Nursing Continuing Education Specialty Course Textbooks

Course release date: 3/5/2018
Course expiration date: 3/31/2021

This course provides nurses in any setting with a strong understanding of relevant content related to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to become more competent and confident in their ability to recognize, manage, and effectively intervene when caring for persons affected by ADHD.  The course presents information that may be new or furthers the understanding of learned concepts related to ADHD research, diagnosis, and treatment across the lifespan.  

Course release date: 7/1/2020
Course expiration date: 7/1/2023

This course provides information to support nurses working across all healthcare settings who care for patients at risk for or that already have cardiovascular disease. The course can serve as a reference for nurses working in cardiovascular areas or provide those desiring to work in cardiovascular areas with an introduction to comprehensive cardiovascular care. Beginning with a foundation of cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, the course then progresses into the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. The content presented in the cardiovascular medications and risk factors chapter is referenced throughout the course as cardiovascular disease processes are discussed. Nursing application points in the clinical setting are integrated throughout to help in identifying key issues in the care of patients with cardiovascular disease.

Course release date: 8/24/2018
Course expiration date: 8/31/2021

This course examines the complexities of assessing, preventing, and treating childhood obesity and includes nutritional recommendations across the pediatric age span and evidence-based treatment interventions.  With an emphasis on addressing children at highest risk and the variety of factors that can influence obesity, the course also reviews family relationships and their role in obesity, as well as the role of media and marketing.  Behavioral counseling and how it can be used to motivate patients and families to make changes is addressed.

Course release date: 4/9/2018
Course expiration date: 2/28/2021

This course focuses on the most commonly misused addictive drugs.  Twelve types of substances are described, including their biochemistry and effects on physical and mental health.  The process of assessing and screening for these twelve substances is reviewed and prevention practices and therapeutic modalities are also described.  

Course release date: 2/21/2019
Course expiration date: 2/21/2022

This course provides current, evidence-based information about depression for nurses from a variety of backgrounds.  This includes: depression as an illness; the diagnostic criteria for different depression disorders; suicidal ideation and how to intervene; genetics and the brain; bipolar illness; the mechanisms of action of antidepressants, including potential adverse events and special considerations for the use of different medications; models of depression; different treatment approaches to help patients with depression; chronic illness and depression; substance use; anxiety disorders related to depression; and depression in special populations.

Course release date: 2/26/2019
Course expiration date: 2/26/2022

This course provides a comprehensive overview of diabetes to enable nurses in a variety of settings to provide safe and efficient care.  With this knowledge, nurses can assist patients with diabetes in learning successful self-management practices and becoming more aware of resources to help reduce the risk of long-term complications, thus improving their quality of life.

Course release date: 8/1/2020
Course expiration date: 8/1/2023

This course presents the complex metabolic, developmental, emotional, and social implications for a child with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, and the family. The course discusses the unique considerations for this population to help the nurse provide supportive and flexible care. Also critically important is the nurse’s role in providing education to the parents or caregivers, as well as education appropriate to the child’s developmental level. 

Course release date: 10/31/2018
Course expiration date: 10/31/2021

This course explores the underlying purposes of documentation, professional and regulatory requirements and processes, and best practices for adequate documentation to accurately reflect the patient’s severity of illness and transition for care.

Course release date: 12/31/2018
Course expiration date: 11/30/2021

This course provides nurses working in the trauma care continuum with current evidence-based practice in the initial assessment, interventions, and evaluation of the trauma patient. Concepts of trauma systems, triage, trauma to specific anatomic regions, psychosocial aspects of trauma care, and care of the recovering trauma patient are discussed. 

Course release date: 2/20/2018
Course expiration date: 2/28/2021

This course provides nurses working with older adults in a variety of settings, including the community, acute, psychiatric, and long-term care, and at various points in transitions of care, with a solid foundation for assessing older adults across the healthcare continuum in the context of health, wellness, and chronic illness.  Assessments covered follow the domains for the older adult that can impact quality of life including: emotional, physical, cognitive, social, spiritual, economic, family dynamics, care giving, and safety. The course discusses common geriatric conditions and syndromes – cognitive impairment, delirium, incontinence, malnutrition, falls, gait disorders, pressure ulcers, sleep disorders, sensory deficits, fatigue, and dizziness – that can have a significant impact on quality of life and disability.  

Course release date: 2/25/2019
Course expiration date: 2/25/2022

This course provides nurses interacting with obese patients with the knowledge and practices, including communication techniques to foster therapeutic relationships, to help patients manage their health and weight, meet their weight loss goals, and overcome obesity.  The course reviews the topic of obesity, its etiology, and the associated health risks, followed by the nursing process, techniques for assessing the patient’s specific problems, planning interventions, and evaluating the results.  

Course release date: 8/14/2018
Course expiration date: 8/31/2021

This course incorporates the five elements of practice defined as vital – energy, fire, air, water, earth, and ether – that have endured for centuries and provided a structural focus for sickroom management, creating healing environments, and the nursing care of whole patients.  The course provides nurses with a broad understanding of how the five elements of practice are relevant today and guide them through the application of these elements to practice using various healing modalities. This in-depth understanding will provide a new perspective on clinical care, practice management, and quality of life for both the patient and the nurse.

Course release date: 11/1/2018
Course expiration date: 6/30/2021

This course presents foundational information about therapeutic humor, the difference between humor and laughter, the history of humor in health care, how humor develops as we mature, and how humor affects the biological, psychological, and sociological health of an individual.  

Course release date: 12/20/2018
Course expiration date: 11/30/2021

This course provides essential information that nurses can use to help individuals, families, and communities cope with loss, grief, and bereavement or reflect on issues and practices related to death. The course presents the the role of palliative and hospice care in providing the highest quality end-of-life care and content on advance care planning. 

Course release date: 3/31/2018
Course expiration date: 3/31/2021

This course presents nurses who work in ambulatory centers, private practice, pharmacies, hospitals, and community health facilities, with information to help develop practice guidelines and patient education materials about dietary supplements and participate in shared-decision making with people who are choosing dietary supplements for use in self-care.

Course release date: 1/31/2019
Course expiration date: 1/31/2022

This course presents the basic principles, knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to provide nursing care to older adults and their families. The course reviews the major concerns and issues facing older adults, such as chronic conditions, common clinical problems and psychosocial issues, and methods to handle these concerns.  Topics presented include issues affecting older adults and viewing the patient as a holistic individual.  Additionally, the course discusses and dispels some common myths of aging.

Course release date: 4/1/2020
Course expiration date: 4/1/2023

This course provides an overview of today’s complex healthcare arena discussing the numerous contemporary issues nurse leaders must face on a daily basis.  The course presents the various healthcare environments and structures and discusses and outlines required core competencies of nurse leaders. Detailed explanations, tools, examples, and resources are provided to help the learner appreciate, develop, and apply these core competencies and skills at their own practice.

Course release date: 2/21/2019
Course expiration date: 2/21/2022

This course presents content for nurses caring for patients with cancer in any setting and provides updated information for certification preparation. The course will empower nurses to optimize patient outcomes, by incorporating into their practice, a solid foundation in their approach to care of patients with cancer. Further specialization in the many aspects of oncology nursing care can also follow this overview. 

The program content has been reviewed by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) and is acceptable for recertification points.

Course release date: 4/25/2018
Course expiration date: 2/21/2022

This course presents current information about pain and nursing care for persons experiencing pain. The course will provide an understanding of the physiological mechanisms of nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Nurses will be able to describe pain assessment for patients across the lifespan and will be able to identify evidence-based assessment for patients whose cognitive impairment, age, or level of consciousness makes them incapable of reporting their pain. The course also provide an understanding of the pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment of acute and chronic pain, as well as treatment of pain at end-of-life. With this knowledge, nurses will be able to both educate patients about pain and advocate for safe and effective pain treatment based on scientific evidence.

Course release date: 2/18/2019
Course expiration date: 2/18/2022

This course provides a collection of information for a comprehensive, subjective pediatric health history, performing a systematic physical examination, and understanding common pediatric conditions.  The course not only provides an introduction to pediatric health assessment for nurses with limited pediatric experience, but also serves as a refresher course for nurses caring for children in a variety of healthcare settings.  

Course release date: 10/22/2018
Course expiration date: 3/31/2021

This course examines psychiatric disorders in primary care nursing using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) from the American Psychiatric Association. Substance use and depressive disorders are covered, focusing primarily on the more commonly encountered diagnoses. 

Course release date: 8/24/2018
Course expiration date: 8/31/2021

This course provides information to help nurses update their mental health skills and knowledge of current psychiatric treatments. The course discusses psychiatric disorders, treatment modalities, therapeutic communication skills, medications, and cultural variances in how mental illness is perceived and treated in adults and children. The broad categories of psychiatric disorders reflective of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) are also presented.

Course release date: 2/27/2018
Course expiration date: 2/28/2021

This course presents the epidemiology of addiction, sociocultural influences, commonly used substances, and current standards of treatment and nursing care for patients with substance use disorders. Prevention practices, patient assessment, and therapeutic modalities, including pharmacologic, psychological, group, and nontraditional therapies, are described. Twelve types of substances are described, including their biochemistry and effects on the human body. This course uses terminology for substance-related and addictive disorders defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition.

Course release date: 10/26/2018
Course expiration date: 10/31/2021

This course provides nurses caring for women in a variety of healthcare settings – acute care facilities, private practices, public settings, home health environments, and community outreach programs – with information to help them take an individual approach to assisting women who are progressing through menopause.  The course discusses nursing care based on the most up-to-date standards and guidelines in order to help women make lifestyle choices.