School Nursing CEU Courses

Concussions Evaluation and Management in Pediatric Patients Evaluation and Management in Pediatric Patients are head injuries that are caused by a traumatic, biomechanical force. The symptoms of concussion are primarily the result of functional disturbances, not structural injuries, and may include headache, dizziness, changes in mood or behavior, and changes in sleep patterns. Despite increased awareness of the injury, concussion remains under-reported and under-diagnosed. Diagnosis of a concussion is based largely on the presence of clinical symptoms as there is no quantitative test for concussion. Neuroimaging is considered to be overused in the acute evaluation of concussions since imaging technologies, such as CT, cannot diagnose concussion. CT can only identify more serious injuries, such as hemorrhages or contusions. In the future, serum biomarkers may be helpful in stratifying patients at increased risk of related injuries or complications from concussion.

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.

Most people go through life without noticing insects unless they are irritated, bitten, or stung by one of them. Yet insects are the dominant and most successful animal life form on earth. They represent more than half of all known living organisms. This course describes four common biting insects that use human blood as a source of food. It will also include information on the brown recluse spider, a spider that is often blamed for skin lesions across the country, even in areas where none are known to exist (Vetter, 2018).

The goal of this course is to equip nursing professionals in the acute care setting with the essential knowledge to care for patients with immunodeficiency diseases.

After taking this course, you should be able to:

• Identify the description, etiology, diagnosis, and prognosis of Tourette syndrome.
• Recall the management of Tourette syndrome.
• Recognize the mental, emotional, and educational impacts of Tourette syndrome.

• Recall the physiological effects of methamphetamine on the body.
• Indicate treatment strategies for methamphetamine abuse and addiction.

Clinical or major depression is a significant chronic disease worldwide. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with approximately 280 million people who suffer from depression and over 700,000 who die from suicide each year (WHO, 2021). This course will focus on depression, particularly on screening, mental health and physical health commodities, and treatment. The goal of this course is to provide nursing in acute care settings with information on identifying and screening for depression, its co-morbidities, and treatments.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have lasting negative effects on adult health, in the form of risk-taking behaviors, and chronic disease. More than half of the U.S. population has experienced at least one adverse childhood event and 14.3% have experienced four or more. Prolonged exposure to toxic stress can triple the risk for ischemic heart disease and even shorten life expectancy by 20 years, but most healthcare professionals do not know how to screen for these risk factors. Healthcare professionals have a unique opportunity to address these risk factors with screening, acknowledgement, and referrals for treatment. This continuing education program reviews the research and science of how childhood trauma affects adult health and wellness, explains how to screen for risk factors, and describes how to promote healing and resilience with trauma-informed care. 

Tick populations are increasing in the United States and their geographic ranges are expanding, largely due to climate change. Since ticks are responsible for nearly 95% of annually reported vector-borne diseases, this increase represents a new and severe public health concern.  In the U.S., ticks are responsible for transmitting a greater variety of viral, bacterial, and protozoan diseases than any other blood-feeding arthropod. In addition, in some people, tick bites can cause allergic reactions to red meat and possibly milk and other dairy products. This CE course presents information on eight of the most common tickborne illnesses.

Cats, dogs, and other animals can transmit a wide variety of diseases to humans, ranging from trivial infections to life-threatening diseases. In the U.S., casual contact and bites from animals cause millions of human infections every year. Animals can also spread parasites that cause birth defects and visual impairment, transmit bacteria that cause severe gastrointestinal illness, and introduce new and deadly respiratory infections. This module provides nurses and emergency services professionals with information on old and new diseases transmitted by animals, how to identify them, and how to prevent them.

Cigarette smoking has declined, but tobacco alternatives like electronic cigarettes have gained popularity among adolescents. The use of tobacco in any form has severe health implications during the adolescent development because they are more susceptible to addiction, making them prone to becoming lifelong users of tobacco. Although healthcare providers are uniquely positioned to ask about tobacco use and provide evidence-based treatments, it is not consistently performed at each visit. This course will review how adolescents are more susceptible to the marketing of tobacco products, and the health consequences of nicotine addiction, and will provide techniques for encouraging a tobacco-free lifestyle.

Clinicians and health educators are positioned to reduce the incidence of lead poisoning through primary prevention activities that reduce children’s exposure to lead. Pediatric encounters in a variety of healthcare settings provide an opportunity for anticipatory guidance and health education regarding lead poisoning in children.