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.

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.

Whenever a crime occurs, evidence can be transferred among the perpetrator, victim, and the crime scene. Law enforcement personnel collect and preserve crime scene evidence. Healthcare professionals can simultaneously assist with a crime investigation and provide good healthcare to patients by collecting and preserving evidence from the patient’s body. It is imperative to understand that the collection and preservation of evidence from a patient should never compromise the patient’s safety, autonomy, or legal rights. This course provides an overview of interviewing, collecting, and preserving forensic evidence, toxicology, and documentation.

Orthopedic surgery treats conditions, diseases, and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. While many conditions can be managed with conservative methods, surgical intervention is sometimes necessary. This course offers a review of common orthopedic procedures, along with the anatomy, physiology, and pathological conditions of the musculoskeletal system. It includes perioperative considerations and surgical techniques used in orthopedic surgeries.
 

Effective communication with patients and families is the foundation for a therapeutic, safe, and positive patient experience. The patient‘s experience of care is greatly influenced by what is communicated and observed. It is also a vital component of obtaining an accurate history and physical assessment, providing informed, comprehensive care, and educating patients and families to achieve optimal outcomes. The goal of this course is to provide information about how to effectively communicate with patients in healthcare settings.

Chronic pain is a common condition for which healthcare providers often prescribe controlled substances, such as opioids. Prescription opioids can alleviate pain in certain patients, but the risk of misuse, abuse, and overdose means providers need to evaluate the risks and benefits for each patient. This course will educate healthcare providers on the role of prescription opioids along with other therapies for chronic pain, using recommendations from current national guidelines.

The goal of this course is to educate healthcare providers on methods for the safe and responsible use of controlled substances for the management of chronic pain.

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. 

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.

Dizziness is common in pre-hospital and emergency department (ED) settings. Most patients will have a benign condition. However, up to 25% of patients presenting with dizziness complaints will have a life-threatening condition. It is imperative that emergency medical services (EMS) professionals, emergency nurses, and providers promptly identify and treat life-threatening causes of dizziness.  

Safely managing pain for the people in your care requires you to be knowledgeable about pain management recommendations. It is important to understand the risk factors for misuse and substance use disorder (SUD) as well as the signs that someone has a SUD and how to treat it. Unfortunately, SUD is one of the drivers of drug diversion. Therefore, it is also critical that you understand drug diversion tactics and behaviors so you can help prevent it. The goal of this course is to educate healthcare providers in all settings on pain management and preventing substance use disorder and diversion.
 

Economic stability is defined as a domain of social determinants of health in the Healthy People 2030 campaign. It relates to an individual’s ability to access resources such as food, adequate housing, and healthcare. Each component of economic stability, including poverty, employment, food security, and housing stability, is linked to individual health outcomes.

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.

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.

The goal of this continuing education program is to provide nurses in leadership roles with five evidence-based strategies to enhance their leadership effectiveness.

Family violence affects people across all demographics and occurs in a variety of relationships, including between intimate partners, family members, and household members. While progress has been made, it remains a serious issue in the U.S. and globally. Healthcare professionals in all settings play a critical role in identifying and supporting individuals experiencing family violence. This course provides nurses and social workers with information on how to identify and treat people experiencing family violence.

This course is intended to review the identification and management of various fetal heart rate patterns in a clinical context to prevent or address potential physiologic stress imposed on the fetus during labor, as evidenced by the fetal heart rate tracing. 

Forensic evidence connects the scene, the survivor, and the suspect together to assist the justice system in solving crimes. Crucial parts of evidence collection include knowing the correct procedures to preserve evidence and prevent contamination. Patients presenting to the emergency department with injuries requiring forensic evidence collection are often afraid and distressed. Healthcare professionals should know how to care for their emotional needs as well as their physical ones. 

Healthcare professionals in acute care settings frequently observe how lifestyle-related choices contribute to health crises and reduced quality of life for their patients. Changing behaviors, such as taking a new medication, quitting smoking, or eating healthier, to improve well-being is a difficult process for many patients. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a person-centered way to support individuals in changing their behavior. MI centers on what matters most to the patient and encourages a curious, accepting, and compassionate stance by the provider. The spirit of MI is demonstrated in the language and way a provider responds to the patient’s uncertainty about change. The provider helps the patient explore their own goals, barriers, and potential impact of making a change. When MI is embedded into the practice of healthcare, the results can be positive for the patient and practitioners.

Improving hospital processes surrounding discharge and transitions of care can reduce adverse events and readmissions. Process improvements may also lead to better patient adherence to the treatment plan and their overall experience with care. Healthcare professionals must understand care coordination and transitions of care and how they impact HCAHPS survey results.

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey is a national standardized survey required for hospitals participating in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) programs. Survey results are linked to hospital reimbursement from CMS. 

This course is designed for healthcare professionals in acute care settings. Learners will learn to recall complications of obesity, equipping them with knowledge on metabolic syndrome and its associated conditions such as cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Additionally, they will be able to indicate appropriate treatments for the management of obesity-related comorbidities, such as lifestyle modifications, pharmacologic interventions, and bariatric surgery.

Through this education, providers will be better prepared to assess, diagnose, and treat obesity and MetS while improving patient outcomes and reducing associated healthcare costs.

This course will teach you about the various types of child abuse and neglect that are currently the most common, and the physical and behavioral warning signs that may accompany different kinds of child maltreatment. You will learn some general guidelines for mandatory reporting and how you can find out the specific reporting requirements of your particular state.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects thousands of people each year. It affects people from all social and economic backgrounds, ages, sex, genders, sexual orientations, race, and ethnicities. Those who experience IPV often suffer adverse social and health outcomes that make early recognition, identification, and response a priority for professionals working in healthcare and health and human services.

This course focuses on the role that shared governance plays in the nursing profession. Participants will learn what shared governance is and how it can benefit nurses. They will also learn how to implement shared governance programs and enhance programs that already exist. Learners will explore strategies to enhance decision-making processes, promote nursing engagement, and improve patient outcomes through shared governance.

Team-based healthcare is provided by two or more people who represent different professions with the common goal of improving the well-being of a patient. Interprofessional (IP) collaboration may improve outcomes such as pain relief, improved access to healthcare services, and early recognition of treatment failure. Effective team-based, patient-centered care should be tailored to the population served and the needs of those individuals. This course outlines the components of team-based care and provides examples in different settings.

This course aims to help healthcare team members identify core principles of team-based IP healthcare in all settings.