Courses by Credit Type

This ebook has been designed to assist perioperative professionals deliver safe and effective patient care when smoke evacuation is used during operative and invasive procedures. The topics presented include: what we know about surgical smoke; the best defenses against surgical smoke; recommended United States (US) practices, guidelines, standards and regulations as well as international recommendations/guidelines on surgical smoke; and suggested steps for implementing a smoke evacuation program.

Review advanced treatment strategies for the management of venous leg ulcers (VLUs) including maintaining an optimal environment for wound healing and the benefits of compression therapy to reduce pain, facilitate healing and prevent recurrence.

This ebook discusses foreign debris-initiated post-surgical complications and their associated pathological mechanisms. It reviews the sources of debris contamination, including a description of foreign microbody characteristics that can further amplify pathological responses. Strategies to determine the presence of lint in the OR and recommendations for minimizing their presence are highlighted.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is considered a leading cause of disability and pain worldwide with an economic burden on the United States (US) health system of up to $100 billion every year. This educational activity will help learners achieve a greater understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of vertebrogenic LBP.

This program identifies concerns currently associated with intraoperative transfusion and describes effective PBM strategies, including the use of topical hemostatic agents. The importance of using a validated intraoperative bleeding scale to assess and compare the efficacy of these agents is emphasized.

Learn about updated guidance for the prevention of the transmission of CRE (arbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae) and related superbugs during gastrointestinal endoscopy and new standards of practice regarding infection prevention and control in the GI endoscopic setting.

Comprehensive knowledge of coronary artery disease and an understanding of the risks and complications associated with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery are crucial for successful cardiac procedures. Familiarity with indications, alternative approaches, and various types of CABG procedures is essential to deliver high-quality patient care.

Stroke can be a devastating disease that can cause debilitation or even be fatal. When a clinician cannot determine the exact cause of the first stroke, and without targeted management, the patient can be left with a higher risk for secondary stroke. This program outlines the knowledge that stroke clinicians can leverage to optimize secondary stroke care.

Patients can experience urinary and/or fecal incontinence for a number of reasons that can require short-term or long-term care. A focus on collaborative, evidence-based and patient-centered care is necessary to support patients in achieving the best outcomes. In this process, physicians, advanced care practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals need to be skilled in identifying skin integrity and any skin breakdown conditions to address. They also need to be knowledgeable in evaluating appropriate incontinence management strategies and recognizing complications a patient may be experiencing or at risk of developing. Taking a collaborative and strategic approach to managing a patient’s incontinence, including their emotional needs and preferences is important to help them maintain dignity and ideally resolve incontinence.

Review the process of normal wound healing, as well as the consequences of delayed healing, and the techniques and products used to promote successful healing. The pathogenesis and consequences of adhesion formation are also explained in this course, followed by a discussion of the methods used to prevent adhesions.

An overview of the types of chest drains, indications for effective use and key management factors will be described. The safe and effective use of chest drainage systems will be discussed so that nurses can provide high quality care for their patients to achieve optimal care outcomes.

As Chief Diversity and Community Health Equity Officer for UI Health of Chicago, Rani Morrison gives valuable insight into the intricate connection between health equity and patient outcomes. By expanding on this relationship, you'll gain insight into how factors such as social determinants of health, socioeconomic status, cultural competence, and healthcare system disparities impact patient well-being.

In this session Dr. Nava will discuss how nurses, through leadership and advocacy, can drive conversations and policy changes at the organizational, local, state, and national levels that dismantle discriminatory structures and ensure equitable healthcare access and delivery.

This panel-led conversation will dive into challenging subjects that require open and empathetic discussions. Participants will have the opportunity to explore sensitive topics, including personal experiences of encountering racism in their work environments, strategies for effectively approaching patients on delicate issues, and the various obstacles and complexities encountered while delivering care to marginalized patient populations.

Explore different types of ostomies and the components used for pouching systems. You'll learn about the role of the interprofessional team while emphasizing best practices for ostomy management.

This learning activity will focus on hypertension, the importance of accurate and standardized blood pressure measurement with proper patient positioning and best practice integration of blood pressure measurement in the clinical setting.

Enhanced recovery protocols provide evidence-based guidance on best practices providers can use before, during, and after surgery to accelerate a patient’s recovery. This course will discuss strategies for enhancing patient recovery following surgical procedures to deliver quality care, improve outcomes, and reduce overall costs.

This education activity will enhance the learners’ knowledge and awareness of safe practices for handling fluid waste in the OR through discussion of protective measures such as personal protective equipment and the safe use of solidifiers to prepare fluid medical waste for safe disposal.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) is the go-to treatment for gallstones and other gallbladder diseases. This learning activity will discuss the incidence and prevalence of symptomatic gallstones, the key surgical techniques established to ensure safe gallbladder removal, and the critical safety aspects and activities for laparoscopic instrument reprocessing and surgical supplies—such as cystic duct clips—that help every LC patient avoid complications and experience an optimal postoperative outcome.

The scope of this education activity will be limited to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to provide more in-depth coverage of differentiating between available options, best practices for glucose control, barriers to adoption, costs, benefits, and key issues related to reimbursement.