Aging and Disorders of Communication
Communication links all human beings together. As individuals age, their ability to perceive information through their senses is often distorted or impaired. Age-related sensory changes impact the quality of life and the quality of communication.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Mysteries and Possibilities
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a condition in which the concept of loss is central – the loss of one’s memories, independence, the ability to recognize loved ones, and the loss of dignity. Often referred to as “the long goodbye,” AD is the most common t… Read more »
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Animals have been a part of our lives as long as we have been on the planet. The health benefits of the human-animal bond are far reaching. From guide dogs, to watching fish in an aquarium, to swimming with dolphins, animals provide us with companion… Read more »
Anxiety Disorders: An Integrative Approach
Anxiety disorders are the most common, and frequently occurring, mental disorders. Anxiety is manifested by disturbances of mood, as well as of thinking, behavior, and physiological activity. The five major types of anxiety disorders include generali… Read more »
Aromatherapy: The Healing Power Of Scent
Aromatherapy is a complementary and alternative, holistic, and integrative therapy that uses essential oils to promote both physical and psychological health. It is often used in conjunction with massage, meditation, and other therapies to achieve he… Read more »
Centenarians: Keys to Longevity
Living to be 100 years old was once considered a rare occurrence, but with advancements in medicine and lifestyle changes, living to be 100 is not so improbable today. As a group, there are more centenarians worldwide than ever before, with the large… Read more »
Characteristics of Spirituality
While theorists and researchers have yet to agree on a single, universally accepted theory or definition of spirituality, few would deny its existence or impact on health and healing. In the past, spirituality was synonymous with religion. Although s… Read more »
Chronic Pain: An Integrative Approach to Effective Pain Management
Pain interferes with the enjoyment of life. It makes it difficult to work, socialize with friends and family, sleep, and accomplish activities of daily living. It may reduce productivity and create financial hardships in terms of lost work and high m… Read more »
Death and Dying
What is grief? What are normal grief responses? What is involved in the final life transition—death? These are some of the questions that will be discussed in this course. The role of culture, palliative and hospice care, advance directives, and the… Read more »
Depression: An Integrative Approach
Depression is one of the most serious and costly health care problems facing the United States today. It is one of the most common types of mental disorders. Depression interferes with an individual’s daily life, normal functioning, and may cause emo… Read more »
Emerging Global Infectious Diseases
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) present an ever-present threat to the health and livelihood of individuals, families, communities, and countries all over the world. The greatest burden of EIDs lies in developing countries and with infants and chi… Read more »
Food and Mood: What’s the Connection?
“You are what you eat!” How often have most of us heard this phrase? While it may be a common saying, it remains a very true one for many good reasons. Food has the ability to affect our bodies and minds in profound ways. It can influence how we feel… Read more »
Integrative Therapies for Cancer Pain Management
Many advances have been made in the treatment of cancer during the last several decades and yet effective cancer pain management remains an overwhelming issue for more than 80% of patients. Today, there are numerous options for cancer pain management… Read more »
Legal Issues in Healthcare
Health care professionals today are acutely aware of the need to understand the legal environment in which they practice. Ever-shrinking resources, shorter lengths of stay, high-acuity patients, availability of more complex information, diverse patie… Read more »
Meditation for Health and Energy
Meditation is a mind-body practice with many methods and variations that are all grounded in the silence and stillness of present-moment awareness. The regular practice of meditation not only calms and helps focus the mind, it is also an effective pr… Read more »
Mental Health and Aging
This course will provide health care professionals with an overview of mental health and aging, including mental health wellness strategies, mental health disorders, cultural competence, cultural diversity, complementary and alternative medicine trea… Read more »
Nutrition, Toxins, and Chronic Disease
Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems both in the United States and worldwide. Globally, hundreds of millions of people are… Read more »
Pain Assessment and Management in the Older Adult
Pain is a symptom that signals distress in virtually every population and every age. To provide quality care to aging adults, health care providers must be particularly skilled at assessing pain, understanding misconceptions of pain management, addre… Read more »
Pain Interventions and Treatments
Effective pain management begins with effective pain assessment. Only after an assessment is completed can the healthcare provider determine how to best manage a client’s pain. Barriers to pain management that can lead to the undertreatment of pain n… Read more »
Pain Management in Special Populations – Children and the Elderly
Helping pediatric and geriatric populations manage their pain requires special consideration regarding the types of medications and strategies chosen, the route through which medications are delivered, and specific comorbidities or metabolic issues t… Read more »
Pain Management in Special Populations – Surgery, Cancer, and HIV
Health care professionals often face difficult challenges when working with clients who have undergone surgery or who have cancer or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These clients encounter unique problems with their health conditions, especially… Read more »
Pain Management in the Adult – Acute and Chronic Pain
Acute and chronic pain in the adult client have different causes, methods of diagnoses, and interventions. Effective health care providers understand these differences when they assess and manage their clients’ pain.
Pain Theory and Assessment Principles
Pain is a universal phenomenon. Pain is the fifth vital sign and its assessment is crucial in the comprehensive care of every patient. Pain is a subjective concept and is whatever the client says it is. Pain is experienced across all age groups, acro… Read more »
Pain Treatment at the End of Life
Regardless of the cause, pain is a common symptom in clients who are near death. Healthcare providers must understand the tremendous implications of pain and pain symptoms and prioritize the assessment and optimal treatment of pain in clients near th… Read more »
Pneumonia in Adults and Children
Pneumonia is an infection in one or both of the lungs. Globally, it is the leading killer of children under the age of 5 years. It is also common in the United States. There are several types of pneumonia, depending on the type of germ (bacteria, vir… Read more »
Puerto Rico Mandated Infection Control for Health Care Professionals
This course updates the knowledge of nurses and other health care professionals about infection control and prevention. In addition, the course describes the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and… Read more »
Sacred Spaces, Healing Places
Modern nursing was founded on the concepts of healing environments. Florence Nightingale was one of the first to realize the importance of nature, light, noise, and sensory stimulation in healing. Today, it is well known that healing environments emp… Read more »
Sleep Disorders: An Integrative Approach
Sleep disorders are very common complaints and they include difficulty falling asleep, early awakening, and interrupted sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one-third of adults say they get enough sleep every night… Read more »
Social Media and Healthcare
Social media has many characteristics and has become part of the very fabric of today’s society. It can be immediate, irreverent, and incredibly powerful. The use of social media in all areas of life, especially healthcare, is growing exponentially…. Read more »
Spiritual Assessment and Spiritual Care
Spiritual care is an important and necessary part of appropriate patient care, yet many health care professionals feel ill equipped to provide it to their clients. When people experience a spiritual crisis and need spiritual care, they may choose to… Read more »
Spiritual Rituals
The spiritual rituals of prayer, meditation, guided imagery, gratitude, spending time in nature, dancing, storytelling, and art can all help people connect to their inner being, to others, and to a divine spirit or Sacred Source. A part of spiritual… Read more »
Spirituality, Culture, and Health
Healthcare professionals and spiritual care providers face many challenges in becoming prepared to administer holistic, respectful, and culturally and spiritually competent care for their patients and clients. Understanding the relationship between s… Read more »
The ABCs of Hepatitis
Hepatitis A, B, and C are viruses that affect millions of individuals throughout the world. They affect the liver and have a variety of etiologies and mechanisms of transmission. All forms of hepatitis can have significant economic and social consequ… Read more »
The Biofield (Human Energy Field): Foundation for Energy Medicine
There is increasing scientific evidence that human beings are comprised of an energetic system that is highly integrated with the physical body, emotions, and the spiritual aspect of individuals. Because of this evidence, the health care community is… Read more »
The Healthy Aging Brain
The brain is the most complex part of the human body. People once believed that progressive mental decline was inevitable, but now we know that the brain’s ability to age well varies from person to person and is affected by genetic predisposition, ge… Read more »
The Older Woman
America is growing older and most older Americans are women. Today’s older woman is part of a diverse group that varies in income, education level, health, functional abilities, living arrangements, and access to support services. Because women live… Read more »
Tickborne Diseases
In the United States, ticks carry many different pathogens that can cause a variety of human diseases. One of the most common of these is Lyme disease. Many tickborne diseases are challenging to diagnose because their symptoms imitate other common il… Read more »
Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Ancient Approach to Healing
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the oldest professional continuously practiced medicine in the world, with origins dating back more than 2,500 years. TCM emphasizes the holistic view of the human being and encompasses many different treatment m… Read more »
Tuberculosis
Despite advances in their treatment and prevention, tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB, or MDR-TB remain two of the world’s deadliest communicable diseases. An ancient disease found in Egyptian mummies, TB and MDR-TB are increasingly diffic… Read more »
Workplace Violence in Healthcare
Workplace violence is an increasing problem in organizations today and is especially challenging in the health care industry. Considered a human rights issue, workplace violence affects the dignity of millions of people worldwide and is a major sourc… Read more »