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Nursing

This course explores animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP) theory and practice, focusing primarily on therapy dogs due to their prevalent role in volunteer and professional settings. The historical, theoretical, and practical dimensions of AAP are described so learners gain a foundational understanding of attachment theory, biophilia theory, and human-animal relational theory as they pertain to AAP. The course critically examines the efficacy of AAP through research, outlines challenges, and presents clinical applications across various psychological approaches. It also covers the selection and characteristics of successful therapy dogs, therapy dog registration, and the importance of pursuing advanced training for practitioners interested in integrating AAP into their practice.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Effective hand washing is more than just a routine; it’s a critical skill that can safeguard against spreading infections, prevent cross-contamination, and promote overall health and well-being in professional settings and daily life. In this course, we will delve into the intricacies of hand hygiene, exploring the science behind proper hand-washing techniques, understanding when and why hand washing is necessary, and addressing common misconceptions that may hinder optimal hygiene practices.

This course will give you practical insights and actionable strategies to elevate your hand hygiene practices to the highest standards. From mastering the proper hand-washing technique to implementing hand hygiene protocols in your workplace, our goal is to empower you with the knowledge and skills to protect yourself, your colleagues, and those under your care from spreading infectious diseases.

This course is for staff development and not for continuing education credit.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course examines end-of-life care in a hospital and home setting, how these services are offered, specialized programs, and issues surrounding end-of-life care.

The course also describes the effect a palliative care consultation service has on the terminally ill and their families.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Navigating the requirements of reporting suspected abuse and maltreatment is an important responsibility for everyone, particularly mandated reporters.  This course will explore the requirements for reporting child abuse in the state of Washington. We will look at which professionals are required to report.  We will explore the timeline for reporting and the procedures that must take place.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course identifies strategies for mental health providers to support LGBTQIA+ clients in therapy. It defines the LGBTQIA+ acronym and describes common LGBTQIA+ terminology. Issues impacting the well-being of sexually minoritized clients are detailed, including discrimination and stigma, mental health disparities, and unique stressors such as internalized homophobia. Supportive clinical practices with LGBTQIA+ are illustrated, such as creating an affirming therapeutic environment and building a therapeutic alliance. Strategies for navigating supportive family conversations are detailed.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Understanding the significance of relapse prevention, identifying common risk factors, and implementing effective strategies are essential steps in helping a client achieve long-term recovery.

This course will explore what addiction and relapse are, the stages of each, how to develop a relapse prevention plan and how to identify triggers.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The importance of cybersecurity in the modern world cannot be understated. Confidentiality of records has always been critical to the population we serve.

This course will explore the necessity of digital security in mental health and substance abuse services and how you can support safer systems.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Fall prevention remains a considerable challenge across the care continuum.  Every year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of patients fall in hospitals and patient care settings, with 30-50 percent resulting in injury.   This course will explore those most vulnerable to falls and how we can work to prevent injuries.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Eye safety is a critical aspect of maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. This training will delve into the anatomy of the eye, common workplace eye hazards, types of eye wash stations, OSHA requirements, proper usage techniques, and emergency procedures, all with the goal of equipping you with the knowledge and skills needed to protect your eyes and promote a culture of safety in the workplace.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Social media can be a great thing. It helps you keep in contact with friends and family across the globe, you can find out about events going on in your area, and you are frequently “in the know” when things happen in your workplace or with a colleague. Occasionally, this real-time, sometimes unfiltered information has led to social media mistakes that lead to hasty firings and individuals who instantly regret their tweets and posts.

This course will explore the effective use of social media, including the pitfalls of using social media, online image, confidentiality, and workplace expectations.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course embarks on a thorough exploration of informed consent within the realms of mental health and substance abuse treatment. It delves deeply into the intricacies of this procedure, considering the ethical foundations, legal requirements, obstacles, and practical consequences that influence the practice of informed consent. By incorporating historical perspectives, ethical frameworks, and practical case studies, this training aims to shed light on the multifaceted aspect of informed consent in mental health and substance abuse treatment. This approach fosters a nuanced comprehension of its essential role in maintaining ethical standards and enhancing patient care.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Effective collaboration supports teamwork and effective treatment. Part of building rapport with clients is communicating and interacting effectively with people across cultures who have varying beliefs and schedules.

In this course, we discuss what cultural competence is, explain why it matters and provide some helpful tips for improving your cultural competence.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body, such as the kidney, spine, and brain. Two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease.

This course will explore how the different forms of tuberculosis, the signs and symptoms of the disease, how it is diagnosed, and infection control procedures.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course will enhance the knowledge of healthcare professionals regarding seizure disorders and promote early diagnoses and effective treatments.  Clients with substance abuse issues are at an increased risk for seizures.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Universal precautions involve an approach to infection control to protect workers from HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens in human blood and certain other body fluids, regardless of a patient’s infection status.

This course will explore the four primary universal precautions, proper handwashing, personal protective equipment and proper cough etiquette.

 

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Every year, lives are lost because of the spread of infections in hospitals and outpatient healthcare facilities. Healthcare workers can take steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These steps are part of infection control. Proper handwashing, universal precautions, and knowledge can all help to lead the way to prevent the spread of infections.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Severe anxiety can arise after trauma or injury or under persistent stress or extreme change. This course will explore how to distinguish between everyday worry and an anxiety disorder, signs, symptoms, and risk factors.  We will also discuss treatment approaches and how you can help.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

More than two-thirds of U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical treatments, and more are considering bills to do the same. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictions, resulting in limited clinical research on the safety and efficacy of using cannabis to treat diseases. Medical marijuana doesn’t always “feel” like a medical treatment or medicine.

This course will explore medical marijuana. We will look at the various ways this treatment is treated differently than other prescribed medications and why. We will also explore how the mental health and addiction fields have changed over the years with issues such as this.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one’s attention to the present moment without evaluating whether one’s thoughts and feelings are good or bad. It is a skill developed through meditation or other training.

This course will explore the history and origins of mindfulness, the difference between mindfulness, meditation, and flow, the benefits for the client and therapist, and how it can be used in therapy.

 

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Compassion fatigue is a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others, often described as the negative cost of caring. It is sometimes referred to as secondary traumatic stress or burnout.  It is especially relevant to mental health and substance abuse professionals.   Compassion fatigue describes the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others.

This course will explore where this can occur, signs of compassion fatigue, and how to help yourself and others.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

What we put into our bodies has the greatest opportunity to affect our health, well-being, and psychotropic drug disposition. This course will explore how to understand better how what we put in our bodies affects our mental health and the medications taken. This will enable us to help our clients get the most out of their bodies, minds, and medications.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Nurses play a primary role in the administration of medications across settings. They can also be involved in dispensing and preparing medications, such as crushing pills and drawing up a measured amount for injections.  This course explores factors that contribute to safe medication administration.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Every day counselors, nurses, psychiatric technicians, and others are called upon to intervene in crisis situations that may become dangerous if not handled properly.

This course will explore the prevention of aggressive behavior and crisis intervention techniques, which can include verbal de-escalation and physical interventions. We will identify the definition of aggression, warning signs of aggressive behavior, strategies to diffuse aggressive situations, crisis intervention techniques, and staff responsibilities after an event.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.  This course will explore this topic, helping employees know what constitutes sexual harassment and what to do as a co-worker or victim.

This course does not offer continuing education for license renewal.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Every year, lives are lost because of the spread of infections in hospitals and outpatient health care facilities. Health care workers can take steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These steps are part of infection control. Proper handwashing, universal precautions, and knowledge can all help to lead the way to prevent the spread of infections.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

A drug test analyzes a biological sample used to determine the presence of specific substances.  Drug testing is done pre-employment, randomly by employers, after an accident on the job, during probation, by the police, in the prison system, in recovery programs, in hospitals, and by parents.

This course will explore the types of drug tests, what each screen is for, the collection procedure, and the need for consent.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The purpose of the course is to explore and expand on the process of addiction. The course will explore the definition of abuse and addiction, the stages of alcohol and other drug use, the progression of the disease, and treatment options. The course will define specific exercises that can be utilized with clients.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The 42 CFR Part 2 regulations serve to protect patient records created by federally assisted programs for the treatment of substance use disorders. Part 2 has been revised to further facilitate better coordination of care in response to the opioid epidemic while maintaining its confidentiality protections against unauthorized disclosure and use. This course will explore these regulations.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The ASAM Criteria, developed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, is a widely used and comprehensive set of guidelines for placement, continued stay, and transfer or discharge of addiction patients and those with co-occurring conditions.

This course will give an overview of the criteria, levels of care, and best practices crafted through the use of these guidelines.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course will prepare you with the knowledge to respond in an emergency situation. This course follows the guidelines of the American Heart Association, however, it is not meant to replace training with an instructor and will not result in a certification card. This course is intended as continuing education, not certification.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course will update our current understanding of what HIV and AIDS are and how they are transmitted. The prevalence of the disease and how it attacks the body will be explained. Current information on the transmission, as well as the correction of several common myths,  will be taught. The importance of testing and diagnosis is ever-increasing with the significant progress being made regarding the treatment of HIV.

We will explore confidentiality and legal protection for the HIV-infected person.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Recovery housing is a service delivery modality that simultaneously addresses the social support and housing needs of those in recovery from substance use disorders. The needs of the resident can go beyond the treatment of the addiction itself.  Staff needs to be ready to address the community setting, medical or dental issues that could come up, and the needs of the resident’s mental health, as so frequently dual issues, are occurring.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Successful counseling with members of various minority groups, including ethnic background, age, sex, sexual orientation, and disability groups, requires education and self-reflection. There are implications for counseling theory, research, practice, and training. This course will explore the various special populations and what those in the counseling field should consider offering cultural pluralism and sensitivity.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course will explore how we define shyness from feeling and behavioral aspects. We will look at the various theories for causation and treatment. We will also look at how shyness is influenced by gender, age, and culture.

We will explore research and the treatments most frequently used.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus.

The disease causes respiratory illness (like the flu) with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and, in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. You can protect yourself by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face, and avoiding close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with unwell people.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Addicts, more than anyone, know that what is put in the body alters health, mood, and abilities.  The same holds if the substance is alcohol, other drugs, or food.  Nutrition plays an important part in overall health and recovery from substance abuse.

This course will explore the connection between nutrition and drugs, how substance abuse disrupts nutrition, the nutritional side effects of detox, what nutrients can benefit recovery, and food as an addiction.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The goal of this program is to explore approaches to prevent medical errors that are both system-based and human performance-based and The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals as they pertain to medical errors in hospitals.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Women seeking addiction treatment face unique barriers and distinctive issues or sensitivities from their male counterparts. This course will explore the treatment of substance abuse in women, how substance abuse affects relationships, psychological patterns of why women abuse substances, the significance of family history, how substance abuse affects health, codependency, co-occurring disorders, relapse prevention, and social service systems.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-patient approach to treating substance use disorders. Research shows that a combination of medication and behavioral therapies is most successful when treating substance-use disorders. MAT is clinically driven with a focus on individualized patient care.

*This is course does not meet the requirements under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 for physician-required training nor the qualification for a waiver to prescribe and dispense buprenorphine.   This course is intended to educate professionals in the mental health and substance abuse industry on MAT.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

How an organization plans for, responds to, and recovers from issues is critical to the safety of patients and employees.  This course will explore conditions that pose a threat and what should be done.  We will look at security measures and how to prepare them.  The grievance process will also be reviewed.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Drug or alcohol detoxification is the first step to recovery.
A detox will withdraw clients from the drugs or alcohol they take most safely and comfortably possible.  A protocol standardizes the process. This course will explore the standard practices facilities employ to assist with detoxification.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.