Pediatric immunizations are orchestrated specifically to protect young children from life-threatening diseases. These immunizations are often administered on a schedule. This course discusses the immunization schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as related contraindications for pediatric immunizations.

Crisis is broadly defined as an exceptional event that is disruptive and beyond a person‘s usual coping skills. The goal of crisis intervention is to return individuals or families to the optimum level of functioning they experienced before the crisis. In addition, a potential for growth exists when people develop new and effective coping skills. Nurses need to understand crises and assessment and intervention strategies because they are often the first medical personnel to spend enough time with patients to recognize the signs of crisis.

This course will introduce you to the influenza pandemic response and its three stages of preparation, response, and recovery. You will learn about the basic elements of a pandemic influenza plan and the steps needed to implement this plan when responding to pandemic levels of influenza in the community.

Healthcare providers are constantly challenged to quickly adapt to organizational change and respond to turbulent environments with many interconnected and moving parts. Experts maintain that interprofessional healthcare teams can improve the quality of care, problem-solve more effectively, and improve outcomes. Building a team with diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives has been shown to have a positive impact on performance. Nurses can make a distinct impact by influencing the design of care delivery and improving the practice environment as part of strategic interprofessional planning . 

Nurses working with older adults will likely encounter wounds. Both acute and chronic wounds are more likely to occur in older adults than their younger counterparts because of the chronic conditions associated with the wounds, such as vascular disease, venous insufficiency, and diabetes mellitus. This course discusses the effects aging has on the skin’s function. It also discusses common wounds seen in older adults. 

More than 20% of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are obtained in intensive care units (ICUs) even though ICU beds make up less than 10% of the total beds in most hospitals (Marchaim & Kaye, 2021). Sepsis and infections account for 40% of all expenditures in this setting and are the leading cause of death in noncardiac ICUs. However, the incidence of sepsis in the ICU population continues to rise. Patients in ICUs have a multitude of factors that put them at high risk for infection. Critical care nurses play a vital role in preventing ICU-acquired infections but must have the right knowledge and skills to do so.

Data must be presented in a way that is quick and easy for the target audience to understand and facilitates timely and effective decision-making about how best to respond. Interpreting and using data are essential components of evidence-based nursing practice, which has been linked to improved patient outcomes and quality of care. However, many nurses do not use evidence-based practice (EBP) or participate in nursing research efforts. Understanding data collection and presentation methods are an important first step to greater nurse participation in EBP and quality improvement (QI) initiatives.

Heart failure (HF) treatment is costly and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Evidence-based treatment guidelines improve patient outcomes, and it is essential to become familiar with these guidelines to reduce patient mortality. Healthcare team members play a significant role in treating acute HF (AHF), helping to reduce the morbidity and mortality of the disease and decrease the use and costs associated with care. This course aims to educate nurses and nutrition and dietetics professionals in the acute care setting about evidence-based heart failure treatment guidelines.

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.

Dependent and older adults are a population who are vulnerable to abuse from someone they know, such as family members, service or care providers, and others. There are hundreds of thousands of investigated reports of cases of abuse each year. And yet, it is well known that dependent adult abuse and elder abuse are significantly under-reported. This type of abuse has a significant impact on the adult victim’s health, safety, emotional well-being, and ability to engage in daily life. The first step to addressing the problem is to heighten awareness of abuse of dependent and older individuals, in particular among those who serve them or have frequent contact with them. Individuals working with dependent and older adults must be knowledgeable about the common types of abuse perpetrated against these adults. They should also be familiar with the responsibilities related to reporting suspected or known dependent adult abuse or elder abuse.

Workplace-related stressors can have a negative impact on both nurses and the patients under their care. The effect of these stressors has led to intensifying burnout and compromising safe patient care. Nurses must be knowledgeable about how to deal with stress effectively.

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.

Maternal death is increasing in the U.S., with cardiovascular disease (CVD) being a primary cause of mortality in pregnancy (Lindley et al., 2021). Patients with CVD who are pregnant require a multidisciplinary approach, such as a cardio-obstetrics team, and close monitoring to preserve maternal and fetal health. Nurses who work in gynecology and obstetrics should have a basic understanding of the effects of pregnancy on cardiovascular health. They should also be aware of common CVD pathologies seen in pregnancy.

The goal of this course is to provide nursing professionals in acute care with a general overview of cardiovascular disease in pregnancy.

Substance use is linked to millions of deaths worldwide each year (Ritchie & Roser, 2019). Supporting individuals’ long-term recovery from substance use can help save lives. Recovery is a lifelong process that aims to keep an individual substance-free while improving their overall quality of life. Wellness strategies enhance recovery outcomes by focusing on optimal health across all dimensions of an individual’s life.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of children in the United States are abused or neglected (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). It is imperative that medical professionals have a better understanding of what they can do to address this serious issue. In this course you will learn the definitions of child abuse and neglect, how to screen and assess risk factors that predispose children to maltreatment, and how to help children and families receive the care that they need.

 After completing this refresher course on the key action steps in CPR, you will have a grasp on the essential components of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), including the initial first aid steps you can take prior to performing CPR. Through didactic, interactive exercises and vignettes, you will be able to apply this material when you need it most. This course does not replace formalized training and return demonstration that must be completed for competency according to the American Heart Association. This course should only be used as a “refresher” to remind the learner of the key action steps in CPR.

The biopsychosocial model takes a more holistic perspective, emphasizing biological, sociocultural, and psychological factors that relate to the risk of these disorders. This course will present an overview of this model’s primary assumptions, how it differs from other perspectives on substance-related and addictive behaviors, and how it can inform your approach to treatment. The goal of this course is to provide social workers, psychologists, alcohol and drug counselors, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, and nurses in health and human services with information on how the biopsychosocial model is used in treatment for substance-related and addictive disorders.

This nursing leadership module educates nurses about trends in the healthcare industry, discusses skills nurses can learn to influence change, and challenges every nurse to become a strong leader and a supportive team member.

Being healthcare providers, we know the medical error statistics all too well and, at times, they occur too close to home. The purpose of this course is to help you, whether you work in a skilled nursing facility or an assisted living community, recognize error-prone situations and the factors that impact medical errors in an effort to prevent them.

The focus of this course is coagulopathies. In general, the term coagulopathy refers to bleeding disorders. This course will provide a review of the components of a clot. It will also provide you with valuable information about how to care for those with coagulopathies such as immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), and warfarin-induced coagulopathy.

The goal of this course is to provide nurses in the critical care setting with a general overview of coagulopathies, including the recognition and nursing management of ITP, DIC, HIT, and warfarin-induced coagulopathy. 

This course provides information on the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)  regulations regarding hazardous chemical hazards and toxic substances in the workplace, and the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS)  as aligned with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS).  

The goal of this course is to provide all staff with an overview of how to work safely with hazardous materials and what to do in the event of a hazardous chemical spill.

Very often, teams with highly talented people and a skilled leader are not able to sustain the vision and achieve optimum results over a long period of time. It is critical for a team leader to continually assess, evaluate, and monitor the team’s commitment level toward achieving its goals. In this course, you will explore the importance of identifying team dynamics associated with assessment and motivation that can help or hinder your team’s success. You will also learn some practical actions for facilitating emotional buy-in and commitment to achieving greater team results.

Computed tomography (CT) scans are essential for emergent and urgent diagnosis of brain injuries. CT scans are preferred over other forms of imaging due to their availability, lower comparable costs, and the brief amount of time it takes to perform. According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines, a patient presenting with stroke-like symptoms should have a CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) completed within 20 minutes of arriving to the emergency department (ED) (Powers et al., 2019). Understanding the anatomy of the normal, injured, or diseased brain can help improve awareness of common brain injuries that can be diagnosed with a CT scan. The goal of this course is to educate nursing and radiology professionals in the acute care setting on common disorders that affect the brain and the role of the CT scan.

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. 

While most health centers have some quality improvement (QI) functions established, many have not implemented a comprehensive, organization-wide QI program. Improving patient care and outcomes is the primary goal of QI programs. There are also financial benefits to providing quality care, especially as our healthcare system, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), moves towards a “pay for performance” model (NEJM Catalyst, 2018b). This course will explain a comprehensive approach to implementing QI systems. You will learn about the essential elements of a QI program, including principles, program infrastructure, and process components. You will also learn how you can put the Model for Improvement QI methodology into action. Finally, you will learn how to identify quality-related problems using proactive and reactive strategies.

Healthcare and behavioral health professionals providing services on the front lines of a sustained health crisis are exposed to traumatic events on a regular basis. Staff deemed essential have little escape from the grueling demands of their daily work. Professional self-care routines are often insufficient or seemingly impossible during times of heavy demand. Without healthy work-life balance, effective self-care practices, and social connection, maladaptive coping mechanisms may surface or return. Many professionals experience feelings of helplessness when, despite their best efforts, they are unable to provide clinical solutions for their clients or patients. Based on what is known about trauma, it is imperative for professionals to effectively address self-care needs in a timely manner, for themselves and for those they serve.

Recent movement toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is encouraging for historically overlooked individuals. It brings a variety of frequently ignored perspectives and experiences, but it has also uncovered the depth of implicit biases.

Biases are among the most significant factors for healthcare. This course presents the impact of implicit biases and other forms of discrimination on the provision of healthcare, as well as best practices to reduce implicit bias.

The goal of this course is to provide healthcare employees with training about implicit bias in healthcare.

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.

A common complication of pregnancy is gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). GDM is a type of diabetes that develops in pregnant women who normally do not have diabetes. Proper diet, exercise, and pharmacological interventions can help your patient have a healthy pregnancy and baby. The goal of this course is to educate nurses and registered dietitians in acute care settings on current screening recommendations, diagnostic criteria, blood glucose goals, and treatment interventions for GDM. 

This course is the fourth in a five-part series on the social determinants of health as defined by the Healthy People 2020 initiative. One of the pillars of the social determinants of health is health services. This course provides an in-depth and interactive analysis of how individuals' access to healthcare and primary care, along with their health literacy, affects their health and wellbeing. You will learn how to leverage this knowledge to improve your patients' health outcomes.

 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 will introduce 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. Then, you’ll learn about your responsibilities both when an employee asks for leave and wants to return to work. Finally, you’ll learn how to comply with the FMLA and avoid potential pitfalls. The goal of this educational program is to provide administrators and human resource professionals with knowledge of FMLA.

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.

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.

The goal of this course is to provide all staff with a basic overview of earthquakes and tsunamis.

Polypharmacy is a widespread problem in older adults as a direct result of chronic conditions requiring an individual to take five or more daily medications. It often leads to adverse drug events that can range from mild to severe or even death. This course discusses polypharmacy, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. It also discusses basic medication actions and interactions with a focus on the physiological changes and potential reactions seen in older adults. Understanding the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of how medications work on and within the body is important in preventing adverse drug events from polypharmacy.

Understanding the risks for and motivations behind active shooter events, how your body and mind may respond to stress, and how best to prepare for an active shooter event is the best way to protect yourself and others, should the unthinkable occur in your facility.

The goal of this course is to educate healthcare professionals in all settings about specific actions for assessing the risks for, preventing, and responding to an active shooter event.

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.

Having sound critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and clinical judgment skills makes the difference between keeping patients safe and putting them in harm‘s way. This educational activity addresses the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for critical thinking and clinical reasoning. It reviews results from key studies and gives strategies for developing the thinking skills needed to function as a 21st century healthcare professional.

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.

Healthcare supervisors and managers are presented daily with challenges. These challenges present as process failures or those surrounding staff behaviors. An organization’s management team maps a path to support their supervisor’s success in dealing with these challenges. The approach is defined by proven characteristics, skills, and experiences. This course discusses the basic tools needed for supervisors and managers to be successful in their roles. 

Pediatric patients are not small adults and medical errors and patient harm in the pediatric population differ in many ways from those associated with adults. For example, one study estimated that adverse drug events occur three times more often in pediatric patients than adults, due in large part to their smaller physical size, early developmental stages, and dependence on others for care (Mueller et al., 2019). All perioperative nurses and surgical technologists should have a fundamental understanding of the anatomical, physiological, psychological, and emotional differences of children compared to adults and how these differences impact the care needs of pediatric patients in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative phases.

As a professional nurse, you are expected to be familiar with many aspects of care. You are not exempt from malpractice or negligence claims because you were following orders. You are responsible for assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating appropriate nursing care. What you document can and does reflect the care provided and the outcomes of that care. Documentation that is factual, complete, timely, and detailed is required. In this course, you will learn about concepts and rules regarding documentation in the medical record. Legal aspects to be aware of while practicing will also be discussed. The goal of this course is to educate nursing professionals in post-acute care settings about the legal implications of documentation.

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects millions of people all over the world. This course presents the basics of diabetes, current medical treatments, and nursing care for people with diabetes. 

The goal of this course is to educate nursing professionals in all settings on basic pathophysiology, diagnosis, complications, and management of diabetes.

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.

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.
 

This introductory overview of cultural diversity will help enable you to interact with others of diverse cultures and effectively perform your job responsibilities.

In helping people maintain their health, well-being, and independence, nurses must feel confident in their ability to make appropriate decisions. This course discusses ethical concepts that will guide you in tough situations where making the right decision is critical. Included is a discussion of ethical principles for nursing practitioners in the geriatric setting, along with how to utilize a decision-making process to resolve ethical situations and problems.

Transfusions are a life-saving intervention, but transfusion errors, particularly errors involving ABO incompatibility, can be deadly. Three actions that have frequently been a contributing cause for ABO incompatibility errors are incorrect labeling of the blood sample for crossmatching, incorrect interpretation by personnel in the blood bank, and incorrect identification of the patient prior to initiation of a transfusion. Laboratory staff and nurses who are involved in the administration of blood products must strictly follow facility policies to ensure that they give the correct blood product to the correct patient. The goal of this course is to provide information about blood incompatibility errors and the evidence-based practices to prevent them.

Healthcare professionals are often unprepared to respond to requests for physician-assisted death. With the increase in end-of-life discussions and more arguments for legalizing physician-assisted dying, healthcare professionals need to understand the reasons patients may initiate such a request. Healthcare professionals need to appropriately respond to these requests. This course discusses physician-assisted death and the related concepts. It also discusses ethical and legal concerns related to physician-assisted death. Without the knowledge and understanding of physician-assisted death, healthcare professionals may not respond appropriately to these requests from patients.

Employee Cyber Security Awareness Training is more important now than it has ever been. Data breaches and hacking may sound unlikely, but cyber-attacks occur daily. In many cases, businesses are unprepared, because management does not understand the risk. Many companies believe they will not be the target of an attack. The truth is that all companies must prepare for a cyber-attack by having an individual or team in place to protect from such an attack.

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.

In this course, you will meet two different managers and evaluate the results of their autocratic and servant leadership styles. By understanding these leadership styles and their impact, you are better able to bring these learnings to life in your work as a leader. You will also be provided with a Servant-Leader Toolkit with actionable components you can build on. The Toolkit includes best practices, leadership soft skills, and the top 9 characteristics of servant leaders.

Members of the healthcare team must be able to recognize symptoms of bacterial meningitis to expedite testing and treatment, and advocate for preventive vaccination among appropriate age groups. With knowledge of preventive measures and awareness of early symptoms, the impact of meningitis can be greatly reduced.

This is an exciting time to work in the field of behavioral health treatment. The field has changed dramatically in the direction of operating on the principles of recovery. Recovery treatment involves changing our attitudes and beliefs about serious mental illness and the long-term effects of these illnesses over the lifespan to reflect the belief that recovery is the expected outcome. The field continues to expand into areas of advancing the integration of mental health to physical health, connecting to multiple dimensions of wellness and alternative medicine, as well as incorporation of peer recovery specialists. Each of these areas supports the recovery of persons with behavioral health issues.

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.

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.

Resuscitation of children and adults differs in a number of ways, including the appropriate time to activate the emergency response system, initiate rescue breathing, and use defibrillation. Children who collapse suddenly are likely experiencing ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (PVT), which requires immediate CPR. The ability to use a defibrillator safely and effectively on a pediatric patient experiencing cardiac arrest is essential to providing quality care.

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.

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).

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.

To manage the threat posed by multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDROs), all healthcare workers and individuals must work together. Along with providing a comprehensive look at new and ever-changing MDROs, this course covers disease trends associated with MDROs, the national approach to combat MDROs, leading practices and clinical interventions, and the psychosocial effects of treatment. You will learn prevention measures and methods to control the spread of MDROs in our communities and throughout health care.

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.

Universal Protocol is a Joint Commission strategy for preventing wrong-site surgeries, along with monitoring adherence by accredited facilities. The safe surgery checklist initiative, by the World Health Organization, was established to provide an outline of necessary tasks to complete in each perioperative phase of care. Along with these, there are many other risk-prevention strategies and tools to help keep surgical patients safe from harm.

The goal of this course is to equip nurses and CSTs with tools and other evidence-based practices for preventing wrong-site surgeries.

This course provides an overview of essential skills and considerations for engaging in sensitive and effective advance care planning conversations. You will learn the most important decision domains to address as outlined in the FIVE WISHES® framework, how to demonstrate compassionate communication, and conversation skills specific to eliciting values-based end-of-life care decisions.

The goal of this course is to provide healthcare professionals in all settings with enhanced communication skills related to advance care planning.

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.

Treatment planning documentation is a critical link between the client, the services you provide, and the client’s progress. This course will reinforce what you already know about plans of care while offering you direction and structure for capturing the real therapeutic relationship on paper. You will learn how to better represent the care process by incorporating the core principles for clinical documentation. You will take a fresh look at ways to record your client’s strengths, goals, and treatment objectives, while also evaluating methods to accurately represent interventions, outcomes, and discharge plans. The goal of this course is to provide professionals in addictions, behavioral health counseling, case management, care management, marriage and family therapy, psychology, social work, and nurses in a health and human services setting with current strategies and recommendations for effective and person-centered treatment planning documentation.

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. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey is a national standardized survey required for hospitals participating in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) programs. Survey results are linked to hospital reimbursement from CMS. This course provides updated information for clinicians about care coordination and transitions of care in relation to HCAHPS.

In this course, you will learn about pediatric anatomical and physiological differences, which will help you recognize normal variations throughout your assessment. Additionally, you will learn communication methods to help children feel more at ease during your assessment. Finally, you will understand essential warning signs that require immediate referral to additional medical professionals using the available resources and tools.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. The federal laws are very specific about the ways in which you, as an employer, are expected to select, promote, and accommodate your employees. You can be held liable for discrimination whether or not you intentionally discriminated against your employee, so it is imperative that you understand the federal laws prohibiting discrimination.

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

Healthcare professionals working in magnetic resonance (MR) environments must be aware of warnings and contraindications for MRI examination and know requirements for careful initial patient screening, accurate determination, and characterization of permanent 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.

Pediatric patients are not adults. The pediatric patient requires special attention and can sometimes present a challenge to the radiologic technologist’s interpersonal skills. When working with a pediatric patient, the technologist will need to fully use their technical knowledge. However, the technologist will also need to develop patience and have a deeper understanding of how to use effective communication skills. Although immobilization devices are often necessary, their utilization is only after less restrictive measures have been utilized. It is important to remember that the most effective method of avoiding the need to immobilize a patient is communication.

Listening skills are an often-undeveloped component of effective communication. Leaders and managers with strong listening skills build more productive and engaged teams and increase their own effectiveness. In this course, you will learn the consequences of not listening effectively and how adapting the techniques of active listening will benefit you. You will develop a greater understanding of why and how managers and leaders must listen actively, not passively, to build stronger teams and increase their impact. You will learn the importance of establishing common ground and practicing empathy as you apply the techniques for becoming a better listener.

 The goal of this continuing education module is to help nurses advance their understanding of perinatal HIV transmission, prevention factors, and related legal and ethical issues.

Influenza, also known as the “flu,” can have a significant cost due to restricted activities, illness, and deaths. Pregnant women, children, older adults, and individuals with respiratory or chronic debilitating conditions are particularly vulnerable to serious complications of influenza. This course will teach you simple steps to protect yourself and those you serve from getting or spreading the flu.  

The goal of this course is to provide all staff with the basics of flu prevention, symptoms, and treatment strategies.

Symptoms such as fever, cough, and chills can alert you to the presence of an infectious or communicable disease in a child. When identified, these symptoms can alert you to potential concerns in your environment. Some symptoms are less obvious and may require careful inspection of the child to determine potential risk factors. Children are exposed to a variety of environments. Caregivers working with families must have the ability to identify health care concerns quickly to stop the spread of disease.

This course explains the concept of a professional therapeutic boundary and how it differs from a personal relationship. You will learn about the ethical role of the clinical practitioner in establishing appropriate roles and boundaries, the difference between boundary crossings and boundary violations, how to appropriately use social media and other technology, and how to recognize situations with high potential for harmful boundary violations. As you master these skills, you will become more effective in maintaining an appropriate relationship between you and your clients.

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.

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) die at a younger age as compared to individuals who do not have SMI (Schmutte et al., 20121). Data shows that this trend is getting worse; individuals with serious mental illness are dying even earlier and most often from preventable causes. As a professional working with adults with serious mental illness, you are well-poised to help your clients address the preventable causes of premature death through the utilization of recovery-oriented, evidence-based practices. In this course, you will learn about the core values underlying the Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) model, recent adaptations of the IMR model, how IMR can support you in addressing both physical and mental health symptoms, and how the approach’s teaching principles can support your clients with serious mental illness manage and recover from their illnesses. This course provides an overview of IMR practices. Through the use of interactive exercises and detailed vignettes, the course will give you the information and techniques you need to make IMR an effective part of your therapeutic toolbox. The content in this course is applicable to nurse practitioners, nurses, alcohol and drug counselors, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists, and clinical social workers in human services settings. Inclusion of SAMHSA content does not constitute or imply endorsement or recommendation by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the U.S. Government.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, minority groups will outnumber what is now considered mainstream culture by the middle of this century. Healthcare professionals need to heighten their awareness about the importance of role, culture, and tradition in preventing and treating women’s unique healthcare problems. When there is a lack of cultural sensitivity in communication, patients are less likely to be content with their healthcare experience, increasing the likelihood of miscommunication and possible cultural disparities. These factors can also cause non-compliance with treatment, worse health outcomes, and a higher incidence of adverse events.

The goal of this course is to equip healthcare professionals with knowledge of the impact of culture on women’s health beliefs and practices and their responses to current approaches to care.

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

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

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.

While much of the responsibility for nurse retention has been placed on the administration hierarchy, nurses themselves must take an active role in understanding why colleagues choose to remain in their jobs. Nurses play a vital role in developing and implementing strategies that create an engaging and rewarding work culture. Improving nurse retention also directly improves patient outcomes.

Communication is one of the most important elements of excellent care. This is especially true when decisions about medical treatments need to be made. Advance care planning is an ongoing process in which people explore and discuss their goals, values, and understanding of their health to guide future end-of-life treatment decisions. In this course, you will learn when and how to start conversations and how to use a framework called FIVE WISHES® that simplifies and personalizes the end-of-life conversation and helps to elicit valuable information for decision-making. The goal of this course is to provide healthcare staff with an overview of the benefits and components of effective advance care planning conversations.

Dementia gradually destroys the areas of the brain responsible for sending and receiving messages, making communication difficult. There are guidelines that you can follow to ensure effective communication with persons with dementia, even those who have severe cognitive impairments. In this course, you will learn how to understand the person with dementia by knowing them as an individual and recognizing common speech patterns, how persons with dementia use behaviors for communicating discomfort, and the communication strategies you can employ to ensure the person receives your message.

Healthcare professionals often feel unprepared to ask about abuse or to counsel a pregnant woman who is being abused, although they are in a unique position to assess for IPV and to support women who experience it. As such, it is necessary for clinicians to skillfully screen for IPV and offer effective interventions when appropriate.

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.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021a), more than 795,000 people experience a stroke each year in the U.S. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Over half of individuals 65 years old or older who survive a stroke have mobility deficits. Up to 40% of people who suffer a stroke continue to have moderate to severe impairments and require extra care (American Stroke Association, 2019). By understanding the cause of stroke and how to both treat and prevent it, you have the power to improve the lives of the people in your care. This course discusses how to identify when someone is having a stroke as well as treatment both during and after a stroke.

The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was implemented in 1996 and has evolved significantly. While HIPAA regulations have many varying components, the part of HIPAA most relevant to healthcare professionals, however, centers around the protection of an individual’s healthcare information. Because you play a key role in the production of healthcare information, you play a key role in its protection.

The goal of this course is to provide licensed professionals with an understanding of HIPAA, privacy, and security.

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.

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.

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.

Mammography, the most widely used screening tool for breast cancer, has certain limitations. Several imaging modalities are being developed and improved to overcome mammography’s shortcomings. This course discusses how imaging techniques can reduce breast cancer mortality when used for routine screening and diagnosis, as well as for staging breast cancer, planning treatments, and monitoring response to chemotherapy.

This course provides detailed information about the pathophysiology, disease trajectory, and unique symptoms experienced by patients with advanced neurological diseases. Learners will identify the clinical features of advanced Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease as well as best practices for symptom management. In addition, the key clinical indicators and symptoms that should serve as triggers to optimally transition a patient with advanced neurological diseases to palliative and hospice care are presented. The unique disease-related stressors for family caregivers are discussed. The goal of this course is to provide nurses in hospice with knowledge of caring for people with end-stage neurological diseases.

The persons you serve in your service setting are entitled to specific rights under the law. This course will introduce you to these basic rights. Knowing how to promote and protect your clients' rights is key to their health, safety, and well-being. It will also help you and your organization succeed and provide quality, ethical, and legally sound care. The goal of this course is to provide paraprofessionals in behavioral health settings with information about client rights.

Sepsis is the result of a dysregulated host response to severe infection that can result in systemic inflammation, immune system dysfunction, coagulopathies, multi-organ system failure, and death (Rhodes et al., 2017). The signs and symptoms of sepsis can vary in onset and presentation and depend on many individual patient factors. Early recognition and intervention is key to improving patient outcomes. Nurses are vital in this role as they are readily at the bedside and able to continually assess the patient and communicate changes in patient condition to providers. The goal of this course is to challenge the learner’s ability to identify key risk factors for sepsis and recognize signs and symptoms of early and progressive sepsis. It will also challenge the learner to accurately anticipate management strategies in the treatment of sepsis and sepsis-related complications.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that approximately 795,000 people within the U.S. experience a stroke annually, and among these individuals, over 75% experience a stroke for the first time (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2021). Stroke, a national and international neurological problem, is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the second leading cause of death globally (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020; American Stroke Association [ASA], n.d.). Nurses need to be informed about the urgency of early treatment to be proactive in educating their communities. They also need to understand the resulting behavioral differences created in right- versus left-hemispheric strokes, and how a lack of knowledge can negatively impact immediate post-stroke care.

Proper functioning of the endocrine system is essential to checks and balances that maintain internal equilibrium. Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) plays a major role in controlling fluid balance. The release of ADH is initiated when the body recognizes a low circulating blood volume causing an increase in water absorption. Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) is a condition in which the body has an increased response to ADH or an excessive amount of ADH is secreted. In this course, you will learn about SIADH and associated nursing care.

Critical thinking is the cognitive process of analyzing or evaluating information, and the “disposition to be deliberate about thinking that lead to action that is logical and appropriate” (Von Colln-Appling & Giuliano, 2017, p. 106). Critical thinking involves using a variety of cognitive skills and making an intellectual commitment to using the information gained to inform and direct behavior. This course covers the critical thinking process and describes its relevance and benefits, as well as practical ways to apply critical thinking for nurses and leaders in healthcare settings. While this course focuses on the application of critical thinking in the nursing profession, concepts and strategies presented in this course can be applied to all aspects of healthcare.

Within any healthcare organization, there are systems, policies, and procedures that can be improved or events that could have been prevented. A root cause analysis is a tool that helps healthcare organizations improve their systems by using a team process of discovery. When you understand how to use a root cause analysis, you can apply it to create better solutions, prevent adverse events, and create more effective and efficient systems. This course discusses what a root cause analysis is and how to use it.

Healthcare professionals witness the impact on patients’ quality of life and also see how hard it is for people to make changes in their health. Motivational interviewing is a patient-centered way to have a conversation that supports those struggling to make behavioral changes. The provider helps the patient explore personal motivators and identify their own goals. The approach is based on what matters to the patient. When each member of an interprofessional team practices from this point of view, the results can be positive for the patient and for the practitioners.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is an increasingly common diagnosis. Unfortunately, BPD continues to be misunderstood, stigmatized, and ineffectively treated. Part of the reason for this is the behaviors associated with the disorder fit into many diagnostic categories, making it sometimes difficult to distinguish BPD from other disorders. This course was created to give you the tools you need to accurately identify individuals with BPD and provide you with information about the treatment options available. You will learn about how BPD develops, the goals of treatment, and the challenges you might experience when working with this population. Finally, you will learn some of the most common issues that individuals with BPD experience while in treatment.
 
The goal of this course is to provide addictions, behavioral health counseling, marriage and family therapy, nursing, psychology, and social work professionals with information about theory, treatment, and common challenges when working with an individual that has BPD.
 
DSM™ and DSM-5-TR™ are registered trademarks of the American Psychiatric Association. The American Psychiatric Association is not affiliated with nor endorses this course.

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).

Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [VA], 2022). This course will explain the specific factors that increase suicide risk in veterans. You will also learn about assessment and intervention approaches used to manage suicide risk in this population.

The goal of this course is to provide knowledge to addictions, behavioral health counseling, case management/care management, marriage and family therapy, nursing, psychology, social work professionals, and physicians in health and human services settings about suicide prevention strategies for veterans.

This course will guide you through understanding best practices in incident report writing. It will assist you in understanding how those practices help protect the health and safety of the person you support, while at the same time protecting you. In this course, you will identify factors that affect the quality of incident reports and investigate elements that affect memory and recall. You will focus on reducing factors that negatively impact the completeness and accuracy of incident reports. Demonstrating your understanding of the guidelines taught in this course will ensure your documentation adheres to legal, ethical, and programmatic standards. While completing this course, you will review incident report notes and apply what you have learned to identify unclear, subjective, and ungrammatical elements within the notes. This course is intended for direct support professionals

Treatment for HIV/AIDS has significantly improved over the last few decades and has reduced morbidity and mortality rates in patients living with HIV/AIDS. The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) slows the progression of the disease by reducing the amount of HIV in the blood. Determining the most effective treatment regimen is a complex process and will require the use of several medications. The goal of this course is to provide pharmacists in acute care settings with an overview of HIV medication classes and factors influencing treatment decisions.

Healthcare-associated infections are a serious issue. On any given day, approximately 1 in 31 hospitalized patients has a healthcare-associated infection, and over 75,000 of these infections result in death (CDC, 2018). Astounding, isn’t it? And these numbers don’t account for infections acquired in other healthcare settings. Preventing the transmission of infections from one person to another is critical.

The goal of this course is to provide staff in all healthcare settings with the basics of infection control.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia. It affects approximately 2.7 million people in the U.S. and is a leading risk factor for stroke (AHA, 2016). AF is most commonly seen in patients who are over age 60 years. Many patients with AF are asymptomatic, making it difficult to diagnose. AF can increase the risk of stroke if not diagnosed and treated. Approximately 15% of people who experience a stroke have AF (AHA, 2016). Strokes resulting from AF can be prevented with early screening, diagnosis, and intervention.

This course will help you determine the steps you need to take to build and implement an effective advance care planning program and describe how resources from the FIVE WISHES framework program can help. You will learn how to build support, determine goals and measures, and identify processes and standards to ensure your program is making a difference for your care recipients and your healthcare organization.

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.

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.

The goal of this course is to inform all healthcare staff about the basics of advance directives.

Depression and suicide are among the top public health concerns facing older adult populations. Older adults encounter changes physically, cognitively, and psychosocially that often contribute to the onset of depression. Further, older adult populations have among the highest incident rates of suicide than any other age group, which makes appropriate diagnosis and treatment of depression in this population even more critical. This course will provide an overview of some physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors that could be contributing to depression in an older adult, as well as important information on recognizing risk factors and warning signs of depression in this population. Additionally, information related to evidence-based treatment strategies for older adult populations will be discussed along with the importance of monitoring treatment adherence.

A ‘culture of safety’ is an often-heard term in clinical settings. Most patients require complex care, with many interprofessional teams working together. Large patient volumes, an expectation for rapid delivery of care, the consumer’s ability to choose providers, and government reimbursements all drive acute care facilities to invest in preventing or reducing errors. Improving safety is beneficial to the patient primarily, with less risk of injury or death, but also to the facility and staff, improving retention and job satisfaction, with the added benefit of extensive cost-savings.

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.

Despite being less prevalent than mood disorders, schizophrenia contributes substantially to global estimates of disability. Almost 3 million Americans live with the illness in a given year. Nevertheless, there is hope for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (i.e., schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, and related conditions) and their families. Research has led to more effective treatments and continues to develop newer types of medications; at the same time, researchers are unraveling the complex causes of these disorders. It is important to remember that even though there is not yet a cure, many people can manage the illness to lead independent, satisfying lives. The main goal of this course is to provide you with the information and current research you need to better understand how to collaborate in the treatment of schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

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.

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.

Proficiency in the use of a validated stroke scale, such as the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), is important for any member of the healthcare team caring for patients with acute stroke. This stroke assessment scale efficiently assesses stroke severity, offering objective information about prognosis and outcomes along with directing early treatment. With proper training in the use of the NIHSS, including serial monitoring, specifically for those at risk for worsening neurologic status, little variance should exist in results among clinicians. Education is essential to improving reliability and increasing effective communication regarding treatment of stroke patient

The goal of this course is to provide all staff with an overview of CPR.

NOTE: This course does not replace the formalized training and return demonstration that must be completed for competency according to the American Heart Association. This course should only be used as a “refresher” to remind the learner of the key action steps in CPR.

The content of this course is sourced from the American Heart Association’s CPR and ECC Guidelines unless otherwise noted. The American Heart Association is not affiliated with nor endorses this course.

As a healthcare professional, you may find yourself in situations where issues with professional boundaries develop. Some boundary violations can be quite serious for you, your team members, your organization, and the people you provide care for. For this reason, it is important for you to be aware of these risks.

You should understand the difference between a boundary crossing and a boundary violation. You must also be able to recognize situations that may lead to a boundary crossing or violation and know how to prevent problems.

The goal of this course is to share with general staff in any setting the basics of how to maintain professional boundaries.