overview of CDC guidelines and general strategies for safer pain-management practices.

Meets the Washington Medical Commission's requirement for training regarding opioid prescribing best practices.

This course explains how the coordination of benefits works when people have Medicare and certain other types of health coverage. Module 5, Coordination of Benefits, explains the rules that govern payers’ responsibilities when people have Medicare and certain other types of health and/or prescription drug coverage. This module was developed and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the federally facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace. This course is designed for trainers and other information givers who are familiar with the Medicare program. It can be easily adapted for presentations to groups of beneficiaries.

This course explains the eligibility, benefits, and administration of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Also discussed are the implications of the Affordable Care Act on Medicaid and CHIP.

This course explains Medicare-Covered Preventive Services, and was developed and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the federally facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace. It includes information on which preventive services are covered, who can receive them, when said services are covered, how much you pay, and where to get more information.

This course on CMS Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) explains how Medigap policies work with Medicare, what Medigap policies cover, how Medigap policies are structured, and when to buy a policy. Included are definitions of key terms, an explanation of guaranteed issue rights, and where to get information on Medigap rights and protections.

This course explains the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. This training was developed and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the federally facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace.

This course discusses quality payment programs, participation, and how these programs work, along with sources of additional information. It is designed for presentation to trainers and other information-givers, and can easily be adapted for presentations to groups of beneficiaries.

This course for entry-level nurses, direct-care staff, and dietary professionals provides information on basic medication actions, with a focus on the physiological changes and potential reactions specific to older adults. Included are federal requirements related to antipsychotic medication prescriptions and administration.

As dementia gradually destroys areas of the brain responsible for sending and receiving messages, communication becomes increasingly difficult. However, there are guidelines you can follow to ensure effective communication with people who have dementia, including those with severe cognitive impairments. In this course, you will learn how to increase your understanding of persons with dementia by knowing each as an individual and recognizing common speech patterns, find out how people with dementia use behaviors to communicate discomfort, and learn some  communication strategies you can employ to ensure that your message is clearly received.

Top leaders know that the ability to listen to others can increase their individual effectiveness while providing necessary leverage they need to build more productive and engaged teams. You will learn the difference between active and passive listening, how to establish common ground, how to practice empathy, and some of the consequences of not listening effectively. This course uses a blend of experiential exercises, instructive information, and self-study to help you apply tips and techniques for becoming an effective communicator—a leader who listens.

This course explains therapeutic communication, overcoming barriers to communication, nonverbal communication and active listening, words and actions that influence patients’ perceptions of courtesy and respect, how to use interpreters, and how caregivers’ thoughts and beliefs impact their words and behaviors.

As a healthcare professional, one of the most stressful challenges you can face is discovering that a client has suicidal thoughts, intent, or behaviors. The cornerstones of suicide intervention are accurate assessment, safety planning, and treatment. They encompass community-wide programs that target populations long before any elevated risk or suicidal behaviors occur. The most effective suicide prevention is multi-tiered, broad-based, and sustained over time. Rather than focusing on screening, assessment, or interventions with suicidal individuals who may already be at heightened risk, this course examines community-based models that mitigate individual risk factors and support a comprehensive approach. It focuses specifically on public health models of upstream interventions that are designed to reduce suicide risk.

Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, because every person is different. However, handling it the right way leads to better relationships, an improved work environment, a stronger team, and personal goal achievement. This course presents techniques essential to handling conflict in the workplace.

Establishing an effective corporate compliance program minimizes the risks and effects of misconduct by helping ensure that everyone adheres to policies and standards. This course covers fraudulent and ethical conduct, laws pertaining to fraudulent conduct, and your responsibility for preventing and identifying this conduct under a corporate compliance program.

This course is tailored for paraprofessionals who work in hospitals, residential treatment centers, and community-based agencies. Unpredictable and complex situations often arise when people go into crisis. Seeming to “come out of nowhere,” these situations can throw you into a reactive state. But when you understand how crises develop and you are equipped with the skills and tools to address them, you can effectively intervene in a way that supports recovery and safety. This course explains how you can help the individuals you are serving to learn from crisis situations, so they can use coping skills and support networks more effectively whenever they face stressful events.

During the imaging process, it is essential for radiographers to identify challenges and errors in techniques, and understand how they affect patient outcomes during the imaging process. In order to help radiologic technologists in acute care facilities identify common pathologies in differential diagnostics, this course describes the sectional anatomy of the head, neck, chest, and abdomen. It also discusses radiation safety, imaging techniques, common pathologies resulting from radiographic imaging, and the importance of patient safety during imaging procedures.

This introductory overview of cultural diversity will help enable you to interact with others of diverse cultures and effectively perform your job responsibilities.

This training introduces you to several models to enhance your communication with individuals from a range of diverse backgrounds. You will also learn about cultural barriers to treatment, several health belief systems, and factors to consider in a culturally responsive assessment. It is worth noting that culture is always at play, regardless of the healthcare provider’s capacity to recognize and/or respond to it appropriately.

This course will provide an overview of innovative ways that data are being applied to improve healthcare costs, quality, and outcomes. You will begin with a broad perspective of what experts are calling the “data revolution” in healthcare, or the “age of big data,” and dive into what this means from a technology perspective. Following this, you will learn how data are being applied in ways never before seen by payers and providers to drive healthcare improvement through an analytic approach.

Next, you will dig down to the micro level of healthcare data application within the payer setting. You will examine the different ways in which data are helping payers to improve overall population health, manage healthcare costs, and inform the creation of innovative pilot programs. Finally, you will learn about the application of healthcare data from the case management perspective within the payer setting. An overview will be provided about member case management selection, the intersection of healthcare data and member preference, and how data are being used to inform best practices through medical necessity criteria and clinical guidelines.

This course is intended for all case managers and care coordinators with payer organizations.

Rather than being a stand-alone disease, diabetes (particularly Type II diabetes) is a metabolic dysfunction at the cellular level. This metabolic dysfunction contributes to many comorbidities being associated with diabetes. Taking a purely pharmaceutical approach—looking only at blood glucose or A1C as an endpoint—fails to identify and address the potential underlying causes of diabetes and other comorbidities. To help you facilitate the best outcomes for your patients, this course discusses the correlation between diabetes and comorbidities, the underlying pathological processes, and the impact of glucose control. You will come away with an understanding of the common comorbidities associated with diabetes and of the proper management of these conditions.

Cardiac rehabilitation involves many facets of health and wellness. One of these facets—diabetes management—requires an interdisciplinary approach involving nurses, dieticians, and therapists. This module will review diabetes management as a core competency in cardiac rehabilitation.

Diabetes, affecting 9.3% of people in the United States, can cause a host of health problems and even lead to death when managed improperly. In fact, it is the seventh leading cause of death in this country. Given this growing problem, it is important to understand how diabetes affects the body and how to help delay its devastating complications. This course for entry-level nurses covers the basics of the disease and its current medical treatments to help you better assess patients’ needs, provide care for them, and problem-solve common medication concerns.

Anxiety disorders, the most common psychiatric illnesses, affect millions of American adults, filling their lives with overwhelming anxiety, fear, and uncertainty out of proportion to any actual danger. These symptoms often persist for significant periods of time, and if not treated, can grow progressively worse. Anxiety disorders frequently occur in conjunction with other psychiatric or physical illnesses, making symptoms even worse. This course provides an overview of signs and symptoms as well as the most effective psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments available. New and improved therapies can help most people with anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives. This course will help you recognize anxiety disorders in those you serve and implement the most appropriate form of treatment.

This course for mental health professionals discusses personality disorders, including their diagnostic criteria, how they may develop, their course, and their prevalence. Also presented are the nature of personality disorders, how they are clustered, key concerns regarding differential diagnosis, and ways to distinguish personality disorders within the context of serious co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Up-to-date information on empirically supported treatment is included to offer you a comprehensive look at these sometimes very complicated disorders, including their effects on others.

Discussing end-of-life issues is not easy, because few of us are ready to face the difficult choices surrounding death and dying. Regardless of whether or not we acknowledge it, most of us fear death. This course will take you on the journey of facing issues surrounding death and dying. The decisions to be made are difficult for everyone involved: the dying person, their family and loved ones, and the healthcare professionals sharing the experience. Each person and family will have unique needs and cope in different ways. For many patients and their families, this can also be a time of personal growth. These events often provide people with the opportunity to find out more about themselves and appreciate what is most important to them.

A critical step for service providers in receiving reimbursement is to submit treatment-planning documentation. This course reinforces what you already know about plans of care, while offering suggestions for capturing the real therapeutic relationship on paper. You will learn how to hone in on core principles for clinical documentation; take a fresh look at ways to record your client’s strengths, goals, and treatment objectives; and evaluate methods of accurately representing interventions, outcomes, and discharge plans.

In today’s workplace, the abundance of “noise,” such as technology, multitasking, stress, and information overload, can make it hard to communicate effectively, ultimately costing time and money. But by learning how to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally, you’ll increase understanding with your coworkers. This course identifies primary verbal and nonverbal cues, explains active-listening techniques, and suggests how to avoid barriers to good communication.

This course discusses how to improve healthcare quality while decreasing costs within the payer environment. You will learn evidence-based practices to improve health outcomes for member populations, along with the role of medical-necessity criteria in creating a roadmap for financially responsible optimal care. Included in the discussion is the role of utilization management, common misconceptions about its purpose, key metrics every utilization manager needs to know, and the review and appeals process.

In 1986 Congress enacted the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) to ensure public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. This legislation, plus others, imposes specific obligations regarding certain emergency services, stabilizing treatments, and/or transfers to other facilities. When states’ own statutes are in conflict with EMTALA, state law can be preempted by federal law. This course, for health-care professionals who work in clinical areas in which EMTALA applies, covers EMTALA’s fundamental requirements to provide patients with the care they are entitled to under law. It also equips supervisors to ensure that policies are in place to address EMTALA and that staff members are properly educated.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is your ability to understand, express, and manage your emotions as well as your level of insight into what the people around you are feeling. Being equipped with EQ can add to your quality of life and career success. In this course, you’ll learn about developing emotional awareness—the bedrock of emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) involves the ability to understand, express, and regulate your own emotions, along with awareness of what people around you are feeling. A hallmark skill of EQ is the ability to keep your emotional brain and your thinking brain working together, even in intense or stressful situations. This module discusses how emotions function in the brain, how to choose your response to a situation rather than being hijacked by emotions, and how developing EQ can improve your quality of life.

Caregiving demands a tremendous amount of compassion and empathy. While this can be incredibly rewarding, it can also cause some adverse side effects. This course discusses compassion fatigue—its signs and symptoms, how it can affect you and others, and practical methods of dealing with it.

Stress is part of everyone’s life. While a certain level of stress can motivate one’s productivity, too much stress can leave a person feeling drained and irritable. Stress can’t be avoided, but it’s possible to learn to respond differently to it. This course discusses assessing your own stress levels, recognizing the difference between good and bad stress, identifying stress triggers, and developing a personal stress-management plan.

This course describes how key terms within the Emergency Medical Treatment And Labor Act (EMTALA) are interpreted and how they apply to hospitals with a dedicated emergency department. Included is a review of cases in which EMTALA violations have been alleged and courts have applied judgments.

Most people, regardless of their abilities, face similar end-of-life issues. People who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often encounter additional issues and challenges. With a life expectancy now almost the same as that of the general population, people with IDD live longer and are more integrated into the community. They frequently outlive family caregivers, often requiring additional support into advanced age as well as different locations for receiving end-of-life-care, including  their own homes. This course, for all members of an interdisciplinary team that provide support and care, gives an introduction to critical end-of-life issues for people with IDD. It covers basic information about common medical decisions included in an end-of-life plan; specialized healthcare options, such as palliative care and hospice care; basic legal and ethical guidelines for decision making at the end of life; and ways in which advanced planning can provide clarity in complex, stressful situations where people are unable to communicate or provide consent. Your knowledge of an individual's preferences, as well as of their basic rights and ethics, will help you support the people you are serving and their families.

This overview course is based on End of Life Care for Children and Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2010), published by AAIDD. Each state and agency will have its own laws, regulatory issues, and policies. After taking this course, staff members should inform themselves about specific policies and regulations that pertain to their roles and responsibilities.

This course presents ethical and legal guidelines for conducting telehealth (enhancing healthcare through the use of telecommunications technologies) with adults who have behavioral health issues. Included are issues of informed consent; guidelines for confidentiality, boundaries, and privacy; and rules for sharing information. You will be equipped with strategies you can use in your own setting as you learn about mandatory reporting under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), prerequisites for delivering telehealth, and guidelines for billing and practice across state lines.

Tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug abuse is costly to the U.S., resulting in more than $740 billion annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity, and healthcare (National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], 2018). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use and abuse in the general US population. 

About 20 percent of emergency department visits are due to hand and wrist injuries. While most hand injuries are straightforward, many cause long-term complications that may profoundly alter a person‘s ability to work, create, and enjoy life to the fullest. This continuing education program, which includes the steps for preserving an amputated body part, addresses the assessment and treatment of patients with hand trauma.

Healthcare workers live with the reality that people need care beyond standard business hours. This course presents statistics and research concerning health-care-worker fatigue, overnight work, and safety. Included is a discussion of how Boomers’ retiring rates and the increase of Millennials in nursing might affect the workforce, how much or little fatigue it takes to impair one’s thinking, and if consistent nighttime hours affect workers the same as consistent daytime hours. This course will prepare you to support, equip, and protect night-shift and on-call heroes who work while others rest.

One of the areas governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is the use and disclosure of written and verbal communications that mental health and substance-use disorder providers (behavioral health providers) have with each individual client; with the individual's family members and friends; and with other professionals, health plans, and law enforcement officials; along with the documentation requirements associated with each type of communication. This course addresses some of the most common HIPAA-related legal and ethical challenges faced by behavioral health professionals, including those who work in hospitals, clinics, community mental health centers, addiction treatment centers, and private practices. This course will improve your understanding of HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules and how they apply to your day-to-day professional responsibilities as a behavioral healthcare provider. You'll be better equipped to identify potential legal and ethical issues related to HIPAA, improve your compliance approach, and develop more effective risk management strategies (in consultation with appropriate legal counsel, as needed).

Critical situations in the emergency department (ED) often result in a rapid flow of information between providers and patients. In the midst of the volume and urgency of such exchanges, ED providers must be especially careful to safeguard patient information. This course covers the basics of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and 42 CFR Part 2. As an overview of each law is discussed, you will learn about the specific information you can and cannot share, how to share it appropriately, and what the information you may not be able to access. Included are practical approaches for acquiring the information you need in a timely and efficient manner.

NOTE: The content in this course is based on information from HIPAA (US Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2014) and 42 CFR Part 2 (United States Government Publishing Office [USGPO], 2015). If you wish to view the law in its entirety, please see the References section at the end of the course. This course is intended for all emergency department personnel and providers. Please note that this course focuses on federal law. However, every state has its own privacy and confidentiality laws, and it is your responsibility to know your state's laws and regulations. Furthermore, this course is not intended as legal advice for any individual provider or situation. If you need more comprehensive information, please review the resources listed at the end of the course and consult with your organization's legal and compliance team.

While opportunities to share information online have increased, so has the challenge of keeping information private. Learn how to avoid social media’s privacy pitfalls so you won’t run the risk of committing Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) gives rights to individuals concerning the protection of their personal healthcare information. Allowing non-authorized individuals to see this personal information, even accidentally, can have severe consequences for you and your organization. This course provides basic information about the principles of confidentiality, and explains two important branches of HIPAA: the Privacy Rule (what information is protected) and the Security Rule (the steps that must be taken to protect this information).

NOTE: This course is not intended as legal advice for any individual provider or situation. Comprehensive information is available from the resources listed in the courses' references section, as well as through consultation with your company's legal and compliance team.

All persons have the right for their health information to be protected from unauthorized access. To ensure that protection, your healthcare organization is required to follow the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which limits the situations in which your employees can use and disclose protected health information (PHI). This course explains the Privacy Rule and how breaches can be prevented.

While the use of technology has improved the delivery and continuity of health care, it also increases the chance that unauthorized persons will be able to access individuals' protected health information (PHI). To protect electronic PHI(e-PHI), your organization and healthcare workers are required to follow the Security Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This course explains the Security Rule and how breaches can be prevented.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the confidentiality of healthcare information. Learn the basics of individual privacy rights and how HIPAA governs the disclosure of personal information.

Human trafficking has been reported in countless industries, including construction, agriculture, hotels, restaurants, nail salons, domestic servitude, and more. Studies show that while they are still being victimized, many victims interact with medical professionals. This course discusses how to spot red flags, what to do if you suspect that someone is being trafficked, and how to better understand the complexities of human trafficking. By recognizing the signs and gently working with potential victims, you may be able to help get them to freedom.

Human trafficking is widespread, even within the United States. Victims come in all sexes, genders, nationalities, and ethnicities. This form of modern slavery includes domestic, industrial, and farm labor, but the majority of US victims are unwilling participants in the sex trade. This module covers the information, tools, and resources your health-care team needs to identify, assess, and treat victims of human trafficking. It also provides referral resources for legal and social services.

This introductory course for behavioral health professionals provides an overview of evidence-based practices of Illness Management and Recovery (IMR). Included is a discussion of the core values of IMR and the approach's teaching principles, to better help your clients with severe mental illness manage and recover from their illnesses. Through the use of interactive exercises and detailed vignettes, you will gain the information and techniques you need to make IMR an effective part of your therapeutic toolbox.

Mammography, the most widely used screening tool for breast cancer, has certain limitations. Several imaging modalities are being developed and improved to overcome mammography’s shortcomings. This course discusses how imaging techniques can reduce breast cancer mortality when used for routine screening and diagnosis, as well as for staging breast cancer, planning treatments, and monitoring response to chemotherapy.

Three different obstetrical scenarios complicated by a Category II Fetal Heart Rate pattern are presented to illustrate the importance of clinical context when formulating management plans. Emphasis Characteristics and potential etiologies of Category II Fetal Heart Rate tracings are reviewed. Management of the patient with a Category II fetal Heart Rate pattern, with special emphasis on the importance of the clinical context and fetal heart rate pattern evolution is discussed.