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Perioperative Series: Intro to Perioperative Nursing
As defined by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) (2019), the perioperative nurse’s goal is to help patients achieve or exceed the level of well-being they had at the pre-procedural baseline. The nurse is required to have the clinical knowledge, judgment, and clinical reasoning skills necessary to safely plan, deliver, and evaluate care for surgical patients.
The goal of this course is to equip perioperative nurses with knowledge of the nursing process and the roles and responsibilities within the perioperative team.
Identify the perioperative nursing process throughout the phases of surgery.
Define the roles and responsibilities of the members within the surgical team and the AORN standards of perioperative practice.
Assessment and Intervention for Confabulation
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.
Acute Stroke and the Latest Information
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.
Stroke: Recognition and Management
This course equips healthcare professionals with essential knowledge and skills to promptly and effectively manage stroke in the acute care setting. Participants will gain insight into how to recognize an acute stroke and the initial steps to take for emergency treatment of stroke. In addition, learners will know the different acute treatment options for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke as well as patient care for acute stroke.
Recall the benchmark diagnosis and treatment times for acute stroke.
Differentiate the treatment of ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke.
Indicate interventions in the care of a patient presenting with an acute stroke.
Adult Obesity in the U.S.
Obesity rates in the U.S. have risen to the level of an epidemic, as 1 in 3 adults are affected by this disease. Obesity is a disease that significantly affects a person’s health and is not simply due to poor diet and lack of exercise. This course introduces healthcare professionals to the causes, management, and treatment options for adult obesity.
The goal of this course is to familiarize healthcare professionals with the growing epidemic of obesity among adults in the U.S.
Identify the current problem and contributing factors of obesity in the U.S.
Describe the management and treatment options for obesity.
NIH Stroke Scale
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.
Common Brain Disorders and CT Scans
Computed tomography (CT) scans of the head are essential for diagnosing brain disorders in the acute care setting. This course will cover the different types of CT scans indicated for a person with a brain disorder and the signs of abnormalities in those CT scans. A review of brain anatomy will help improve awareness of common brain disorders that can be diagnosed with a CT scan. This course also reviews how to prepare patients for CT scans and basic techniques for performing CT scans. By the end of this course, learners will be able to apply knowledge of CT scans and brain disorders to provide appropriate patient care.
Recall the basic anatomy of the brain and the changes that occur after brain disorders.
Identify the different types of CT scans indicated for a person with a brain disorder and the preparation and care for patients undergoing CT scans.
Apply knowledge of common brain disorders and CT scans' role in managing brain disorders.
Septic Joint: Diagnosis and Treatment
Septic arthritis is caused by infection and inflammation in the joint and can result in significant damage to the joints. Early recognition and treatment are critical to the preservation of joint function. This course will discuss how to quickly identify and treat septic arthritis.
The goal of this course is to provide physicians, nursing professionals, and radiologic technologists with information about septic arthritis.
Recall how septic arthritis is acquired and its typical presentation.
Identify the laboratory and radiological tests used to make a diagnosis of a septic joint.
Recognize the principles of septic joint treatment.
Perioperative Series: Communication in the OR
In the operating room, patient safety depends on high quality communication and shared knowledge among the surgical team. Several factors in this setting can contribute to communication failures like time constraints, shift changes, environmental barriers, the complex nature of surgical procedures, and clashing communication styles. All members of the surgical team must understand the risks to patient safety associated with communication failures, what information must be communicated and when, and how to use an assertive communication style.
The goal of this course is to equip nurses and CSTs with best practices for effectively communicating in the operating room.
Describe best practices for facilitating communication in the OR.
Identify four communication styles and which style is most effective for ensuring patient safety.
List common barriers to effective communication in the OR.
Reducing Medical Errors in the OR
The OR is a complex environment. Highly trained individuals interact in a specialized setting with sophisticated and technically complicated devices, instruments, and equipment. There are also substantial differences among team members related to education, experience, skill level, influence, and formal and informal power. This course will inform nurses and surgical technologists of the evidence-based steps to take to create a culture of safety in the OR.
Identify the communication processes that aid in reducing medical errors and review recommendations for the safe transfer of patient care information.
Name organizations that are helping to create a culture of patient safety and their recommendations to meet this goal.
Determine the components of a just culture that promote trust and accountability and recall a 10-step process for creating a culture of safety in the OR.
Perioperative Specimen Handling
Proper surgical specimen handling is essential for patient safety. This course covers best practices for intraoperative personnel to prepare, label, and transfer specimens accurately. Adhering to these protocols ensures that specimens are identified and handled appropriately, minimizing the risk of harm to the patient.
This course provides OR nurses and surgical technologists with knowledge of best practices for specimen handling.
Describe the considerations and methods of preparing specimens for various pathologic and examination types.
Recall care standards for the appropriate handling, labeling, and transportation of specimens.
Identify common mistakes made during specimen management and prevention methods to avoid these errors.
A Look at Malignant Hyperthermia
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.
Managing Mechanical Ventilation
Mechanical ventilation is a cornerstone of critical care, offering life-saving therapy for patients experiencing respiratory failure for many disease processes. Before 2020, it was estimated that over 300,000 patients receive mechanical ventilation in the U.S. per year (NHSN, 2019). That number is now likely much higher considering the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although it is a lifesaving intervention, patients who receive mechanical ventilation are at an increased risk for complications, such as ventilator-associated pneumonia, sepsis, volutrauma/barotrauma, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and others. These complications may lead to longer ICU and hospital stays, increased risk of disability and death, and increased healthcare costs. For these reasons, clinicians at every level need to understand the concepts, theories, and practices guiding the management of patients receiving mechanical ventilation.
Describe the underlying physiology that is supported by mechanical ventilation.
Discuss two principles of managing the mechanically ventilated patient
Perioperative Series: Anesthesia and Medication Management
Anesthesia administration has become increasingly safer, but is not without risk. Patient- and family-centered care and the desire to save costs has led to a shift in perioperative care needs from “stabilize and admit” to “stabilize and discharge.” Each patient undergoing anesthesia requires competent, professional nursing staff to assist in timely and safe medication administration, maintenance, and recovery. Knowledge of anesthetic techniques, agents, and adjuvants is vital to this competence.
Define the different types and stages of anesthesia.
Describe anesthetic agents and adjuvants commonly used for the perioperative patient.
Identify perioperative preparation, complications, and nursing interventions.
Anesthesia: Perioperative
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.
Perioperative Series: Emergencies in the OR
Perioperative providers can BEST prepare for emergencies in the operating room by knowing the responsibilities of each team member and rehearsing interventions ahead of time. When you are in the moment and your heart is racing, it’s easy to forget how to respond or even where supplies are located. Practicing your responsibilities and team interventions ahead of time will help to prepare you for the unexpected. This course provides you with an opportunity to participate in five emergency scenarios to test your knowledge. Time is of the essence when an emergency happens so you must think and act fast to save the patient!
The goal of this course is to equip nurses and STs with knowledge of the responsibilities of the team during a range of OR emergencies.
Recognize evidence-based strategies for treating and preventing a range of OR emergencies.
Describe the roles and responsibilities of members of the surgical team when emergencies occur.
Recall the best practices for improving patient outcomes during an emergency.