Stroke Nursing CEU Courses

Swallowing is a complex process that can be disrupted by many conditions that increase the risk of aspiration. Dangerous complications that can be prevented include aspiration pneumonitis and aspiration pneumonia. Due to the prevalence of the population at risk for aspiration, all healthcare professionals must recognize risk factors, screen, and intervene to protect their patients.

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. (AHA, n.d.). Stroke patients who receive the best nursing care have the best outcomes (Green, 2021). The more knowledge you have of strokes, the better your nursing care will be. A common type of stroke is the hemispheric stroke that causes deficits on the left or right side. Knowledge of left- and right-sided strokes is essential to helping patients with stroke recover.

Annually, about 795,000 people in the U.S. are affected by stroke, which is the fifth leading cause of mortality and long-term disability (CDC, 2022a). Additionally, ischemic strokes account for about 87% of all strokes (CDC, 2022a). Ischemic strokes are also a high-risk complication of cardiac catheterization. Thus, healthcare professionals (HCPs) should know the steps needed to manage patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, be able to identify early signs and symptoms of ischemic stroke, and know of management options for acute ischemic stroke.

• Identify the current problem and contributing factors of obesity in the U.S.
• Describe the management and treatment options for obesity.

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and death in the U.S. Stroke is the result of a blocked or ruptured blood vessel that deprives brain cells of oxygen, resulting in tissue death within minutes. Brain cells die every minute during a stroke, which places the patient at risk for permanent brain damage or death. There are two types of stroke: Ischemic and hemorrhagic. It is essential to immediately identify which type of stroke is occurring. Treatment and management of an ischemic stroke is vastly different than treatment and management of a hemorrhagic stroke.

What is a healthy weight? Multiple factors impact our body weight and size, yet as healthcare providers, we often focus more on the scale readout rather than the behaviors that influence our patients’ weight and health. This module discusses the psychological and physical issues facing those with obesity, along with the impact of chronic dieting and weight bias on health. It also provides tools, such as tips on motivational interviewing, non-diet health goal setting, for the provider to use in clinical practice, and briefly reviews traditional weight management guidelines.

Stroke is a prevalent condition in the U.S., with an incidence of about 795,000 new or recurrent events per year. Women between the ages of 20 to 59, and 80 and older, suffer more strokes than men, with poorer outcomes than their male counterparts. Risk factors for stroke in women change over the course of their life span. Unique risk factors include use of oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy, pregnancy, and suffering from migraines with aura. Education regarding risk-factor modification and lifestyle changes is necessary to reduce the burden of stroke in females and improve the individual's awareness of her risk for stroke. In addition, women may not experience the classic signs of a stroke, which delays seeking medical attention, diagnosis, and treatment. This continuing education program provides nurses and other healthcare professionals with evidence-based information related to women and strokes, which can be applied in their daily practice.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 34 million adults in the U.S. smoke, and 16 million have a serious illness attributable to their smoking habit. With nearly half a million U.S. deaths attributed to smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke annually, the CDC identifies smoking as the number one cause of preventable disease, disability, and death. This course provides an overview of the need for smoking cessation and components of a successful program. Working as an interprofessional team, helping patients navigate the behavioral stages of smoking cessation, and smoking cessation aids are also discussed.