Treatment for HIV/AIDS has significantly improved over the last few decades and has reduced morbidity and mortality rates in patients living with HIV/AIDS. The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) slows the progression of the disease by reducing the amount of HIV in the blood. Determining the most effective treatment regimen is a complex process and will require the use of several medications. The goal of this course is to provide pharmacists in acute care settings with an overview of HIV medication classes and factors influencing treatment decisions.

Advance directives are legal documents with instructions that apply if an adult is not able to make decisions about their own healthcare. They are meant to ensure that a person’s values related to dying, quality of life, and other relevant matters are honored.

The goal of this course is to inform all healthcare staff about the basics of advance directives.

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects millions of people all over the world. This course presents the basics of diabetes, current medical treatments, and nursing care for people with diabetes. 

The goal of this course is to educate nursing professionals in all settings on basic pathophysiology, diagnosis, complications, and management of diabetes.

You work for a company that provides services to many people. You may need to discuss personal information about the people you serve, but this must be done thoughtfully. Everyone’s personal information must be kept safe.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (2021), an estimated 37 million people in the U.S. are currently living with renal disease. It ranks among the top causes of death. Often caused by hypertension or diabetes, chronic kidney disease, which is the most prevalent type of kidney disease, is treatable with medication and lifestyle modification. Unfortunately, an estimated 90% of people with chronic kidney disease do not know they have it and therefore do not receive the necessary care to prolong or improve their quality of life. When you understand the underlying risk factors, you can better recognize symptoms, educate, treat, and prevent further kidney damage. This course discusses the pathophysiology of renal disease. It also discusses a nurse’s role in assessing, managing, and educating people with a diagnosis of renal disease.

Polypharmacy is a widespread problem in older adults as a direct result of chronic conditions requiring an individual to take five or more daily medications. It often leads to adverse drug events that can range from mild to severe or even death. This course discusses polypharmacy, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. It also discusses basic medication actions and interactions with a focus on the physiological changes and potential reactions seen in older adults. Understanding the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of how medications work on and within the body is important in preventing adverse drug events from polypharmacy.

Understanding the risks for and motivations behind active shooter events, how your body and mind may respond to stress, and how best to prepare for an active shooter event is the best way to protect yourself and others, should the unthinkable occur in your facility.

The goal of this course is to educate healthcare professionals in all settings about specific actions for assessing the risks for, preventing, and responding to an active shooter event.

Heart failure (HF) treatment is costly and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Evidence-based treatment guidelines improve patient outcomes, and it is essential to become familiar with these guidelines to reduce patient mortality. Healthcare team members play a significant role in treating acute HF (AHF), helping to reduce the morbidity and mortality of the disease and decrease the use and costs associated with care. This course aims to educate nurses and nutrition and dietetics professionals in the acute care setting about evidence-based heart failure treatment guidelines.

In patients with symptoms of stroke, early recognition and intervention have been identified as critical factors in stroke outcomes. This includes an initial assessment, a thorough neurological exam, and stabilization of hemodynamic changes. In addition, distinguishing ischemic from hemorrhagic strokes requires time-sensitive assessment parameters, interventions, and diagnostic procedures. Timely diagnoses allow the healthcare team to administer the appropriate treatment options accurately and effectively.

In patients recovering from a stroke, post-hospital care and interventions have been identified as critical factors in favorable stroke outcomes. Improving patient care by managing stroke complications can significantly improve recovery. Given this, nurses and physicians must understand the different types of stroke complications, appropriate interventions, and identify risk factors for recurrent stroke.

In patients with symptoms of acute stroke, early recognition and interventions have been identified as critical factors in stroke outcomes. Evidence-based care can identify, manage, and prevent stroke-related complications. Nurses and physicians must understand stroke management to prevent disability and death. This course aims to present the most up-to-date practices for managing patients with acute stroke.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that approximately 795,000 people within the U.S. experience a stroke annually, and among these individuals, over 75% experience a stroke for the first time (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2021). Stroke, a national and international neurological problem, is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the second leading cause of death globally (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020; American Stroke Association [ASA], n.d.). Nurses need to be informed about the urgency of early treatment to be proactive in educating their communities. They also need to understand the resulting behavioral differences created in right- versus left-hemispheric strokes, and how a lack of knowledge can negatively impact immediate post-stroke care.

The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is a tool used to measure the severity of stroke symptoms and aid in identifying the location of the injury. The NIHSS has been shown to strongly predict the likelihood of a patient’s recovery after stroke. 

The goal of this course is to equip clinicians with the knowledge necessary to apply the NIHSS to patients experiencing an acute stroke.

Rates of suicide among youth continue to increase, making it essential for behavioral health clinicians and other professionals working with adolescents and transition-age youth to understand the dynamics of suicide among young people. After providing a foundation on how widespread the problem is and the prevailing theories about the drivers of suicidal behaviors, this course will teach you about how to effectively screen potentially suicidal youth and ways you can intervene to lower their risk. The goal of this course is to provide alcohol and drug counseling, behavioral counseling, marriage and family therapy, nursing, psychology, and social work professionals in health and human services settings with skills for reducing suicide risk in adolescents and transition-age youth.

About 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced at least one traumatic event (Sidran Institute, 2018). Most overcome their trauma responses without formal intervention. Others, however, experience persistent symptoms that need formal intervention. The goal of this course is to provide addiction, behavioral health counseling, marriage and family therapists, nursing, psychology, and social work professionals in health and human services settings with information on how to assess and treat trauma- and stressor-related disorders.

Obesity rates in the U.S. have risen to the level of an epidemic, as 1 in 3 adults are affected by this disease. Obesity is a disease that significantly affects a person’s health and is not simply due to poor diet and lack of exercise. This course introduces healthcare professionals to the causes, management, and treatment options for adult obesity.

The goal of this course is to familiarize healthcare professionals with the growing epidemic of obesity among adults in the U.S.

This course provides an overview of essential skills and considerations for engaging in sensitive and effective advance care planning conversations. You will learn the most important decision domains to address as outlined in the FIVE WISHES® framework, how to demonstrate compassionate communication, and conversation skills specific to eliciting values-based end-of-life care decisions.

The goal of this course is to provide healthcare professionals in all settings with enhanced communication skills related to advance care planning.

This course will help you determine the steps you need to take to build and implement an effective advance care planning program and describe how resources from the FIVE WISHES framework program can help. You will learn how to build support, determine goals and measures, and identify processes and standards to ensure your program is making a difference for your care recipients and your healthcare organization.

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is special clothing or equipment that protects employees from infectious diseases. When worn properly, PPE protects your skin, mouth, nose, and eyes from infectious materials such as viruses and bacteria. This course will review how to choose the correct PPE. It will also provide educational resources for commonly used chemicals.

The goal of this course is to teach all staff in all post-acute settings how to choose the correct PPE.

The world of legalities, red tape, and ethics can be a daunting one. We have all heard about the importance of confidentiality and trust in healthcare. How do these issues apply to preceptorships? This educational activity addresses integrity in preceptorships and gives you information you can share with preceptees to enhance professional and personal character, confidence, and wisdom in nursing practice. It also reviews important ethical and legal considerations that should be reviewed and incorporated into a preceptorship. The goal of this course is to provide nurses and nurse preceptors in ambulatory care settings with information about integrity, ethical conduct, and legal considerations in nursing practice and preceptorships.

People with bipolar and related disorders often have work, school, and relationship problems. Up to 40% of people with bipolar disorders are misdiagnosed with other conditions (Hashimoto et al., 2018; Stiles et al., 2018). Misdiagnosis can lead to delays in treatment and worse consequences for the client, such as cognitive impairment, hospitalization, disability, and medical issues.

People with bipolar disorders also have a 20 to 30 times greater suicide risk than the general population (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022; Overs et al., 2021). It is important that professionals are able to recognize, assess, and treat bipolar and related disorders to help decrease the negative effects of delayed diagnosis.

The goal of this course is to provide skills for addictions, behavioral health counseling, marriage and family therapy, nursing, psychology, and social work professionals in the health and human services setting to gain knowledge about recognizing and addressing symptoms of bipolar and related disorders.

This course will provide nurses and imaging professionals with an overview of the diagnostic options in imaging. Diagnostic tests should be ordered in order of the least invasive following the ACR Appropriateness Criteria. In this course, you will learn about diagnostic imaging, ultrasounds, routine x-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear imaging.

Substance use is a growing problem across populations. As a helping professional, you need a basic understanding of how substance use affects your clients. This information will help you to provide support and resources to help clients seek treatment and recovery. In this course, you will explore substance use disorders, how they develop, and their impact on individuals. The course also explains your role as a paraprofessional when working with individuals with substance use disorders. You will be provided an overview of evidence-based interventions and the types of substance use treatment programs available, when additional treatment may be necessary. Detailed examples will help you to apply this information in your own work. The goal of this course is to provide paraprofessionals and peer support specialists in health and human service settings with information on substance use disorders and evidence-based interventions.

There are external conditions which exist with the potential to affect a patient’s current and future health, often beyond a patient’s direct control. These conditions, referred to as social determinants of health, encompass where a patient lives and works, socioeconomic policies, systems, and norms, and more. These factors and many other contribute to health inequity and inequalities at local, state, national, and international levels. The social determinants of health impact the daily delivery, accessibility, and engagement of health improvement efforts. The conceptual framework behind social determinants of health, current inequalities and inequities in healthcare are important for clinicians to consider when while caring for patients and improving  the health of individuals and communities.   Clinicians must explore how to increase awareness and interest in the determinants, as well as ways to engage patients, stakeholders, and other clinicians in addressing social determinants of health.

This course provides an overview about the safety of patients undergoing a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) to attempt a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC). Research evidence has influenced where VBACs are performed, which women are eligible and how the practice is conducted, including the safe use of induction/augmentation medications. The safety of VBAC for mother and newborn always remains the primary underlying principle that guides care.

The goal of this course is to equip nurses in the acute care setting with knowledge of the different bariatric surgical options and the psychosocial, metabolic, and physiological issues that patients may encounter before and after bariatric surgery.

Data is being applied in ways never before seen by payers and providers to drive healthcare improvement through an analytic approach. Data can be applied to improve healthcare costs, quality, and outcomes. To understand how data is being utilized, you must first understand the broad perspective of what experts are calling the “data revolution” in healthcare, or the “age of big data.” It is also important to know what this means from a technology perspective.

There is also a micro-level of healthcare data application within the payer setting that has different ways in which data is helping payers to improve overall population health, manage healthcare costs, and inform the creation of innovative pilot programs. For those working in a healthcare setting, it is important to know how healthcare data is applied from a payer’s perspective. This includes member case management selection, the intersection of healthcare data and member preference, and how data is being used to inform best practices through medical necessity criteria (MNC) and clinical guidelines.

The perioperative nurse plays a primary role in the operative process. Knowledge of procedures, appropriate patient assessment, and care management guidelines will positively impact patient outcomes. Patients consider anesthesia to be a major risk of surgery and expect perioperative team members to be their advocates by caring for their pre-, intra-, and post-operative needs and providing safe and effective care. This course discusses anesthetics and adjuvant medications used in the clinical setting, anesthesia-related complications, and the nurse’s role in management of perioperative patients.

Antibiotic stewardship is a movement to improve antibiotic use through evidence-based practice. Team members become the stewards of antibiotics. This helps these medications continue to effectively fight infections. Antibiotic stewardship follows core elements to improve the use of antibiotics and their outcomes. This course discusses the core elements and benefits of an antibiotic stewardship program.
 

HIPAA rules underlie every service related to behavioral health, and they change to meet evolving trends. There are potentially catastrophic organizational and individual consequences if the current HIPAA rules are not followed. This course will help you to identify potential legal and ethical issues related to HIPAA, improve your compliance approach, and develop more effective risk management strategies.

The goal of this course is to assist alcohol and drug counselors, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists, social workers, and nurses in health and human services settings in understanding and applying current HIPAA regulations.

This course focuses specifically on early interventions that are designed to reduce suicide risk. You will learn how these early interventions impact suicide risk. You will also learn of examples and the role that programs highlighting connectedness, life skills, and resilience play in preventing suicide. The goal of this course is to provide social work, psychology, nursing, alcohol and drug counseling, marriage and family therapy, and counseling professionals in health and human services with information about community-based, upstream suicide prevention approaches. 

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.

In this course, you will learn to identify different depressive disorders, as well as the unique ways depression manifests in children and adolescents. Additionally, you will learn to recognize risk factors for both depression and suicidality in youth.  

An integrated care model treats the whole child by combining primary care and mental healthcare in one setting. Within this model, treatment providers understand how to screen for depression and suicidality in order to coordinate care. You will learn about specific instruments useful for detecting depression and suicidality among youth. An understanding of the root causes of depression will highlight the rationale for various treatment approaches. Lastly, you will be able to describe the best practices available to help children and adolescents manage depression.  

Members of the healthcare team must be able to recognize symptoms of bacterial meningitis to expedite testing and treatment, and advocate for preventive vaccination among appropriate age groups. With knowledge of preventive measures and awareness of early symptoms, the impact of meningitis can be greatly reduced.

Treatment planning documentation is a critical link between the client, the services you provide, and the client’s progress. This course will reinforce what you already know about plans of care while offering you direction and structure for capturing the real therapeutic relationship on paper. You will learn how to better represent the care process by incorporating the core principles for clinical documentation. You will take a fresh look at ways to record your client’s strengths, goals, and treatment objectives, while also evaluating methods to accurately represent interventions, outcomes, and discharge plans. The goal of this course is to provide professionals in addictions, behavioral health counseling, case management, care management, marriage and family therapy, psychology, social work, and nurses in a health and human services setting with current strategies and recommendations for effective and person-centered treatment planning documentation.

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 challenging situations that arise during patient encounters.

This course will provide you with information about the numerous risk and protective factors of suicide. You will learn effective screening approaches you can use to identify elevated risk. You will also learn how to follow a positive screening with an in-depth clinical assessment, including several different models you can use to guide your assessment. The goal of this course is to provide alcohol and drug counseling, marriage and family therapy, counseling, psychology, and social work professionals in health and human services with skills to identify individuals at increased risk of suicide.

All healthcare professionals must be aware of bias and the challenges that bias can create in healthcare. This includes knowing some of the challenges people face with the healthcare system. In this course, you will learn best practices to help recognize and manage bias.

The biopsychosocial model takes a more holistic perspective, emphasizing biological, sociocultural, and psychological factors that relate to the risk of these disorders. This course will present an overview of this model’s primary assumptions, how it differs from other perspectives on substance-related and addictive behaviors, and how it can inform your approach to treatment. The goal of this course is to provide social workers, psychologists, alcohol and drug counselors, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, and nurses in health and human services with information on how the biopsychosocial model is used in treatment for substance-related and addictive disorders.

This course explains the concept of a professional therapeutic boundary and how it differs from a personal relationship. You will learn about the ethical role of the clinical practitioner in establishing appropriate roles and boundaries, the difference between boundary crossings and boundary violations, how to appropriately use social media and other technology, and how to recognize situations with high potential for harmful boundary violations. As you master these skills, you will become more effective in maintaining an appropriate relationship between you and your clients.

Boundaries are important in guiding acceptable and unacceptable interactions. People working in service or care professions are often in situations where the lines between a professional and social relationship become blurred. Setting and keeping professional boundaries are key to protecting your clients, yourself, and the service or care process. The goal of this course is to provide paraprofessionals in health and human services settings with information about professional boundaries, boundary crossings and violations, and situations when crossing a boundary may be acceptable.

Bowel ischemia, infarctions, perforations, and obstructions are serious conditions that require prompt recognition and interventions to prevent severe complications and death. There are several underlying conditions that predispose patients to these conditions, for which education and risk modifications are crucial. 

The goal of this course is to equip nursing professionals in acute care with knowledge of risk factors, signs and symptoms, and management strategies for bowel ischemia, infarction, perforation, and obstruction.

Bronchoscopy is a valuable procedure with diagnostic and therapeutic benefits. However, it accompanies risks for potential complications, some of which can be life-threatening. In addition, patients commonly experience anxiety and stress before and during the procedure. In fact, some patients have even described it as traumatic. Nurses play an important role in preparing patients for a bronchoscopy both physically and mentally. 

We have all seen bullies in our lifetime, often as one child picking on another on the playground or teenagers not allowing a student to sit with them at lunchtime. You do not expect to see bullies at work; but, sadly, they are there.

The goal of this course is to educate all employees on how to recognize, respond to, and prevent bullying.

Opioid dependence can be caused by the use of prescription opioids (obtained legally or illegally) or the use of illicit opioids (e.g., heroin). It continues to be a growing problem in the United States with opioid-related deaths occurring daily. Often, patients who discontinue opioid use require treatment to prevent relapse or the extreme effects of withdrawal. Buprenorphine is a partial mu-opioid agonist used for the treatment of patients with opioid dependence. It is available as a sublingual tablet, sublingual or buccal soluble film strip, and injection and is used in formulations with or without naloxone. The goal of this course is to educate nurses, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians in acute care settings about opioid dependence and the therapeutic use of buprenorphine to treat the condition.

Maternal death is increasing in the U.S., with cardiovascular disease (CVD) being a primary cause of mortality in pregnancy (Lindley et al., 2021). Patients with CVD who are pregnant require a multidisciplinary approach, such as a cardio-obstetrics team, and close monitoring to preserve maternal and fetal health. Nurses who work in gynecology and obstetrics should have a basic understanding of the effects of pregnancy on cardiovascular health. They should also be aware of common CVD pathologies seen in pregnancy.

The goal of this course is to provide nursing professionals in acute care with a general overview of cardiovascular disease in pregnancy.

This course provides an overview of the autonomic nervous system and its functions, with a focus on the cardiac effects of certain therapeutic agents.

The healthcare system is becoming increasingly complex. Therefore, care coordination and case management (CM) are integral to producing optimal member outcomes, decreasing the cost of care, and ensuring effective use of healthcare services. In this course, you will learn about the function, need, goals, and principles of care coordination and CM within the payor setting as well as common challenges that may be encountered. Finally, you will learn about the care coordination and CM process and the benefits to providers, members, and payer organizations.

The goal of this course is to equip nurses and CM professionals with education about the functions and benefits of the care coordination and CM process.

This course provides detailed information about the pathophysiology, disease trajectory, and unique symptoms experienced by patients with advanced neurological diseases. Learners will identify the clinical features of advanced Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease as well as best practices for symptom management. In addition, the key clinical indicators and symptoms that should serve as triggers to optimally transition a patient with advanced neurological diseases to palliative and hospice care are presented. The unique disease-related stressors for family caregivers are discussed. The goal of this course is to provide nurses in hospice with knowledge of caring for people with end-stage neurological diseases.

Utilizing care management can improve and assist in managing patients with chronic health conditions. Care management provides the opportunity to deliver various medical services to patients recently discharged from the hospital. In addition, care management models in a primary care setting can increase a patient’s access to providers, decrease hospital visits, and reduce readmission. 

The goal of this course is to educate case managers, nurses, care managers, and social workers in ambulatory care, acute care, patient-centered medical homes, and behavioral health homes on care management. 

All healthcare staff must be aware of the challenges that people in minority groups may experience. This includes knowing the effects of those challenges on how people seek and receive healthcare services. This course discusses sexual and gender minorities and their healthcare experiences.

The goal of this course is to provide nurses and prescribing providers (physicians) in all healthcare settings with best practices to improve their care team approach to patients with depression and anxiety.

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.

The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) is required to demonstrate competency in the domain of emergency nursing which includes knowledge of cardiovascular conditions and emergencies, such as acute coronary syndrome, aortic aneurysm/dissection, and cardiopulmonary arrest.

he purpose of this course is to inform the emergency nurse of communicable diseases, including a comprehensive assessment and appropriate interventions.

The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) is required to demonstrate competency in the domain of emergency nursing which includes knowledge of cardiovascular conditions and emergencies, such as acute coronary syndrome, aortic aneurysm/dissection, and cardiopulmonary arrest.

The goal of this course is to inform the emergency nurse of cardiovascular conditions and emergencies, including a comprehensive assessment and appropriate intervention.

The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) is required to demonstrate competency in the domain of emergency nursing which includes knowledge of gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) conditions and diseases, their signs and symptoms, management, and applicable nursing interventions.

The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) is required to demonstrate competency in the domain of emergency nursing which includes knowledge of gynecological and obstetrical conditions and diseases, their signs and symptoms, management, and applicable nursing interventions.

The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) is required to demonstrate competency in the domain of emergency nursing which includes knowledge of maxillofacial and ocular emergencies, their signs and symptoms, management, and applicable nursing interventions. 

The goal of this course is to review the knowledge domains specific to maxillofacial and ocular emergencies included as a part of the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) exam.

This course is not affiliated with the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN).

The purpose of this program is to inform the emergency nurse of medical emergencies, including a comprehensive assessment and appropriate intervention.

The purpose of this program is to inform the emergency nurse of common orthopedic emergencies, including a comprehensive assessment and appropriate interventions.

The purpose of this program is to describe the impact of professional practice issues as they relate to the emergency nurse, their patients, and the health care system.

The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) is required to demonstrate competency in the domain of emergency nursing which includes knowledge of psychosocial emergencies, their signs and symptoms, their management, and the nursing interventions that are needed.

The goal of this course is to review the knowledge domains specific to psychosocial emergencies included as a part of the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) exam.

The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) is required to demonstrate competency in the domain of emergency nursing which includes knowledge of respiratory emergencies, their signs and symptoms, their management, and the nursing interventions. 

The goal of this course is to review the knowledge domains specific to respiratory emergencies included as a part of the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN®) exam.

This course is not affiliated with the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN).

Aneurysms can be deadly and can come on suddenly. Knowing what to do to help your patient with an aneurysm could be the difference between life and death for them. Early detection and management are the best tools to prevent a fatal outcome. Healthcare professionals should know what an aneurysm is, which of their patients are at highest risk, the signs and symptoms of an aneurysm, and how to manage an emergency rupture. This course focuses on central arterial aneurysms of the abdominal and thoracic aorta.

While the demand for emergency department (ED) care remains high, EDs continue to decline in number nationwide. Those that remain are overcrowded and at capacity, often having patients wait hours or even days to be admitted. Although many seek care in the ED for an acute injury or illness, others seek treatment for acute exacerbations of poorly managed chronic illness, such as diabetes, or management of a chronic illness in the absence of an acute problem, such as for blood pressure control and cardiac or asthma medication refills. The ED has become the largest provider of unscheduled primary care visits, seriously stressing the healthcare safety net. Patients in the ED are staying longer for prolonged observation and complex diagnostic workups. There is an increasing number of critically ill patients being treated and cared for in the ED rather than the critical and intensive care unit. Additionally, chronic mental and psychiatric patients often seek treatment in the ED rather than with individual providers. This has resulted in overcrowding in the ED, putting strain on its personnel.

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 is discussed, with special emphasis on the importance of the clinical context and fetal heart rate pattern evolution.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) workgroup standard for fetal heart rate monitoring assessment and categorization, first proposed in 1997 and subsequently updated in 2008 was meant to promote commonality of FHR tracing nomenclature and interpretation. Based on these recommendations, a three-tiered categorization pattern based on the visual assessment of the fetal heart rate pattern was adopted. This module aims to review and apply essential FHR content in several clinical scenarios to highlight an important Clinical Pearl: The Category III tracing is a rare intrapartum FHR pattern that is highly associated with fetal acidemia and adverse neonatal outcomes.

The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing in the U.S. and worldwide. However, if the condition is well managed, it can result in a healthy pregnancy. Maternal child health professionals must understand the condition, risk factors, and how to treat it.

A case of obstetrical hemorrhage due to uterine atony, requiring medical and surgical interventions and blood component replacement therapy is presented. Emphasis: A review of obstetrical hemorrhage, etiologies, and treatments is provided. The importance of early recognition and response to excessive blood loss is stressed. Medical and surgical interventions for uterine atony are reviewed. Current recommendations for blood component replacement therapy for massive hemorrhage are discussed.

People have used substances since ancient times. Sometimes substances were used as a medicine to treat an ailment, for recreation, or to support spiritual practices. The desire to find ways to feel or think differently is a normal part of the human experience. However, some people who use drugs develop patterns of compulsive use that are hard for them to control due to how the drug impacts their brain. They can experience harmful, even fatal, consequences. In 2019, the results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that 20.4 million people, or 7.4% of the population of the U.S. had a substance use disorder (SAMHSA, 2020a). As behavioral health providers, we have opportunities in our interactions with clients to address thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors around substance use. We can support clients around learning about substances, the impact of substances, work to prevent or identify problematic use and substance use disorders, as well as offer information about treatment or provide treatment to clients.

Symptoms such as fever, cough, and chills can alert you to the presence of an infectious or communicable disease in a child. When identified, these symptoms can alert you to potential concerns in your environment. Some symptoms are less obvious and may require careful inspection of the child to determine potential risk factors. Children are exposed to a variety of environments. Caregivers working with families must have the ability to identify health care concerns quickly to stop the spread of disease.

Good communication can be challenging because of the many distractors in today’s workplace, such as technology, stress, and multitasking. If communication is weak, it can lead to poor work relationships and decreased satisfaction for everyone. It is essential for you to learn how to communicate effectively with everyone you come into contact with. This course discusses how to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally.

Dementia gradually destroys the areas of the brain responsible for sending and receiving messages, making communication difficult. There are guidelines that you can follow to ensure effective communication with persons with dementia, even those who have severe cognitive impairments. In this course, you will learn how to understand the person with dementia by knowing them as an individual and recognizing common speech patterns, how persons with dementia use behaviors for communicating discomfort, and the communication strategies you can employ to ensure the person receives your message.

Concussions are head injuries that are caused by a traumatic, biomechanical force. The symptoms of concussion are primarily the result of functional disturbances, not structural injuries, and may include headache, dizziness, changes in mood or behavior, and changes in sleep patterns. Despite increased awareness of the injury, concussion remains under-reported and under-diagnosed. Diagnosis of a concussion is based largely on the presence of clinical symptoms as there is no quantitative test for concussion. Neuroimaging is considered to be overused in the acute evaluation of concussions since imaging technologies, such as CT, cannot diagnose concussion. CT can only identify more serious injuries, such as hemorrhages or contusions. In the future, serum biomarkers may be helpful in stratifying patients at increased risk of related injuries or complications from concussion.

In this course, you will learn the essential telehealth components necessary to conduct a clinical assessment, risk assessment, and utilize formal assessment instruments. You will also learn what hardware and software technological resources are needed to connect with clients via telehealth.

The goal of this course is to provide addictions, behavioral health counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and social work professionals in health and human services with information on conducting clinical assessments via telehealth.

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.

Recognizing, understanding, and addressing patient behaviors, as well as the rationales behind these behaviors, is critical to successfully manage patients and protect practitioners and their practices. This course will review three major areas complicating patient care: Drug diversion, SUD, and pain management considerations in patients with SUD.

The goal of this course is to equip nurses, social workers, counselors, and physicians in both acute and post-acute care with how to prevent, identify, and manage substance abuse among residents and/or patients.

 After completing this refresher course on the key action steps in CPR, you will have a grasp on the essential components of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), including the initial first aid steps you can take prior to performing CPR. Through didactic, interactive exercises and vignettes, you will be able to apply this material when you need it most. This course does not replace formalized training and return demonstration that must be completed for competency according to the American Heart Association. This course should only be used as a “refresher” to remind the learner of the key action steps in CPR.

Crisis is broadly defined as an exceptional event that is disruptive and beyond a person‘s usual coping skills. The goal of crisis intervention is to return individuals or families to the optimum level of functioning they experienced before the crisis. In addition, a potential for growth exists when people develop new and effective coping skills. Nurses need to understand crises and assessment and intervention strategies because they are often the first medical personnel to spend enough time with patients to recognize the signs of crisis.

More than 20% of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are obtained in intensive care units (ICUs) even though ICU beds make up less than 10% of the total beds in most hospitals (Marchaim & Kaye, 2021). Sepsis and infections account for 40% of all expenditures in this setting and are the leading cause of death in noncardiac ICUs. However, the incidence of sepsis in the ICU population continues to rise. Patients in ICUs have a multitude of factors that put them at high risk for infection. Critical care nurses play a vital role in preventing ICU-acquired infections but must have the right knowledge and skills to do so.

Life-threatening dysrhythmias can occur in an inpatient setting, even more so in an intensive care unit. Changes to the electrical conduction system can cause sudden hemodynamic instability and cardiac death. Given this, critical care nurses must understand the different types of dysrhythmias, their causes, ECG characteristics, defibrillation, pacing, and nursing interventions.

Therapeutic communication between the nurse, patient, and family can be challenging in high-stress environments. Typically, critical care units have higher acuity levels and intense time constraints, thus hindering effective interactions. However, nurses who receive education in communication methods are more prepared to effectively communicate with their patients and families. Given this, critical care nurses must understand communication barriers, cultural influences, the importance of patient-centered communication, and strategies to increase therapeutic interactions. 

Sepsis is the result of a dysregulated host response to severe infection that can result in systemic inflammation, immune system dysfunction, coagulopathies, multi-organ system failure, and death (Rhodes et al., 2017). The signs and symptoms of sepsis can vary in onset and presentation and depend on many individual patient factors. Early recognition and intervention is key to improving patient outcomes. Nurses are vital in this role as they are readily at the bedside and able to continually assess the patient and communicate changes in patient condition to providers. The goal of this course is to challenge the learner’s ability to identify key risk factors for sepsis and recognize signs and symptoms of early and progressive sepsis. It will also challenge the learner to accurately anticipate management strategies in the treatment of sepsis and sepsis-related complications.

Having sound critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and clinical judgment skills makes the difference between keeping patients safe and putting them in harm‘s way. This educational activity addresses the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for critical thinking and clinical reasoning. It reviews results from key studies and gives strategies for developing the thinking skills needed to function as a 21st century healthcare professional.

Computed tomography (CT) scans are essential for emergent and urgent diagnosis of brain injuries. CT scans are preferred over other forms of imaging due to their availability, lower comparable costs, and the brief amount of time it takes to perform. According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines, a patient presenting with stroke-like symptoms should have a CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) completed within 20 minutes of arriving to the emergency department (ED) (Powers et al., 2019). Understanding the anatomy of the normal, injured, or diseased brain can help improve awareness of common brain injuries that can be diagnosed with a CT scan. The goal of this course is to educate nursing and radiology professionals in the acute care setting on common disorders that affect the brain and the role of the CT scan.

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

Cultural competence in healthcare refers to the delivery of quality care. It refers to meeting the needs of people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Cultural competence must be a two-way system to benefit people with differing beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors. This course discusses cultural competence and how organizations can use cultural competency to create an atmosphere of inclusion.

Health inequities in pain management are prevalent across different healthcare settings. The cultural, ethnic, and social differences influence patients’ and providers’ perceptions and responses to pain. Several studies report higher incidences of pain, disability, and suffering in women and people of color compared to non-Hispanic White people. This course covers influential sociocultural factors grouped into the patient, the provider, and systemic factors. This course helps healthcare professionals become familiar with cultural differences associated with pain perceptions and management. Pain variables such as culture, religion or ethnicity are not part of standardized pain scales. Healthcare workers need to provide culturally competent care to their patients by asking about specific practices, beliefs, and values regarding pain that impacts the patient’s quality of life.

The goal of this course is to provide nurses, physicians, and social workers with an overview of cultural sensitivity in the management of pain.

Healthcare professionals must go beyond simply recognizing that there are different cultural norms and practices. Culturally appropriate interventions must be utilized when working with culturally diverse clients and patients. Cultural competency goes beyond having knowledge of traditional cultural eating patterns. A lack of cultural competency creates divisions between healthcare professionals and their clients or patients. This course discusses how cultural competency functions to deliver culturally competent care related to diet and nutrition.

As the population of the U.S. soars in diversity, healthcare professionals must be prepared to care for childbearing families from many different cultures. All cultures and families should be given the same respect, be assured of the highest quality of care, have their religious, ethnic, and cultural values respected and integrated into their care, and have their physical and educational needs met in a way that honors their spiritual beliefs and individuality. Knowledge of the cultures one is serving and the influence they have on women’s perceptions of childbirth are important for achieving positive outcomes. Equally and perhaps more important is applying the principles of cultural humility to nursing care.

The goal of this continuing education course is to improve the ability of nurses and health educators in acute care settings to assess and meet the sociocultural needs of childbearing families of diverse cultural and social groups. 

Culture affects how individuals talk about and recognize their mental health symptoms. It also affects how providers conceptualize and work with individuals with diverse backgrounds. It is important to recognize how culture influences the ways individuals and providers approach mental health. Healthcare providers should be encouraged to use interventions and strategies that assist in delivering culturally competent care.

This course will examine the reasons for healthcare disparities among culturally diverse individuals, how both the cultural backgrounds of patients and their providers can impact patients’ mental health outcomes, and what kinds of actions providers can take to provide more effective care to patients of diverse cultures.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, minority groups will outnumber what is now considered mainstream culture by the middle of this century. Healthcare professionals need to heighten their awareness about the importance of role, culture, and tradition in preventing and treating women’s unique healthcare problems. When there is a lack of cultural sensitivity in communication, patients are less likely to be content with their healthcare experience, increasing the likelihood of miscommunication and possible cultural disparities. These factors can also cause non-compliance with treatment, worse health outcomes, and a higher incidence of adverse events.

The goal of this course is to equip healthcare professionals with knowledge of the impact of culture on women’s health beliefs and practices and their responses to current approaches to care.

Employee Cyber Security Awareness Training is more important now than it has ever been. Data breaches and hacking may sound unlikely, but cyber-attacks occur daily. In many cases, businesses are unprepared, because management does not understand the risk. Many companies believe they will not be the target of an attack. The truth is that all companies must prepare for a cyber-attack by having an individual or team in place to protect from such an attack.

The goal of this course is to provide education to entry-level professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, alcohol and drug counselors, psychologists, nurses, and social workers working in the health and human services field about types, prevalence, causes, and consequences of medical and treatment errors in the behavioral health setting, as well as how to address them and reduce risk of future errors.

Increasing awareness of cultural diversification has challenged traditional institutions and practices. This includes the delivery of treatment services. Outcome studies have consistently demonstrated the need for change in the way that healthcare and other services operate. Awareness of and sensitivity to cultural issues are critical to establishing a positive relationship with the people you are serving and ensuring beneficial treatment outcomes. 

Depression and suicide are among the top public health concerns facing older adult populations. Older adults encounter changes physically, cognitively, and psychosocially that often contribute to the onset of depression. Further, older adult populations have among the highest incident rates of suicide than any other age group, which makes appropriate diagnosis and treatment of depression in this population even more critical. This course will provide an overview of some physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors that could be contributing to depression in an older adult, as well as important information on recognizing risk factors and warning signs of depression in this population. Additionally, information related to evidence-based treatment strategies for older adult populations will be discussed along with the importance of monitoring treatment adherence.

Diabetes is not an uncommon condition in today’s healthcare systemthe U.S.. This high-volume condition can be managed very effectively, but diabetes disease management can also become very complicated. How can patients learn to manage their own diabetes? What strategies are most effective in teaching patient self-care? By creating an action plan with their patients, primary care providers can not only help to improve patient outcomes, but they can also empower the patients to take a bigger role in their own their disease management. When patients take on more responsibility for their care, resources (both time and economic) are freed up and can be allocated to other patients or areas of need. However, creating an action plan requires input from both the primary care provider and the patient, and no two plans are likely to be the same. Factors such as finances, living situation, or other social determinants of health must all must be considered when putting together a plan. A patient’s diet may also play a role. In this module, the topics of action plans, the social determinants of health, and nutritional counseling will be explored.

The goal of this course is to provide case/care management, nursing, and social work professionals with information about diabetes management.

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.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. The federal laws are very specific about the ways in which you, as an employer, are expected to select, promote, and accommodate your employees. You can be held liable for discrimination whether or not you intentionally discriminated against your employee, so it is imperative that you understand the federal laws prohibiting discrimination.

End-of-life issues are difficult to face. The decisions to be made are challenging for everyone involved including the dying person, their loved ones, and the healthcare team. Individuals will have their own unique needs and concerns and will cope in their own way. But this can also be an opportunity for personal growth. These events will often provide people with the opportunity to self-reflect and gain insight into what is most valuable to them.

Ensuring that a healthcare system is culturally competent can reduce health disparities. Healthcare employees who have effective interpersonal and working relationships are essential to successful healthcare outcomes. Healthcare staff provide care to individuals from many backgrounds, so it is essential that they get proper Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training. DEI training should be integrated into the standard hiring and onboarding process for the entire healthcare workforce. The goal of this course is to provide healthcare employees with training about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

In healthcare there is a saying that if it was not documented, it did not happen. While this saying is typically used by healthcare providers and nursing staff, it is also true for managers and human resource professionals. Your goal for documentation is to officially record agreements with employees, actions taken, goals set, and employee issues. Documentation not only helps protect your organization, it also helps make important staff decisions. When you understand your documentation responsibility and when documentation is necessary and helpful, you will be in a better position to lead your staff. Good documentation promotes clarity and understanding. This course discusses when and what people managers should document. It also discusses documentation best practices.

As a professional nurse, you are expected to be familiar with many aspects of care. You are not exempt from malpractice or negligence claims because you were following orders. You are responsible for assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating appropriate nursing care. What you document can and does reflect the care provided and the outcomes of that care. Documentation that is factual, complete, timely, and detailed is required. In this course, you will learn about concepts and rules regarding documentation in the medical record. Legal aspects to be aware of while practicing will also be discussed. The goal of this course is to educate nursing professionals in post-acute care settings about the legal implications of documentation.

Nurses encounter victims of domestic violence or intimate partner violence regardless of where they work. Those who practice in offices, hospitals, clinics, homes, or facilities must be aware that living with domestic violence may be part of a person’s daily life. Even though education for healthcare professionals and routine screening in EDs is mandated, many abused people do not receive needed support. Nurses are able to recognize and help victims, yet do not necessarily receive education about domestic violence. This updated CE module provides information nurses need to increase their understanding of and provide support to people experiencing domestic and intimate partner violence.

Disclaimer: Images in this course depict violence that has been inflicted on children and adults. They may be disturbing to some learners.

The goal of this course is to help nurses and speech-language pathologists (SLP) in early identification of dysphagia after a stroke. This course will review the incidence of dysphagia in stroke and the types of screenings and exams used for early detection and diagnosis. After reviewing swallow screens in detail, you will be able to understand how each member of the interprofessional team plays a role in the implementation of these assessments.

Economic stability is defined as a domain of social determinants of health in the Healthy People 2030 campaign. In this course, you will learn how economic stability relates to an individual’s ability to access resources, such as food, adequate housing, and healthcare. Income and health are strongly, positively correlated (Khullar & Chockshi, 2018). Each of the components of economic stability, which include poverty, employment, food security, and housing stability, are linked to individual health outcomes.

This nursing leadership module educates nurses about trends in the healthcare industry, discusses skills nurses can learn to influence change, and challenges every nurse to become a strong leader and a supportive team member.

Teams are essential in today’s world. Whether it’s in a professional or personal capacity, you’ve undoubtedly worked in a team before. Most likely, some of the teams were more successful than others.

So, what makes a team? More importantly, what makes a successful team?

The goal of this course is to provide all staff with the essential components of being an effective team member.

Emergency providers who practice in the United States may be unfamiliar with the diagnosis and management of emergencies occurring in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. In part, this is due to advancements in prenatal care and the development of protocols that triage patients to obstetric units rather than emergency departments. However, patients in the second and third trimesters still may present to the emergency department, especially in rural or international settings.

In an emergency department, information often flows amongst providers and patients quickly because of urgent, sometimes life-threatening, situations. Due to the volume of information being shared, as well as the need for it to be shared quickly and accurately, emergency department providers must be especially careful to safeguard patient information.

The goal of this course is to update nursing professionals in the acute care setting with basic information about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and 42 CFR Part 2.

As a healthcare professional transporting patients to the ED, you may serve patients with symptoms indicative of behavioral health disorders, such as depressive, bipolar, and anxiety disorders. In some situations, the ED provider must administer psychiatric medications. However, if possible, it is prudent to defer their use until the patient is admitted to an inpatient mental health facility or seen as an outpatient. In many instances, the reason for presentation in the ED is an adverse reaction to psychiatric medications.

Abdominal pain is the single most common ED complaint (up to 10% of visits) and is in the top four for emergency medicine litigation. Emergency providers must be proficient in diagnosing abdominal pain to provide excellent care to patients and reduce their risk of being named in litigation. This course will address abdominal pain diagnosis and treatment in the ED for the elderly, adults, children, and young women (of childbearing potential).

This continuing education program addresses the management of patients with hand trauma. The incidence of hand-related trauma is high. The failure to properly preserve amputated digits, assess for emergent complications, and properly cleanse such injuries can result in long-term functional consequences for the injured.
 

The management of the female who presents to the emergency department (ED) in active labor is stressful and overwhelming. Ideally, the ED has a plan in place, based on hospital resources, for the imminent delivery of a newborn. Decisions regarding delivery in the ED or transferring the patient to labor and delivery are based on a variety of factors. Knowledge of the possible complications of delivery will provide anticipatory guidance to improve maternal and fetal outcomes.

Caregiving demands a tremendous amount of compassion and empathy. While this can be incredibly rewarding, it can cause some adverse side effects. The goal of this course is to provide all staff with an overview of caregiving side effects.

You have probably heard about an “IQ” score that measures intelligence, but have you ever heard of “emotional intelligence” or EQ? Emotional intelligence is your ability to understand, express, and manage your emotions, as well as your insight into what the people around you are feeling. EQ can add to your quality of life and contribute to career success. In this course, you’ll learn about developing emotional awareness, which is the foundation of emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand, express, and regulate your own emotions. It also refers to your awareness of what the people around you are feeling. One of the hallmark skills of EQ is the ability keep your emotional brain and your thinking brain working together, even in intense or stressful situations. Why is this important? What can it do for you?

The goal of this course is to teach all staff strategies to manage emotions.

Stress is part of everyone’s life. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. A certain level of stress is healthy because it motivates you to be productive. However, too much stress can do the opposite, leaving you feeling drained and irritable. You can’t escape stress, but you can learn to respond to it differently.

The goal of this course is to teach employees how to identify triggers and develop a personal stress management plan.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) was enacted to prevent patient dumping by hospitals seeking to avoid unrecoverable costs of care for patients without insurance or the ability to pay for medical services. Language within the statute has led to inconsistencies in how it has been interpreted. Patient dumping and inappropriate medical screening examinations (MSEs) are the most common reasons for EMTALA violations (Ladd & Gupta, 2021). This course will describe how key terms are currently interpreted and how they apply to hospitals with a dedicated emergency department (ED). In addition, learners will have an opportunity to review cases where EMTALA violations were alleged and judgments applied by the courts. 

Listening skills are an often-undeveloped component of effective communication. Leaders and managers with strong listening skills build more productive and engaged teams and increase their own effectiveness. In this course, you will learn the consequences of not listening effectively and how adapting the techniques of active listening will benefit you. You will develop a greater understanding of why and how managers and leaders must listen actively, not passively, to build stronger teams and increase their impact. You will learn the importance of establishing common ground and practicing empathy as you apply the techniques for becoming a better listener.