Courses by Credit Type

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.

This program defines the characteristics of hazardous drugs, identifies groups of HCWs at greatest risk, and describes potential routes and effects of occupational exposure. Recommendations offered by government agencies and professional associations for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) are summarized, focusing on the proper use of gloves and gowns when handling chemotherapy drugs.

This ebook reviews sterility assurance with a focus on packaging. It includes a brief overview of the impact of surgical site infections, key criteria for the appropriate selection and use of packaging materials, types of sterilization wraps, and the various professional guidelines for best practices related to packaging.

Review the problem of retained surgical items (RSI), including their economic and clinical implications. Assessing human factors, creating a safety, quality culture and how you, as a leader, can help reduce adverse events such as RSIs is also discussed. Strategies to reduce the incidence of RSIs and promote positive patient outcomes, including the role of adjunct technology, are outlined.

This course provides an overview of the considerations in the selection and use of surgical gowns as a protective measure for both patients and staff. You'll review five criteria used in the selection of surgical gowns, the various types of materials used in the manufacture of surgical gowns, and a case study that will help you solidify your understanding.

This continuing education activity is designed to help improve patient outcomes and safety by providing evidence-based practices, and the latest regulatory and scientific information available about sterile processing. You'll explore key steps in the manufacturing process of “premium” grade surgical instruments, clinical considerations used when selecting instruments, as well as the importance of water quality used for processing are discussed.

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.

This continuing education activity will describe the structural differences between rigid and flexible endoscopes as well as surgical uses for both types of endoscopes. Additionally, the steps for cleaning and the Spaulding Classification System will be discussed as a basis for determining the appropriate sterilization method for flexible and rigid endoscopes.

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.

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.

Because there are various types of detergents available today, all personnel involved in the care and cleaning of surgical instruments must be knowledgeable about these agents and the proper instrument cleaning process. Review the key characteristics and considerations related to the selection and use of detergents and disinfectants and build your understanding of the applicable regulations and standards related to instrument care and cleaning.

This program traces the evolution of methods of surgical hemostasis, reviews the risk factors for perioperative bleeding, highlights the steps in the coagulation cascade, and details the properties, mechanisms of action, components, and safety considerations for several categories of hemostatic, sealant, and adhesive agents.

In 2018 the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and in 2017 the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in partnership with the American Heart Association (AHA) and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) released guidelines focused upon the diagnosis and treatment of syncope. This course reviews the step-by-step approach outlined in the guidelines that should be performed for syncope patients of unexplained cause or cardiac-suspected syncope, including best-yield testing and the use of newer technology to detect cardiac-caused syncope.

This continuing education focuses on what is required to maintain the sterile barrier. Although all types of packaging systems are discussed, the primary focus is on wrap and rigid sterilization containers and how to maintain them. Pre-purchase evaluation, use, between use care and maintenance, preventive maintenance and storage are covered.

This educational program identifies the clinical considerations related to surgical instrument care, cleaning, test functioning, routine maintenance, and basic repairs. This information will help you keep instruments in excellent condition so patients can receive the best care possible.

There are several therapeutic modalities available today that either use the body’s natural thermoregulatory mechanisms to relieve pain, encourage healing, or enhance the body’s ability to maintain a normal core temperature. Therefore, nurses and other health- care professionals must remain aware of the use of localized temperature therapy as an effective treatment modality.

This continuing education activity will provide a review of the key criteria for evaluating the performance of surgical fabrics. The critical traits of quality surgical fabrics will be outlined, including a discussion of their clinical significance in the perioperative practice setting, with a focus on linting and barrier protection.

Nurses and infection preventionists are balancing staff and patient safety, prevention of hospital-acquired infections, and the ever-changing regulatory environment. This program focuses on isolation gowns because they are a critical element of PPE, in that they prevent staff and patient exposure to infectious diseases and improve patient outcomes.

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.

This course will provide an overview of common healthcare-acquired infections and will offer practical information for appropriately following infection prevention practices that healthcare workers can use to protect themselves and the patients they care for.