Laura Bell
BSN, RN, CCRN
Laura Bell is a Relias staff writer as well as a critical care nurse currently working in the intensive care unit at Wake Med Cary Hospital in Cary, NC.
Courses Authored
Healthcare providers must communicate effectively with limited English-proficient (LEP) patients for safety and quality of care. Compliance with government regulations, accreditation standards, and evidence-based care is necessary. Based on 2010 U.S. Census data, 9% of the U.S. population speaks English with difficulty or not at all. From 1990 to 2010, the LEP population grew by 80%. Evidence exists that LEP patients are at risk for adverse events. It is important to know who is classified as an appropriate interpreter.
Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) affect an estimated 400,000 patients each year in the United States (AHRQ, 2018). CLABSIs can cause serious infections and lengthen hospital stays, inflate medical costs, and increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. Nurses can play a significant role in reducing these troubling facts. Adhering to a group of evidence-based interventions known as the central line bundle has been proven to reduce the incidence of CLABSIs in healthcare settings. Components of the central line bundle focus on the proper insertion and maintenance of central lines to reduce infection rates. The nurse’s understanding of CLABSI, evidence-based bundle practices, and guidelines for the proper maintenance of central line catheters can improve patient outcomes significantly.
This course provides information on how age-related changes in the immune system increase the risk and severity of common infections in older adult patients.
This module provides a review of evidence-based practice along with the most recent American Heart Association CPR guidelines. It also reviews the standards and processes associated with evidence-based practice to facilitate the implementation of the most up-to-date research into current clinical practice. 2010 AHA guidelines shifted practice to C-A-B (circulation, airway, breathing), as evidence supports immediate chest compressions while awaiting a defibrillator to help improve the patient’s chance of survival. The 2015 guidelines and subsequent focused updates take an even more scientific approach, reviewing current research to improve the quality of CPR and survivor outcomes. A review of post-cardiac arrest care is also provided as more focus is being placed on optimizing long-term outcomes.
Hourly rounding is a systematic, nurse-driven evidence-based process designed to anticipate and address the needs of hospital patients. Hospital patients often need assistance with basic tasks, such as using the bathroom, eating, bathing, and ambulating. Nurses' responsiveness to patients' needs is a key factor patients often consider when making judgments about the quality of their care. This module provides nurses and nurse leaders with an understanding of hourly rounding's purpose and process, and tips for implementation and success. It discusses the types of rounding: introductory rounds, initial rounds, and hourly rounds, and the key behaviors in each.
Interoperability is the ability of different information systems and devices to exchange, interpret, and share data. In order to be interoperable, two or more systems or components must have the ability to exchange data and then present it to a user in a way that they can understand it. With effective interoperability, clinicians can quickly and easily access and interpret information so they may provide the best care possible. This continuing education module provides nurses with an overview of interoperability in the context of health information technology with a focus on how interoperability affects healthcare delivery.
The goal of this course is to provide information about the systemic effects of cocaine use and management of acute cocaine intoxication.
Emergency situations vary in nature from anaphylaxis to unstable dysrhythmias to cardiac arrest. One thing they have in common is the necessity for pharmacological intervention. The first priority in treating a person during a cardiac emergency is CABD (circulation, airway, breathing, and defibrillation) and determining a differential diagnosis. Emergency drug therapy should be implemented only after assessment of the patient to determine which medications are indicated based on current guidelines. This continuing education activity will review current guidelines for medications that are frequently encountered in emergent situations, especially cardiac arrest.
This module provides information on how to assess and manage patients at risk for aspiration to prevent the dangerous complications of aspiration.
The goal of this program is to provide information about the incidence, etiology, identification, and care of the late-preterm infant.
The goal of this module is to provide information about the recognition and management of different types of shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Provides information about common foodborne pathogens, how to care for patients affected by them, and safety measures to prevent foodborne illness.
Bed bugs are a pervasive nuisance in the U.S. and across the globe. The prototypical arthropod species Cimex lectularius looks similar to miniature cockroaches and feeds on the blood of humans and some animals. Bed bugs tend to live in areas of poor sanitation and overcrowding, but this is not a universal rule. Bed bugs can infest any type of home, commercial entity, or healthcare establishment, and traveling can increase the risk of spreading these pests. Healthcare providers should be aware of their prevalence and also be able to recognize the physical presentation of bed bug bites. It is also important to have knowledge of ways to prevent and treat bed bug infestations.
This modules provides information about the physiological effects of hypothermia and treatment strategies for the critically injured trauma patient.
Evidence-based practice allows nurses to use credible research to improve patient outcomes. By providing care in accordance with these practices, patients receive the best management and treatment options available. This learning activity reviews the evidence behind three initiatives: Spontaneous breathing and awakening trials for patients requiring mechanical ventilation, prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), and the importance of early initiation of enteral nutrition in the critically ill patient population to reduce the risk of malnutrition.
The goal of this course is to provide information about the systemic effects of cocaine use and management of acute cocaine intoxication.
The goal of this module is to provide information about conditions of the neonate's gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems.
The purpose of this course is to an overview of neurological, neuromuscular, and musculoskeletal conditions in the neonatal population.
This course provides the learner with an overview of hematology, genetics, metabolism, and the endocrine system as it pertains to the neonate.
This course introduces the concept of EI, describes how it can help nurses enhance their work lives, and provides strategies for developing one’s own EI.