This course discusses how to recognize, prevent, and report abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults in the state of Washington.

The goal of this course is to educate direct care workers in post-acute care settings on how to identify, prevent, and report suspected or witnessed abuse, neglect, or exploitation in the state of Washington.

Identify the different types of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. 

Recall the legal responsibilities of a mandated reporter to report suspected or witnessed abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

 Recognize the physical and emotional signs or indicators of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. 

Describe ways to support victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. 

Identify at least two ways to prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening syndrome associated with an anesthetic trigger. Awareness of MH by all perioperative team members, from those working in the preoperative holding area to those in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), is important in preventing negative patient outcomes.

Define risk factors for MH and preventive measures for improving patient outcomes. 

Identify the signs and symptoms of MH along with diagnostic and genetic considerations. 

Describe the best practices for managing and treating MH.

Subject Matter Expert
Brandy Verton, BSN, RN, CNOR

Identify key terms as defined under EMTALA. 

Identify provider obligations under EMTALA and penalties for violating EMTALA statutes. 

Recognize how EMTALA guidelines apply to different emergency situations, including patient screening, stabilization, and appropriate transfer.

Define key terms and requirements associated with EMTALA.

Describe how EMTALA applies to certain situations.

Staff Writer
Rebecca Smallwood, MBA, RN

Instructor
Cathryn Ayers, RN

Do no harm: A fundamental principle of medical care, yet thousands of patients suffer harm from medical errors every day. Some reports estimate annual deaths from medical errors in the U.S. to be as high as 250,000, but a more recent study revealed that number may be highly inflated (Rodwin et al., 2020). The actual number of preventable deaths estimated by a meta-analysis was 22,165, with most occurring in people expected to have less than 3 months to live. For those who were expected to live longer than 3 months, 7,150 deaths occurred. The difference may be due to over-estimation or from initiatives to reduce errors since initial values were released. Regardless, healthcare professionals are obliged to do no harm, so continued efforts are needed to reduce medical errors.

This course is intended to educate nurses, physicians, and physician assistants on the causes and strategies for preventing medical errors.

Identify definitions related to patient safety, medical errors, and adverse events.

Discuss risk factors, prevention strategies, and populations most vulnerable to medical errors.

Describe the root cause analysis process for medical errors.

List factors that contribute to the five most misdiagnosed medical conditions.

Expert Reviewer
Rebecca Smallwood, MBA, RN

Instructor
Cathryn Ayers, RN

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex condition that may have short- or long-term effects on a patient. TBIs have a wide array of associated symptoms and disabilities. These may have a significant impact on the lives of patients and their families. Healthcare professionals should be ready to rapidly assess patients with TBIs so that they can be treated promptly.

This course provides strategies to enhance the knowledge and skills of physicians, registered nurses, and physician assistants in recognizing, assessing, and managing traumatic brain injuries, contributing to improved patient outcomes and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Indicate how to assess and diagnose traumatic brain injuries, using both clinical examination and diagnostic tools, recognizing the signs and symptoms that distinguish mild, moderate, and severe TBI. 

Apply management strategies for TBI, including immediate interventions, pharmacological treatments, and monitoring techniques, to optimize patient care from acute to rehabilitative stages. 

Discuss the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach in the management of TBI to support recovery, minimize complications, and facilitate patient and family education.

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.
 

Identify the most common types of advance directives and find out if a person has made them. 

Explain how advance directives can improve quality of life, even at the end of life.

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.

Explain how to protect confidential information.

Recall what to do when confidential information is shared without consent.

Subject Matter Expert
Sherry D. Haszto, MSN, RN

As a healthcare worker, you are in regular contact with residents, visitors, and coworkers. When harassment or bullying occurs in the workplace, the impact on staff and visitors creates a troubled workplace. Facility operations are also disrupted with long-reaching effects. Workplace violence refers clearly to threats or actual use of physical force against a person in the workplace. In recent years, more healthcare workers have assumed a greater risk of exposure to workplace violence. In this course, you will learn how to spot, prevent, and respond to workplace violence. 

Define workplace violence.

Identify steps to survive a hostile encounter.

Determine when and how to report workplace violence.

Instructor
Johnny Lee, MS

Staff Writer
Edward Bartels, RN, BSN, MICN

All caregivers are responsible for ensuring the safety of those in their care. This includes protecting them from abuse. Unfortunately, incidents of abuse and neglect often go unrecognized and unreported. This is why it is critical for all caregivers to be able to recognize potential abuse, know how to respond, and take steps to prevent abuse. This course aims to educate direct care professionals on how to recognize and prevent abuse.

Identify the types of abuse. Discuss at least three strategies to prevent abuse.

eams with talented people and a skilled leader are often unable to maintain optimum results over a long period of time. Team leaders must continually assess, evaluate, and monitor the team’s motivation level toward achieving its goals. They must also facilitate emotional buy-in and commitment. This course provides healthcare staff with an overview of how to motivate and enhance a team.

Explain the difference between a team and a group. 

Apply motivational approaches to facilitate an effective team environment and engaged workforce. 

Recognize the importance of assessing and evaluating the current state of your team.

Subject Matter Expert
Linda M. Wantuch, MSM, SPHR, SHRM-CP

The number of active shooter instances in the U.S. is increasing. Active shooter incidences occur at all different types of public and work sites, including healthcare facilities. All healthcare facilities should have a plan in place on how to respond to a potential active shooter situation. The goal of this course is to educate staff in all healthcare settings on how to respond to active shooter situations. 

Define the term active shooter. 

Recall two different types of responses to an active shooter situation.

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.

Discuss current diagnostic practices in patients with acute stroke.

Recall best practice protocols for early identification of acute stroke.

Writer
Sarah Hunter, RN, SCRN, CNRN, CMSRN

Depression and suicide risk are common yet often underrecognized in older adults. This course discusses risk factors and signs of depression in this age group. It also reviews strategies to assess and treat older adults with depression. Lastly, this course indicates key strategies to assess and manage suicide risk in older adults.

Recall risk factors and signs of depression in older adults. 

Indicate strategies to assess depression and suicide risk in older adults. 

Describe evidence-based strategies for treating depression and managing suicide risk in older adults.

Instructor
Jacob Helton, Psy.D.

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.

Recognize common symptoms that individuals may have in response to experiencing trauma.

Identify at least three tools that can help screen and assess for trauma-related disorders.

Determine which interventions would be most relevant for someone with a trauma-related disorder.

Subject Matter Expert
Lauren Quick-Graham, MSW, LCSW, LCAS, CCS

Reviewer
Johnny J. Bethea, II, RPh

This course focuses on 2 continuous quality improvement strategies that can be used to change complex systems—the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) method and Six Sigma’s define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) method. These simple, but effective, methods of making minor changes in systems can transform ambiguous and error-prone processes into tested, clear processes designed to reduce errors.

Understand the systems approach to medical errors, including how it relates to quality improvement measures and the appropriate application of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based) goals. 

Describe the quality improvement strategies most commonly employed in healthcare organizations, including the PDSA and DMAIC methods, as well as common roadblocks to system changes in healthcare organizations.

This course focuses on two continuous quality improvement strategies that can be used to change complex systems—the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) method and Six Sigma’s define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) method. These simple, but effective, methods of making minor changes in systems can transform ambiguous and error-prone processes into tested, clear processes designed to reduce errors.

Understand the systems approach to medical errors, including how it relates to quality improvement measures and the appropriate application of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based) goals. 

Describe the quality improvement strategies most commonly employed in healthcare organizations, including the PDSA and DMAIC methods, as well as common roadblocks to system changes in healthcare organizations.

This course will address the importance of reporting errors for prevention of future adverse events and improved patient safety, as well as the role of root cause analysis (RCA) as an investigation tool for identifying the underlying systems failures that may have led to the error. It will also examine the benefits and barriers to reporting and the role of healthcare culture in reporting. Finally, it will explain the basic process of reporting that is common in most healthcare organizations.  

Describe the systems approach to medical errors and how it increases the likelihood that errors are reported. 

Understand the benefits of reporting errors, especially the importance of reporting errors for patient safety improvements. 

Identify the barriers to reporting errors and the role that healthcare culture plays. 

Explain the basic process of reporting errors in a healthcare organization. 

Explain the purpose of RCA, and describe the guidelines for the use of this investigation tool.

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.

Explain what a substance use disorder is, how it develops, and how it impacts individuals.

Identify strategies that paraprofessionals can use when working with individuals diagnosed with substance use disorders to encourage behavior change.

Describe the types of treatment that exist for people diagnosed with substance use disorders.

Instructor
Bryn Davis, M.Ed, LPC

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.

Identify three risk factors and benefits associated with TOLAC and recommendations for safe TOLAC.

Recall essential components of nursing education, informed consent, safe medication administration, and fetal assessment related to TOLAC.

Writer
Claire Hartman, RN, IBCLC

The perioperative nurse plays a primary role in the anesthesia experience. Knowledge of techniques, patient assessment, and care management for the patient receiving or recovering from anesthesia positively impacts patient outcomes. This course discusses anesthetics and adjuvant medications used in the perioperative setting, anesthesia-related complications, and the nurse’s role in assisting with anesthesia management.

This course provides nursing professionals with information about the principles and practices of anesthesia care in the perioperative setting.

Identify the stages and types of anesthesia, and associated medications commonly used in the perioperative setting. 

Recognize important assessment areas and nursing interventions for the perioperative patient receiving or recovering from anesthesia. 

Describe complications of anesthesia and their treatments.

Subject Matter Expert
Brandy Verton, BSN, RN, CNOR

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.
 

Describe the elements of an antibiotic stewardship program.

Identify at least three benefits of antibiotic stewardship.

Subject Matter Expert
Kathleen Koopmann, RN, BSN, PCCN

This course reviews antithrombotic medications including anticoagulants, antiplatelets, and thrombolytics for nurses in the acute care setting. This course briefly discusses the physiology of blood clotting, nursing management of antithrombotic medications, and safe administration of high risk antithrombotic medications.

Identify key parts of the blood clotting process. 

Recall the types, uses, and management of antithrombotics. 

Apply the principles of safe medication administration for anticoagulants, antiplatelets, and thrombolytics.

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.

Indicate the purpose of HIPAA and how it applies to behavioral healthcare providers. 

Recall at least three ways that the Privacy Rule impacts the day-to-day responsibilities of behavioral health providers. 

Identify at least three steps that behavioral health providers need to take to ensure compliance with the Security Rule.

Instructor
Stephanie L. Furness-Kraft, LCSW, CCTP

Healthcare workers will often interact with patients who make up stories or memories that are inaccurate, sometimes wildly so. These patients are not lying, they are confabulating. A nurse who knows how to manage confabulation can help these patients. With proper interventions, most patients can stop confabulating or learn to manage the condition. This course will give you a solid foundation of knowledge about and skills to handle confabulation by explaining what it is, who does it, what causes it, and how to manage it.

The goal of this course is to inform nurses in the acute care setting about confabulation and how to assess and manage patients with confabulation.

Recall the types of confabulation and the pathophysiology of confabulation. 

Identify two methods of assessing confabulation. 

Apply several approaches for managing confabulation.

Subject Matter Expert
Sarah Hunter, RN, SCRN, CNRN, CMSRN

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.

Define bias.

Identify how biases can affect healthcare.

Describe steps that can help decrease barriers created by bias.

Subject Matter Expert
Juan Armando Rojas Joo, Ph.D.

Bowel ischemia, infarctions, perforations, and obstructions are serious conditions that require prompt recognition and interventions to prevent severe complications and death. This course provides nurses with knowledge of risk factors, signs and symptoms, and management strategies for bowel ischemia, infarction, perforation, and obstruction.

Recall the anatomy of the lower GI tract as well as risk factors, causes, and symptoms of bowel ischemia, infarctions, perforations, and obstructions. 

Identify appropriate diagnostic methods and management strategies for bowel ischemia, infarctions, perforations, and obstructions. 

Describe the clinical presentation of inflammatory bowel disease, its relation to bowel emergencies, and risk reduction strategies.

Instructor
Andrea Powell, RN, BSN

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.

Identify various terms used to describe sexual and gender minority populations.

Describe current health trends related to the sexual and gender minority population.

Choose best practices for improving the healthcare experience for sexual and gender minority populations.

Writer
Annette Brownlee BSN, RN

Subject Matter Expert
Juan Armando Rojas Joo, Ph.D.

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.

Recall care team best practices, including collaboration, communication, and roles.

Identify how care team best practices can improve outcomes for patients with depression and anxiety.

Subject Matter Expert
Shalla Newton, MSN, RN, NE-BC

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.

Identify signs and symptoms of cardiovascular emergencies and conditions.

Describe a comprehensive plan for the care of cardiovascular emergencies, including diagnostic and treatment interventions, and patient education.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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

Identify alterations in the biological, physiological, and psychological status of patients experiencing communicable disease emergencies.

Describe a comprehensive plan for the care of communicable disease conditions including diagnostic and treatment interventions, and patient education.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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.

Identify signs and symptoms of cardiovascular emergencies and conditions.

Describe a comprehensive plan for the care of cardiovascular emergencies, including diagnostic and treatment interventions, and patient education.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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.

Identify signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal and genitourinary emergencies and injuries.

Describe a comprehensive plan for the care of gastrointestinal and genitourinary conditions including diagnostic and treatment interventions, and patient education.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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.

Identify signs and symptoms of gynecological and obstetrical emergencies and injuries.

Describe a comprehensive plan for the care of gynecological and obstetrical conditions including diagnostic and treatment interventions, and patient education.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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).

Identify signs and symptoms and the management of life-threatening maxillofacial illnesses and injuries.

Analyze strategies to manage ocular conditions and emergencies.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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

Identify signs and symptoms of medical conditions and injuries.

Describe a comprehensive plan for the care of medical conditions including diagnostic and treatment interventions, and patient education.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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

Identify signs and symptoms of orthopedic and wound emergencies.

Describe a comprehensive plan for the care of orthopedic and wound emergencies including diagnostic and treatment interventions, and patient education.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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.

Recognize vulnerable patient populations and sensitive care situations facing emergency nurses.

Identify professional practice issues across the health care system that support high-quality patient care and satisfaction.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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.

Recognize signs and symptoms of specific psychosocial emergencies.

Identify strategies to manage psychosocial emergencies.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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).

Identify signs and symptoms of life-threatening respiratory illnesses and injuries.

Analyze strategies to manage respiratory conditions and emergencies that present to the emergency department.

Instructor
Rhoda Phillips, MSN, RN, CEN

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.

Recall concepts associated with vascular physiology and types of aneurysms.

Recognize clinical manifestations of central arterial aneurysms and associated risk factors.

Apply common techniques for managing patients with abdominal and thoracic aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms, and dissections.

Writer
Sarah Hunter, RN, CNRN, CMSRN

Facilitating change for quality outcomes is the cornerstone of any successful organization. Change is necessary for organizational growth and development and for creating a robust organizational culture. In this course, you will explore the trends and change models for quality improvement, barriers to system change, problem-solving, crisis management, and how to incorporate quality measures that support change facilitation in the acute care setting.

Recall the importance of change in facilitating quality outcomes in the acute care setting. 

Identify the trends and change models for quality improvement and concrete strategies for enhancing quality outcomes in the acute care setting.

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.

Describe characteristics of Category II FHR tracings.

Identify common etiologies for Category II FHR tracings during labor.

Examine clinical interventions for Category II FHR tracings.

Review the etiology-based management of Category II FHR tracings.

Expert Reviewer
William Cusick, MD, MFM, FACOG
Dr. Patricia Hensley, DNP, MHA, BSN, RNC-OB
Catherine McGovern, MSN, WHNP-BC, CNM, IBCLC, RN

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.

Consistently apply 1997 and 2008 NICHD definitions and terminology when describing intrapartum fetal heart rate patterns.

Identify intrapartum fetal heart rate tracings using the 2008 NICHD 3-tiered system.

Recognize the fetal heart rate characteristics that define a Category III pattern.

Review the diagnostic imprecision and clinical significance of minimal fetal heart rate variability.

Expert Reviewer
William Cusick, MD, MFM, FACOG
Dr. Patricia Hensley, DNP, MHA, BSN, RNC-OB
Catherine McGovern, MSN, WHNP-BC, CNM, IBCLC, RN

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.

List common risk factors for OH.

Review medical treatments for uterine atony.

Identify pre-surgical and surgical treatments for uterine atony.

Describe blood component therapy for massive hemorrhage.

Expert Reviewer
William Cusick, MD, MFM, FACOG
Dr. Patricia Hensley, DNP, MHA, BSN, RNC-OB
Susan Hale, DNP, RNC-OB, C-EFM

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.

Recognize how nurses and other healthcare professionals can impact the outcome of criminal investigations. 

Describe how to document information regarding the collection of evidence and forensic findings while providing patient-centered, high-quality healthcare.

 Identify the measures necessary to preserve forensic evidence and maintain the proper chain of custody.

Subject Matter Expert
Trisha Sheridan, DNP, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC, SANE-A, SANE-P

Instructor
Carrie Furberg, BSN, RN, CRN

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.
 

Identify the musculoskeletal system's anatomy, physiology, and pathological conditions most encountered during orthopedic surgery. 

Recall indications, contraindications, and complications of orthopedic surgery. 

Identify perioperative considerations and interventions for common orthopedic surgeries.

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.

Identify the key elements of communication.

Subject Matter Expert
Kathleen Koopmann, RN, BSN, PCCN

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.

Identify at least three specific elements of effective communication and how communication affects the patient and family experience.

Recall important components of cultural competence and inclusivity when communicating with patients and families.

Subject Matter Expert
Jacob Helton, Psy.D.

Within healthcare, a patient with limited English proficiency (LEP) is an individual whose primary means of communication is not English and who has a limited command of the language in reading, writing, speaking, or understanding (Office for Civil Rights, 2016). These patients need the careful attention of healthcare personnel to ensure the safety and quality of care. Healthcare professionals should understand regulations and standards related to patients with LEP, such as the use of an interpreter for communication.

The goal of this educational program is to improve the ability of the healthcare team to provide quality care and better outcomes for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).

Recall the importance of medical interpretation services for patients with LEP. 

Identify regulatory, accreditation, and evidence-based standards related to patients with LEP and linguistic services. 

Choose strategies for effectively communicating with patients with LEP, including best practices when using an interpreter.

Subject Matter Expert
Andrea Powell, RN, BSN

Listening skills are an often-undeveloped component of effective communication. Leaders and managers with strong listening skills build more productive and engaged teams with increased effectiveness. In this course, you will learn how managers and leaders can listen actively to build stronger teams and increase their impact. You will also learn the importance of establishing common ground and practicing empathy as you apply the techniques for becoming a better listener.

The goal of this course is to provide managers and leaders with the awareness and skills to be effective communicators.

Discuss best practice techniques for improving your active listening skills. 

Describe at least two benefits of active listening.

Front-line healthcare providers are often recruited to lead quality improvement activities. Thus, they must have knowledge of quality improvement science and concepts that underpin continuous quality improvement strategies, such as Plan-Do-Study-Act, Lean, Six Sigma, and Root Cause Analysis. The goal of this course is to educate healthcare providers in acute care settings on continuous quality improvement and associated methodologies. It will use review questions and story-based learning to promote active learning.  

Recall the goal and concept of continuous quality improvement. 

Recognize how continuous quality improvement supports evidence-based practices among the healthcare team. 

Identify continuous quality improvement methodologies.

Editor
Jacob Helton, Psy.D.

Subject Matter Expert
Alison Shely

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.

Indicate treatment options for patients with chronic pain. 

Identify safe strategies to initiate or change opioid analgesics. 

Name patient factors and characteristics that can make prescribing opioids unsafe.

Subject Matter Expert
Sooa Devereaux, MSN, RN

All staff must be aware of the importance of creating a welcoming and safe healthcare environment. This includes knowing what must be present for such an environment to exist. In this course, you will learn best practices for creating a healthcare environment that best serves the safety needs of the people who are receiving services and makes them feel welcome.

Describe a welcoming and safe healthcare environment. 

Explain how a welcoming and safe healthcare environment can improve the healthcare experience. 

Identify at least three practices that promote a welcoming and safe healthcare environment.

Most healthcare professionals strive to provide equitable treatment, but unconscious biases can still influence clinical decisions, leading to disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. This course explores how implicit bias develops, its impact on healthcare delivery, and strategies for recognizing and reducing bias in practice. The goal of this course is to educate healthcare professionals in all settings on implicit bias.

Recognize the impact of historical discrimination on the provision of healthcare. 

Identify methods of evaluating the presence and extent of implicit bias. 

Recall measures that can be taken to reduce implicit bias.

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.

Define cultural competency.

Describe the role of cultural competency in healthcare.

Writer
Amanda Gayle, Ph.D.

Subject Matter Expert
Juan Armando Rojas Joo, Ph.D.

Today's workforce is increasingly diverse. Supervisors must be able to work effectively and respectfully with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds. In this course, you will learn about various dimensions of culture. You will learn what cultural competence is and how you can become more culturally competent. You will also learn how culture and cultural competence affect your relationship with the staff members you supervise.

Explain the impact of cultural diversity in the workplace. Identify up to 5 strategies to help you become a more culturally competent supervisor.

Culturally appropriate interventions must be utilized when working with culturally diverse clients and patients. Cultural competency goes beyond having knowledge of traditional cultures. This course discusses how cultural competency functions to deliver culturally competent care related to diet and nutrition.

The goal of this course is to educate fitness professionals, health education professionals, and nutrition and dietetics professionals with information on developing cultural competency.

Explain the importance of integrating cultural competence into individual and organizational practice.

Identify culturally competent strategies and incorporate them into practice.

Apply knowledge of traditional cultural diets into effective patient teaching.

Staff Writer
Stephanie M. Smith MS, BSN, RN, CPN

Expert Reviewer
Julie Stefanski, MEd, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CDCES, FAND

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. 

Recall the relationship of culture, subculture, acculturation, assimilation, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, and cultural humility to healthcare practice.

Recognize elements of cultural assessment and respectful maternity care that can improve quality of care and meet the unique needs of culturally diverse families.

Writer
Claire Hartman, RN, IBCLC

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.

Identify cultural factors influencing the patient’s perception and expression of pain.

Recall strategies for reducing barriers in pain assessment and promoting management decisions to respond to a patient’s pain in a culturally sensitive manner.

Writer
Monica Caicedo Orellana, MS, RN, OCN, CNE

Everyone has an important role in keeping patient information safe. Protecting private details and securing work devices is essential. This course will guide you through easy steps to reduce cybersecurity risks and help you handle information safely.
 

Recall best practices for the secure handling of patient information and device protection.

The purpose of this course is to teach secure practices for remote work and telehealth.

Recall best practices for remote work and telehealth.

Understanding privilege is a step toward increased empathy. It helps to foster a more inclusive culture. People often associate privilege with one gender identity, one race, or wealth. The truth is, we all have privilege to varying degrees. This course will help you understand what privilege is. It will help you understand how privilege affects different individuals and groups.

Recall the meaning of privilege and the various ways it impacts individuals and groups.

This course examines diagnostic failure and delayed diagnosis in emergency medicine. It is designed to enhance understanding of the common causes and implications of diagnostic failures and delays and provide strategies for improving diagnostic accuracy in emergency settings.

Recognize the impact of diagnostic errors and contributing factors to diagnostic failures and delays. 

Identify strategies for improving diagnostic accuracy and preventing errors and delays through interprofessional collaboration.

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.  

Recognize the potential causes of dizziness using comprehensive history-taking and examination techniques. 

Identify an effective treatment plan for a patient presenting with dizziness, using interprofessional collaboration and evidence-based guidelines to optimize patient outcomes.

Medical errors and unanticipated outcomes not only have the potential for devastating consequences, but they are a relatively common occurrence in healthcare. Accordingly, providers must be well-versed in understanding the basic steps of disclosing these events to patients and their families, as well as the legal ramifications of such action. Fortunately, there are models and ethical frameworks that help guide these decisions and conversations, but every provider must determine the approach that is best for their practice.  

Understand the basic steps of the disclosure process, the ethical frameworks for disclosure, and the pragmatic, regulatory, and legal reasons for disclosure. 

Explore the emotional and psychological effects of medical errors on providers and patients.

Diversity presents both challenges and opportunities. This course discusses the benefits and challenges of diversity. It also discusses how to avoid discrimination toward those you work with and provide care for. This course provides healthcare employees with education on diversity.

Discuss the benefits of a diverse workforce. 

Identify at least two ways to avoid workplace discrimination.

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.

Describe the manager’s role and responsibility in documentation.

Indicate at least three personnel matters that require manager documentation.

Subject Matter Expert
Annette Brownlee BSN, RN

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.
 

Discuss drug diversion and related drug diversion behaviors and activities. 

Identify various classifications of medications that are diverted or misused. 

Describe screening and assessment tools helpful in identifying substance use disorders. 

Recognize nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments of substance use disorders. 

Explain options for pain management.

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.

Describe the four components of economic stability. 

Explain how economic stability affects health and health outcomes. 

Identify strategies for helping patients overcome barriers to economic stability and how they positively impact health outcomes.

Instructor
Stephanie M. Smith MS, BSN, RN, CPN

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.

Identify information sharing standards under HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2.

Define the concept of consent, when you must obtain it to share or receive information, and the types of information that may not be available to you.

Instructor
Amanda C Richards, MA, LPCC, LADC, MAC

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.

Know the clinical presentation and physical exam findings associated with pregnancy.

Recognize the common complications associated with pregnancy. Plan the steps to prepare the process of delivery of a newborn.

Recognize common complications of delivery of a newborn.

Subject Matter Expert
Ann Dietrich, MD, FAAP, FACEP

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.

Recognize the signs and symptoms of caregiver stress.

Apply practical methods to address the symptoms of caregiver stress.

Subject Matter Expert
Jennifer W. Burks, M.S.N., R.N.

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.

Describe emotional intelligence.

Explain how to recognize your feelings and the feelings of others.

Subject Matter Expert
Jennifer W. Burks, M.S.N., R.N.

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.

Choose between responding intentionally to a conflict and reacting on the basis of emotions. Apply practices to strengthen your emotional intelligence, or EQ.

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.

Identify at least three common causes of stress in the workplace.

Describe at least two techniques to manage and decrease your own stress.

Subject Matter Expert
Jennifer W. Burks, M.S.N., R.N.

This course, which was designed to comply with HIPAA law, will help you protect the privacy of the people you provide care for. Allowing unauthorized individuals to see a person’s personal health information can have severe consequences for you and your organization, even if it happens by accident.

The goal of this course is to provide post-acute care staff with basic information about the principles of confidentiality, privacy, and security.

Explain why HIPAA exists.

Identify at least three things in the medical record that can be used to identify an individual.

Describe at least three best practices to prevent HIPAA violations.

Expert Reviewer
Ron Orth RN, CHC, CMAC

This course will offer a blend of ethical and legal information, clinical vignettes, and strategies that can later be applied in therapeutic settings. The content of this course includes information about informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, boundaries, mandatory reporting, and rules for sharing information. The course assumes the learner has a basic understanding of telehealth technologies and formats. To learn more, you can search the Relias library for additional courses related to telehealth.

The goal of this course is to provide addictions professionals, behavioral health counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, social workers, and nurses in health and human services settings with strategies and information for competent and ethical telehealth practice.

Name the key sources of information that inform ethical and legal telehealth service delivery.

Identify at least two competencies required for delivering telehealth services.

List specific steps for ensuring confidentiality, informed consent, appropriate boundaries, mandated reporting, and sharing of information within telehealth service delivery.

Describe common ethical missteps and legal problems that arise with telehealth service delivery and how providers can avoid these issues.

Instructor
Stephanie L. Furness-Kraft, LCSW, CCTP

Establishing an effective corporate compliance program helps healthcare organizations prevent, detect, and correct unlawful and unethical behavior. This course discusses the laws and behaviors related to ethics. It also discusses your responsibilities in preventing and identifying unlawful and unethical behavior. The goal of this course is to familiarize general staff in healthcare settings with the most common types of fraudulent and improper conduct.

Identify common high-risk areas for fraudulent conduct.

Recall at least three types of fraudulent or other improper conduct.

Staff Writer
Annette Brownlee BSN, RN

This course is designed to teach healthcare professionals effective pain management methods that do not rely on opioids. It encourages the use of patient-centered approaches, various therapies, technology, and self-care strategies while collaborating with the interprofessional team. Overcoming obstacles, such as stigma and unequal access to pain treatments, is emphasized to improve pain management practices.

Recognize the need to balance the harms of uncontrolled pain with the potential harms of pain treatment. 

Select appropriate tools to assess pain. 

Recall physiologic processes and terminology related to pain. 

Identify pain treatments that can be combined to form multimodal treatment plans.

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

Identify five evidence-based leadership strategies applicable to nursing practice. 

Describe interventions that promote healthy work environments, including methods for staff engagement and transition management.

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.

Explain the risk factors, signs, and symptoms associated with abuse and neglect across the lifespan.

 Describe the role of intimate partner advocacy in helping people experiencing family violence understand that physical, sexual, or emotional abuse is not their fault. 

Identify the steps to ensure the safety of those affected by abuse who decide to leave an abusive environment. 

Discuss the direct and indirect questions that broach the subject of violence and abuse with patients, partners, and family members to screen for abuse.

Staff Writer
Cathryn Ayers, RN

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. 

Consistently apply National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) definitions when describing intrapartum FHR patterns. 

Recognize the importance of clinical context, FHR pattern evolution or trend, and stage of labor when managing a Category II tracing. 

Identify the importance of the evolution of FHR variability when assessing the FHR pattern.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that mandates unpaid leave, job protection, and other benefits for eligible employees who face specific family or medical challenges. As an employer or supervisor, you need to know what obligations the FMLA imposes on your organization when an employee requests leave from their job. This course introduces you to key provisions of the FMLA such as which employees have rights under the FMLA and the circumstances under which they are eligible to take protected leave. 

The goal of this course is to educate administrators and human resource (HR) professionals in all healthcare settings about the Family Medical Leave Act. 

Discuss the FMLA mandates regarding employee leave and reinstatement.

Determine whether the FMLA applies to employees at your organization.

Identify at least two FMLA-qualifying events.

Subject Matter Expert
Linda M. Wantuch, MSM, SPHR, SHRM-CP

Reviewer
Edward Bartels, RN, BSN, MICN

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. 

Identify the fundamentals of survivor-centered care. Recall important elements of documentation in forensic medical care. Define the essential components of forensic evidence collection.

Increasingly more gravid patients in the U.S. are getting gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). If well managed, they can still have a healthy pregnancy. It is important for those who work in maternal child health to know all about this condition, what causes it, and how to manage it.
 

This course provides acute care professionals with basic guidelines for the clinical management of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Discuss pathophysiology, screening, and risk factors for developing GDM. 

Determine glucose monitoring and medication management strategies to use intrapartum and postpartum for a gravid patient with GDM. 

Identify lifestyle modifications needed for a patient with GDM.

Instructor
Lauren Manaker, MS, RD, LD, CLEC

Staff Writer
Kimberly Workman, MA

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.

Identify how the spirit and the four processes of Motivational Interviewing help patients consider their own reasons for change. 

Recall at least three specific Motivational Interviewing skills you can use to help patients resolve ambivalence in favor of making change.

Subject Matter Expert
Lauren Quick-Graham, MSW, LCSW, LCAS, CSI

This course is about harassment in the workplace, including sexual harassment and other types of workplace harassment. It looks at the basic skills needed to deal with situations involving harassment. This course will provide information that will help produce a healthy work environment that is free of harassment. It will also help you understand your role if you encounter harassment in the workplace. The content in this course is applicable to all employees.

Define workplace harassment. Identify examples of harassment situations and problems.

Recognize examples of retaliation.

Describe how to effectively respond to harassment incidents in the workplace.

Summarize workplace behaviors that help maintain a harassment-free workplace.

Instructor
David A. Winter, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SP

Hospitals and providers currently receive reimbursement by meeting criteria established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Quality measures and length of stay data are measures that affect hospital reimbursement. Yet the patient’s experience of care also remains a key factor in hospital reimbursement models. CMS uses the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey to measure the patient’s experience, and nursing care is one part of the survey. Hospitals that perform well on the HCAHPS ratings are more likely to receive better reimbursement and bonuses. Nurses impact hospital ratings and reimbursement by providing the patient with a positive care experience.

Describe the impact of patients’ perception of their care experience on hospital reimbursement.

Discuss HCAHPS survey questions about staff responsiveness and strategies for improving survey ratings for these items.

Discuss the HCAHPS survey questions about medications and strategies for improving survey ratings for these items.

Instructor
Deborah Zastocki, DNP, EdM, MA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE®

Staff Writer
Carrie Furberg, BSN, RN, CRN

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. 

Identify the impacts of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) programs on healthcare organizations. 

Categorize transitions of care, care coordination, and discharge planning. 

Select strategies to improve interprofessional teamwork.

Healthcare practitioners greet, assess, screen, treat, and refer LGBTQIA+ individuals every day. Some may understand the unique needs of this population. However, more information and education are needed to ensure that people are represented in research and are treated with respect and dignity when receiving healthcare. This course discusses barriers LGBTQIA+ people face in accessing healthcare, along with the physical, mental, psychosocial, and cultural factors that affect their health. It provides practical strategies for providing sensitive, informed, and inclusive care. The goal of this course is to provide healthcare professionals with education on health disparities in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Recognize social determinants of health and health disparities among LGBTQIA+ populations. 

Identify at least three barriers faced by LGBTQIA+ people in accessing healthcare. 

Identify LGBTQIA+ health risk factors, including physical, mental, psychosocial, and cultural. 

Recall strategies for providing sensitive and informed healthcare for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Recognize the lifespan health considerations of LGBTQIA+ individuals, including coming out and family systems.

Subject Matter Expert
Jennifer Niles, MSW, LCSW, LCAS
 

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.

Recognize the relationship between obesity and metabolic syndrome. Identify the complications of obesity and metabolic syndrome on a person’s health. Indicate the appropriate therapies for the management of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Despite great strides in the reduction of medical errors, mistakes that result in patient harm remain too frequent in American healthcare institutions. In recent years, healthcare systems and institutions have sought to emulate the model of the high reliability organization or HRO. HROs are known for their safe operation and limited degree of failure despite engaging in potentially hazardous and highly complex activities. Researchers have identified several distinctive qualities specific to HROs that may be applied to healthcare contexts, with some caveats. Due to their unique and ubiquitous role within healthcare institutions, nurses have the potential to make significant contributions to this process.

The goal of this course is to equip nurses with knowledge of the characteristics and principles of high reliability organizations and the role of nurses in supporting high reliability.

Describe the characteristics and principles of high reliability organizations.

Describe the role and responsibilities of nursing in supporting high reliability organizations.

Instructor
Carrie Furberg, BSN, RN, CRN

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly called HIPAA, protects the confidentiality and security of healthcare information. HIPAA creates and protects individual privacy rights for protected health information and governs the use and disclosure of that information.

The goal of this course is to provide all staff with an overview of the principles of HIPAA.

The content of this course is sourced from 45 CFR Parts 160,162, and 164 (2020) or HIPAA-related resources from the Health and Human Services (HHS) unless otherwise noted.

Define the purpose of HIPAA.

Recognize when a HIPAA violation has occurred.

Identify three steps you can take to avoid a HIPAA violation.

Expert Reviewer
Jennifer W. Burks, M.S.N., R.N.

Social media and other forms of electronic communication allow people to instantly share pictures and messages with anyone, anywhere. But as the opportunities to share information online have increased, so have the challenges for keeping information private.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA, was designed to protect individuals’ rights and their personal healthcare information. HIPAA applies to both the storage and transfer of electronic protected health information, so these electronic communications must be handled carefully.

Describe at least three ways to avoid HIPAA violations when using electronic communication.

Subject Matter Expert
Jennifer W. Burks, M.S.N., R.N.

All healthcare organizations must follow a specific HIPAA rule, known as the Privacy Rule. This rule limits the use and disclosure of protected health information, known as PHI. The Privacy Rule also grants people the right to view and correct their medical records, receive copies, or request that copies are sent. The goal of this course is to provide all staff with knowledge of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Recognize common violations of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Identify ways to prevent violations of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Instructor
Susan Heinzerling, BSN, RN, CHPN

The use of technology has bloomed in the healthcare industry. While technology’s use has improved the delivery and continuity of care, it increases the chance that an unauthorized person will be able to access individuals’ protected health information, or PHI. Therefore, to protect electronic PHI, your organization is required to follow a specific HIPAA rule, known as the Security Rule.

The goal of this course is to describe the Security Rule and ways you can prevent breaches.

Describe the HIPAA Security Rule.

Identify at least three ways to prevent breaches of the HIPAA Security Rule.

Expert Reviewer
Jennifer W. Burks, M.S.N., R.N.

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.

Identify the behavioral and physical signs of abuse and neglect. 

Describe the role of the mandated reporter and where to access state-specific rules related to mandated reporting in your 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.

Identify five types of IPV and five dynamics of survivor and perpetrator relationships.

Recall at least four types of risk factors and protective factors of IPV.

Identify best practices and key considerations for the assessment and treatment of IPV.

Subject Matter Expert
Pamela Green, LCSW RPT

People have used substances since ancient times. Sometimes, substances were used as medicine to treat an ailment, for recreation, or to support spiritual practices. Some people who use substances develop patterns of compulsive use that are hard for them to control due to how they impact their brains. They can experience harmful, even fatal, consequences.

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 in learning about substances and their impact, work to prevent or identify problematic use and substance use disorders, offer information about treatment, or provide treatment to clients. This course will review common types of substances used, how they affect the user, problematic use, substance use disorders, and evidence-based treatments.

Identify common substances used and how they affect the body. 

Recognize aspects of problematic use and elements of the diagnosis of a substance use disorder. 

Recall at least three evidence-based treatments of substance use disorders

Instructor
Jennifer Niles, MSW, LCSW, LCAS

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.

Indicate the foundational principles of a shared governance system. 

Recognize strategies for implementing shared governance and overcoming barriers to participation. 

Recall the advantages of a shared governance system.

This course focuses on implementing systems theory to prevent errors and injuries in healthcare. This course targets physicians, nurses, risk managers, quality assurance directors, and C-level administrators focused on ensuring patient safety and healthcare quality.

Explain how HF/SE analyze systems failures. 

Describe the SEIPS model of work system and patient safety. 

Apply human factors engineering principles to healthcare systems to increase efficiency and improve patient safety and quality of care. 

Identify the characteristics of resilient systems.

Medical errors have been conceptualized more recently as systems failures rather than individual errors. This lends itself to a more constructive focus where errors are reported and analyzed in the hope of preventing future errors through system modifications. This course reviews the characteristics of these complex systems and their role in medical errors.

Describe the characteristics of systems theory. 

Identify the systems failures that allow errors to occur. 

Identify types of medical errors and outcomes. 

Explain the prevalent models of accident causation and how they apply to healthcare. 

Describe how systems improvements can prevent errors and help providers respond appropriately to errors that do occur.

Be able to analyze clinical scenarios and identify individual and systems errors.

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.

Identify the core principles and competencies of an effective healthcare team. 

Recall two examples of team-based care.

Military cultural competence is essential to effectively engage, understand, and support active duty service members, reservists, and veterans in behavioral health treatment. Those in the military represent a specific cultural group. This course will provide you with an introduction to military culture. You will learn about the overall structure of the military, the core values of the primary branches, and the unique experiences of specific sub-populations within the military. This information will help you more effectively engage with, understand, respect, and support the military service members who seek your services.

The goal of this course is to provide addiction, behavioral health counseling, case management/care management, marriage and family therapy, nursing, psychologist, and social worker professionals in health and human services settings with information about military culture in general, the effects of military culture on sub-populations, and how behavioral health concerns affect military service members and veterans.

Describe key aspects of military culture, the sub-populations within military culture, and the unique needs and experiences of those groups.

Describe the overall structure of the military and its primary branches.

Recall two perceived consequences by service members and veterans of receiving a behavioral health disorder diagnosis.

Subject Matter Expert
Scottie Smith, Psy.D.

Reviewer
Kimberly Workman, MA

The goal of this course is to provide addictions, behavioral health counseling, marriage and family therapy, nursing, psychology, and social work professionals in health and human services settings with an opportunity to apply your existing knowledge to assess and intervene with an at-risk adult.

Identify risk factors and warning signs for suicidality in adults. 

Indicate the appropriate steps to assess an individual’s level of suicide risk. 

State the essential interventions to implement based on the level of identified risk.

The goal of the course is to discuss how innovations can be recognized, developed, adopted, and disseminated amongst staff, as well as review areas where innovations are likely to change the provision of care. We will also explore the patient’s role in innovation, and how patient and family-centered care will drive ongoing changes.

Review the process of innovation development and dissemination. 

Summarize innovations that are modifying the current healthcare environment. 

Discuss the nurse, patient, and family roles in the future of care delivery.

Instructor
Nicole Strickland, BA, BSN, RN, CPAN

Human trafficking victims are often concealed by their traffickers; however, studies show that many victims interact with healthcare professionals while they are being victimized. This places healthcare professionals in a unique position to recognize the signs and risk factors of human trafficking and take steps if they suspect a person may be a victim of human trafficking.

The goal of this course is to provide healthcare staff with critical steps to recognize and respond to human trafficking.

Identify the two major types of human trafficking.

Explain how force, coercion, and fraud relate to human trafficking.

Discuss federal laws regarding human trafficking.

Describe at least three barriers to identifying human trafficking.

Identify at least three signs that someone may be a trafficking victim.

Discuss steps to take if you suspect a person is being trafficked.

Expert Reviewer
Catie Hart

This course provides an introductory overview of intrapartum fetal monitoring, including the maternal-fetal oxygenation pathway, assessing uterine activity, and recognizing, interpreting, and managing FHR patterns.

Define the characteristics of FHR and uterine activity obtained via auscultation, palpation, and EFM methods. 

Interpret electronic FHR and uterine patterns. 

Recall key physiological and anatomical aspects of maternal-fetal circulation and select risk management strategies related to fetal monitoring.

Multicultural care helps reduce behavioral health disparities, build trust, and improve outcomes for marginalized clients. This course explains key concepts that support multicultural care and core components of culturally responsive care. It also indicates how to address personal and institutional bias in healthcare settings. 

Define at least four key concepts that support multicultural care. 

Indicate how to address personal and institutional bias in healthcare settings. 

Identify at least three core components of culturally responsive care.

Subject Matter Expert
Kayte Thomas, PhD, LCSW, CCTP, CIMHP

Writer
Lauren Quick-Graham, MSW, LCSW, LCAS, CSI

Nurses deliver infusion therapy to millions of patients in hospitals, home healthcare settings, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, and physicians’ offices annually. Nursing professionals perform many daily activities involving peripheral catheter insertion and safe delivery of intravenous (IV) fluids and medications. The use of vascular access devices and IV therapy are commonplace in the acute care setting. With that said, clinicians must take caution due to the potentially serious and fatal complications that can occur from inappropriate IV fluid or drug delivery. Patient safety requires that nurses institute safeguards to avoid complications associated with IV treatment.

Discuss the maintenance and complications of peripheral IV (PIV) therapy. 

Identify drugs that can cause tissue damage if extravasation occurs. 

Recall the components for documenting a peripheral IV insertion.

Every year, workers are injured or killed when the equipment they are working with unexpectedly turns on or the residual energy stored in the equipment is released. Lockout/Tagout, or LOTO, is a set of procedures used to control hazardous energy during the service or maintenance of machine and equipment. The aim of LOTO procedures is to protect workers from the release of hazardous energy.  

The goal of this course is to provide all staff with an overview of lockout/tagout procedures.

Explain key principles of lockout/tagout and why they were implemented.

Instructor
Anthony A. Barone, M.P.S., M.P.H., CBCP, CEM, CHMM, NRP, PMP, and Chief Executive Officer and Protective Paramedic at EMERGILITY, LLC.

This course provides an overview of pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and acute management of liver failure, including pharmacological therapies and supportive care strategies. Participants will explore the latest evidence-based approaches to optimizing patient outcomes and preventing complications associated with hepatic failure.

The purpose of this course is to provide the healthcare team with an overview of managing liver disease and hepatic failure.

Identify the key clinical manifestations of liver disease and acute hepatic failure, including laboratory findings and physical assessment indicators. 

Evaluate strategies for preventing and managing complications associated with hepatic failure. 

Discuss evidence-based pharmacological and supportive care interventions for managing hepatic failure in acute care settings.

Staff Writer
Monica Caicedo Orellana, MS, RN, OCN, CNE

This is a brief review of how nurses and providers should address maternal hemorrhage in the ED. All emergency departments must be prepared for obstetric hemorrhage, which can cause severe issues or death. 

Recognize signs of maternal hemorrhage in the ED. 

Recall the management of maternal hemorrhage in the ED.

Instructor
Kelly LaMonica, DNP, MSN, RNC-OB, EFM

Staff Writer
Kimberly Workman, MA

This course equips the healthcare team with critical skills for assessing and managing pediatric trauma. It provides information about pediatric-specific anatomy, physiology, and trauma risks across developmental stages. Learners will explore best practices for identifying life-threatening injuries and assessing shock, respiratory, and neurological complications in children. Key topics include age-specific vital signs, pain assessment tools, and tools like the Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) and Broselow™ Pediatric Emergency Tape. 

Identify the anatomical and physiological differences between pediatric and adult trauma patients and their implications for trauma care. 

Recognize the importance of age-appropriate trauma assessment techniques, including developmental and communication considerations, to accurately evaluate pediatric trauma patients. 

Recall the key signs and symptoms of shock, pain, and neurological status in pediatric trauma patients, and the tools used for their assessment.

This course is designed to equip healthcare professionals with the basic critical skills for managing pediatric trauma in pre-hospital and clinical settings. Focusing on the unique anatomical and physiological differences in children, the course covers essential topics such as field triage, airway management, Pediatric Assessment Triangle, and weight-based medication dosing. Learners will gain insights into best practices for handling high-risk injuries and ensuring patient safety. With a strong emphasis on teamwork, the course integrates knowledge checks to reinforce learning and ensure mastery of key concepts in pediatric trauma care.

Recognize pediatric-specific considerations in trauma, including anatomical differences, weight-based dosing, and field triage. 

Recall the critical steps for assessing and managing abdominal, head, thoracic, spinal, and extremity trauma in pediatric patients. 

Identify the appropriate interventions for managing pediatric burns, drowning incidents, and electrical injuries in emergency settings.

This course equips nurses, providers, and pharmacists with essential knowledge to identify and manage sepsis using the latest evidence-based guidelines, including screening tools and the 1-hour sepsis bundle. Participants will learn about sepsis pathophysiology, diagnostic strategies, and treatment protocols while emphasizing interprofessional collaboration. The course also highlights prevention, patient-centered care, and strategies to improve outcomes in this life-threatening condition.

Identify appropriate screening tools for early identification of sepsis and sepsis-related symptoms.

 Recall diagnostic tools and criteria for diagnosing sepsis. 

Recognize appropriate management strategies when caring for a patient with sepsis.

This course provides an overview of ectopic pregnancies, with a focus on diagnosis and treatment options.

Definition of ectopic pregnancy. 

Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. 

Treatment of ectopic pregnancy.

Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) can be crucial to stabilizing patients in the emergency department (ED). The goal of this course is to provide physicians and nursing professionals with the knowledge to meet new standards from The Joint Commission regarding fetal monitoring procedures and stabilization in the ED. 

Recall how to perform electronic fetal monitoring in the ED. 

Identify how to interpret and respond to electronic fetal monitoring tracings.

This is a brief review of how nurses and providers should address maternal hemorrhage in the ED. All emergency departments must be prepared for obstetric hemorrhage, which can cause severe issues or death. 

Recognize signs of maternal hemorrhage in the ED. 

Recall the management of maternal hemorrhage in the ED.

Hypertensive disorders are the most common medical complication affecting pregnancy and are the second leading cause of maternal deaths in the U.S. In the ED, healthcare professionals must know about hypertensive disorders in the perinatal patient population to provide safe, evidence-based care. This course will provide information about the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, its effects on the mother and fetus, and recommended management.

Identify the risk factors, defining features, and potential adverse outcomes of the four hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. 

Review the management of a patient with hypertensive disorder in the prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods.

Shoulder dystocia is an obstetric emergency. To prepare for this rare occurrence, your healthcare team should be knowledgeable about the risk factors, potential complications, and the management of shoulder dystocia. In addition, emergency professionals should develop strategies to help their healthcare team prepare for this rare event.

Identify the risk factors, potential complications, and interventions of shoulder dystocia. 

Recall strategies to prepare your healthcare team for a shoulder dystocia emergency.

This course presents providers with a review of umbilical cord prolapse, its causes, presentation, diagnosis, and management.

List obstetric and iatrogenic risk factors for umbilical cord prolapse. 

Distinguish between overt and occult umbilical cord prolapse. 

Review the clinical presentation of umbilical cord prolapse. 

Outline the clinical management of overt umbilical cord prolapse.

This course reviews the FHR characteristics of Category III patterns, their etiologies, and clinical significance.

Identify Category III FHR tracings. 

Describe the clinical significance of a Category III FHR tracing. 

Outline the clinical management of the Category III FHR tracing.

This course provides OB and ED providers with a review of hypovolemia in pregnancy with emphasis on early recognition, prompt resuscitation, and identification and control of the causative etiology.

Recognizing the clinical signs of hypovolemia in pregnancy. 

Apply clinical screening tools to identify patients experiencing hypovolemia. 

List common etiologies for hypovolemia in pregnancy. 

Review clinical management of hypovolemia in pregnancy.

This course provides an overview of sepsis in pregnancy, with a focus on screening tools to facilitate early recognition and timely treatment.

Define sepsis and septic shock. 

Review sepsis screening tools used in pregnancy. 

Review common etiologies for sepsis in pregnancy. 

Review treatment approach to sepsis, sepsis bundle.

This course provides a review of umbilical cord prolapse, its causes, presentation, diagnosis, and management.

List obstetric and iatrogenic risk factors for umbilical cord prolapse. 

Distinguish between overt and occult umbilical cord prolapse. 

Review the clinical presentation of umbilical cord prolapse. 

Outline the clinical management of overt umbilical cord prolapse.

This course reviews common risk factors and clinical features of uterine rupture to enhance early recognition and timely delivery, emphasizing diagnosis and treatment.

Define risk factors for uterine rupture. 

Identify the most common signs and symptoms of uterine rupture. 

Recall prevention and response measures for uterine rupture.

This is a brief review of how nurses and providers should address maternal hemorrhage in the ED. All emergency departments must be prepared for obstetric hemorrhage, which can cause severe issues or death. 

Recognize signs of maternal hemorrhage in the ED. 

Recall the management of maternal hemorrhage in the ED.

Maternal obesity has significant implications for both the parent and fetus. This course discusses the risks associated with maternal obesity, updated care guidelines regarding BMI, and maternal, fetal, and neonatal complications associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk. You will also learn about how biases and perceptions related to BMI can affect the quality of care that patients receive and patient outcomes. Strategies to mitigate these risks through interprofessional care involving providers, nurses, and RDNs will also be reviewed.

Recognize how biases and perceptions associated with BMI and maternal obesity can affect patient care and outcomes. 

Recall updated guidelines regarding BMI and maternal obesity-related complications for the patient, fetus, and neonate. 

Identify interprofessional healthcare team approaches for mitigating maternal obesity-related morbidity and mortality.

Almost 95% of all maternal mortalities happen in low and lower middle-income countries (World Health Organization, 2023). However, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among all developed countries. Approximately 700 patients die each year in the U.S. due to pregnancy complications and nearly 85% of those deaths are preventable (Hill et al., 2022). Furthermore, the AMA and CDC state that Black and AIAN patients are 3 to 5 times more likely to die from maternal complications than White patients (AMA, 2023). Indigenous, immigrant, refugee, and low-income populations are also at significantly greater risk of poorer maternal outcomes. However, in the past few years, global and national advocacy initiatives have set their philanthropic and financial radar on improving maternal outcomes in these vulnerable communities.

Identify the most vulnerable populations at greatest risk for poor maternal outcomes and the various health disparities and factors putting them at risk. 

Recall global and national advocacy initiatives, including healthcare policy reform, and their focus on improving maternal outcomes in these vulnerable populations.

Alcohol use disorder is a primary health condition that interacts with and complicates many other health problems and psychiatric disorders. Unfortunately, only a small number of people with alcohol use disorder receive appropriate treatment for substance use issues. The incorporation of screening for alcohol use disorders in a general medical setting can significantly increase the number of individuals with alcohol use disorders who are identified and treated. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 4 medications to treat alcohol use disorder, making treatment in primary care and other general medical settings a viable alternative to specialty care. This course will give you valuable information about these medications as well as several medications used off-label.

Identify strategies you can use to more effectively identify alcohol use disorder in a medical setting.

Recall factors that indicate someone may be a good candidate for medication-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder as well as factors that suggest this approach is contraindicated.

Discuss the common medications used to treat alcohol use disorder, their benefits, and potential side effects.

Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Alina Vrinceaunu-Hamm, MD

Writer
Jacob Helton, Psy.D.

This course explains the factors involved in medical errors and ways that organizations and individuals can prevent them. It reviews how organizations can minimize medical errors by adopting the right culture and implementing the right interventions.

Identify what a medical error is, what factors increase the risk of error, and what interventions to take to prevent them. 

Recall how the culture of a healthcare organization can prevent medical errors.

This course discusses best practices in operative vaginal delivery techniques—forceps-assisted delivery and vacuum-assisted delivery (OAVD), as well as episiotomy.

The course is case-based, so you will have an opportunity to apply the principles covered to particular patient scenarios. The cases are branched, with different outcomes based on different choices.

Use of OAVD techniques vary from organization to organization. You may, for example, work in a hospital in which forceps techniques are no longer taught to residents. Each section has been organized so that you can move through it quickly or delve into it more deeply, depending on its relevance to your clinical practice.
 

Discuss the steps, indications, contraindications, and potential complications associated with vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery, forceps-assisted vaginal delivery, and episiotomies. 

Describe the circumstances in which an episiotomy is and is not an appropriate intervention. 

Explain the importance of the flexion point when placing a vacuum cup and how it is located. Identify the criteria for correct placement of the forceps during a non-rotational delivery, as well as guidelines regarding the number of pulls.

Writer
William Cusick, MD, MFM, FACOG

Reviewer
Ahizechukwu C. Eke, MD, PhD, MPH

Documenting care is just as important as providing care. This course discusses the purpose of the medical record and documentation. It also describes documentation practices and legal standards that affect the certified nursing assistant.
This course provides direct care workers in post-acute care education on documentation and legal aspects of care.

Discuss the purpose of the medical record and documentation. 

Identify at least two documentation practices used to avoid errors. 

Explain the legal standards that affect the certified nursing assistant.

Medication errors and substandard care occur often in today’s complex healthcare organizations. High-reliability organizations remain alert to potential errors and ways in which they can be prevented, regardless of how few adverse events occur. Healthcare organizations with a culture for patient safety focus on identifying the cause of errors and applicable prevention strategies rather than blaming or punishing the people involved in an error. Organizations that focus on patient safety in this manner have higher rates of error reporting and are better positioned to address problems at the systems level.

The goal of this course is to educate healthcare professionals about approaches to prevent medication errors.

Discuss how a culture of patient safety influences reporting and resolving errors. 

Define the types of medical errors and their impact on healthcare. 

Explain strategies to reduce medication errors.

Subject Matter Expert
Cathryn Ayers, RN

This course is designed to enhance the skills of healthcare professionals in conducting effective medication reconciliation with the aim of avoiding medication errors. Learners will explore core concepts of medication reconciliation, review common sources of medication reconciliation discrepancies, and learn practical strategies to minimize errors in the medication reconciliation process.

Recall the steps of the medication reconciliation process.

Apply best practices for minimizing medication errors in the medication reconciliation process.

In this course, you will learn about Motivational Interviewing, an intervention to help people discover their own desire and ability to make difficult changes. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a way of communicating that draws out people’s own thoughts and beliefs in order to help them address their ambivalence about making a change.

The course uses a blend of instructive information and interactive exercises to help you understand and apply its core concepts. The goal of this course is to provide addictions, behavioral health counseling, marriage and family therapy, nursing, psychology, and social work professionals in health and human service settings with the skills to define and demonstrate the core concepts of Motivational Interviewing.

Describe the overall purpose of Motivational Interviewing and how it impacts the change process. 

Recall the key elements of the MI spirit and how these can support clients in the change process.

 Define ambivalence, change talk, and sustain talk, and how these concepts relate to MI.

Healthcare professionals working in magnetic resonance (MR) environments must be aware of warnings and contraindications for MRI examinations and know the requirements for careful initial patient screening, accurate determination, and characterization of permanently implanted or temporary devices. Medical devices and ferromagnetic objects may malfunction in a magnetic field or pose a projectile risk, which could cause harm or injury to patients and staff. Controlling access to the environment and properly screening patients can help prevent accidents and injury. Only properly trained personnel are authorized to perform final patient screening and access equipment. Proper safety and security require plans for facility design and emergency preparedness.

The goal of this course is to present information related to industry standards for safe operation and optimal patient care in an MRI environment.

Identify the basic principles of MRI technology. 

List the potential hazards and risks associated with MRI. 

Recognize guidelines and recommendations associated with MRI safety.

Writer
Olive Peart, MS,RT(R)(M)

Earthquakes and tsunamis unleash powerful forces of nature. They cause catastrophic infrastructure and property damage and can result in tremendous loss of life. This course presents some basic facts about earthquakes and tsunamis, including considerations for preparedness and protective actions.

Discuss protective actions to enhance safety during and after an earthquake or tsunami.

Explain where and how earthquakes and tsunamis occur.

Expert Reviewer
Anthony A. Barone, M.P.S., M.P.H., CBCP, CEM, CHMM, NRP, PMP, and Chief Executive Officer and Protective Paramedic at EMERGILITY, LLC.

Floods and landslides can occur in many locations throughout the U.S. This course provides basic information about these hazards and the destruction they can cause. This course emphasizes the importance of being informed about flooding and landslide risks and hazards around you and various protective actions you could consider taking.

The goal of this course is to provide employees with a foundation for staying safe during flooding and landslides.

Identify environments conducive to flooding and landslide hazards.

Select protective actions to minimize risk and maximize safety.

Expert Reviewer
Anthony A. Barone, M.P.S., M.P.H., CBCP, CEM, CHMM, NRP, PMP, and Chief Executive Officer and Protective Paramedic at EMERGILITY, LLC.

Neonatal emergencies are frightening and challenging to almost all acute care providers. This course will focus on the neonate and provide a succinct review of resuscitation issues pertinent to clinical practice and board preparation/review.

Understand the role of thermoregulation in neonatal distress and instability. 

Recognize and interpret relevant monitoring studies for neonates in distress. 

Plan the key steps and recognize the complications associated with performing neonatal resuscitation. 

Plan the key steps and know the pitfalls in the prevention and management of meconium aspiration.

Failing to properly onboard employees results in poor performance and unnecessarily high turnover. In this course, we’ll cover best practices and lay out a plan for the first 6 months of a new employee’s orientation and performance expectations. We’ll also explore the importance of culture development as it relates to onboarding.

Explain the importance of onboarding and how it relates to performance.

Describe effective tools and techniques to reduce employee turnover and improve employee engagement.

Expert Reviewer
Linda M. Wantuch, MSM, SPHR, SHRM-CP

This course is designed to provide nursing professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the NIH stroke scale. The course will cover the purpose of the NIH stroke scale, how to administer the scale, and how to interpret the results. The course will also include case studies that illustrate the use of the NIH stroke scale in clinical practice.

Identify the purpose of the NIHSS and how it is used in clinical practice. 

Recall the significance of NIHSS scores to patient outcomes. 

Apply the NIHSS to assess patients with stroke or stroke-like symptoms including how to score each section of the NIHSS.

The nursing profession is fraught with anxiety and intimidation, which hinders the ability of nurses to assert themselves, voice their needs, and advocate for their patients. New or inexperienced nurses may encounter significant challenges related to their work environment and may need support and education to learn how to recognize unhealthy work environments and affect positive change. 

The goal of this course is to teach new nurses how to recognize unhealthy work environments, as well as how to advocate for themselves and practice self-care.

Identify barriers to a healthy work environment and differentiate between different forms of violence. 

Apply strategies to promote a healthy work environment. 

Recognize signs of burnout and practical self-care strategies.

Peer review is essential for being a part of a profession, but few healthcare organizations have meaningful nursing peer review. Nursing has lagged behind other professional groups, especially physicians, in creating a peer-review agenda. Authentic nursing peer review requires evidence-based standards by all nurses, regardless of role or practice setting. 

Recall the importance of using peer review in professional nursing practice. 

Recognize evidence-based practice principles for nursing peer-review activities for safe patient outcomes and professional development.

Two cases are presented. Risk factors, including recurring and nonrecurring, for obstetrical hemorrhage, are reviewed. Delivery preparations and preventative strategies are discussed. Methodologies that better quantify blood loss, allowing for earlier recognition of excessive blood loss, are presented. Management of the patient experiencing obstetric hemorrhage, including a review of current guidelines for blood component replacement therapy, are reviewed.

List recurring and nonrecurring risk factors for obstetrical hemorrhage. List the four Ts of OH.

Identify low, medium and high risk patients for OH.

Review blood component therapy for large volume blood loss.

Instructor
William Cusick, MD, MFM, FACOG

This course is intended to provide a summary of the key nursing interventions and considerations when caring for a laboring patient who is experiencing Category III FHR patterns. Whereas this may not be a daily occurrence, it is important for the labor and delivery nurse to refresh their knowledge of this critical situation, as well as have a source for quick reference in the future. This promotes ongoing efforts to maintain the highest levels of patient safety and care.

Select appropriate management interventions to respond to a Category III tracing.

This course is intended to provide a summary of the key nursing interventions and considerations when caring for a patient who has a delayed postpartum hemorrhage. Whereas this may not be a daily occurrence, it is important for the postpartum nurse to refresh their knowledge of the critical situation, as well as have a source for quick reference in the future. This promotes ongoing efforts to maintain the highest levels of patient safety and care.

Recall the factors indicating increased risk for the development of a delayed PPH. 

Recognize, prevent, and assess secondary PPH. 

Determine management strategies and interventions for delayed PPH.

This course is intended to provide a summary of the key nursing interventions and considerations when caring for a pregnant patient with eclampsia. Whereas this may not be a daily occurrence, it is important for the labor and delivery and postpartum nurse to refresh their knowledge of this critical situation, as well as have a source for quick reference in the future. This promotes ongoing efforts to maintain the highest levels of patient safety and care.

Identify key nursing interventions during and after eclamptic seizure. 

Recall the warning signs and typical presentation of eclamptic seizure.

This course is intended to provide a summary of the key nursing interventions and considerations when caring for a pregnant patient who has severe hypertension. It is important for the labor and delivery and  postpartum nurse to refresh their knowledge of the critical situation, as well as have a source for quick reference in the future. This promotes ongoing efforts to maintain the highest levels of patient safety and care.

Describe the signs and symptoms indicating increased risk for severe hypertension during pregnancy. 

Identify key nursing interventions during and after delivery for a patient with severe hypertension in pregnancy.

This course is intended to provide a summary of the key nursing interventions and considerations when caring for a postpartum patient who is experiencing sepsis. Whereas this may not be a daily occurrence, it is important for the labor and delivery nurse to refresh their knowledge of this critical situation, as well as have a source for quick reference in the future. This promotes ongoing efforts to maintain the highest levels of patient safety and care.

Identify signs and symptoms of postpartum maternal sepsis. Recall the 4 initial measures for the treatment of postpartum sepsis.

This course is intended to provide a summary of the key nursing interventions and considerations when caring for a postpartum patient who is experiencing sepsis. Whereas this may not be a daily occurrence, it is important for the labor and delivery nurse to refresh their knowledge of this critical situation, as well as have a source for quick reference in the future. This promotes ongoing efforts to maintain the highest levels of patient safety and care.

Identify signs and symptoms of postpartum maternal sepsis. 

Recall the 4 initial measures for the treatment of postpartum sepsis.