Continuing Education Case Study

EDUCATION/CAREER DEVELOPMENT: Ms. Rice is continuously working to enhance her professional development. She is a member of the North Carolina Nurses Association and American Nurses Association. She has participated in numerous educational activities to improve her clinical knowledge and enhance her role performance on 7B, such as: “Leading at the Speed of Trust,” “VA 101,” “Face-to-Face Preceptor Training,” “Management of Alcohol Withdrawal,” “Advanced Cardiac Life Support,” “NIH Stroke Scale,” “Telemetry Training,” “The Camouflage Closet – LGBTQ Veterans,” “Nurse Lecture Series - Peripheral Nerve Catheter (Nerve Block),” “Golden Hour of Acute Ischemic Stroke,” “CABG/Chest Tube Management,” “Safe Patient Handling – Unit Peer Leader Training,” and “Management of Pain in Older Adults: Application of Symptom Management Framework to Improve Outcomes.” She has completed 52 Continuing Education Units in the last two years, more than three times the amount needed every two years to renew her license. She has succeeded in obtaining her Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Action: After attending a presentation on pressure ulcers and wound care products, she created a tool utilizing the “Standing Protocol for Basic Topical Wound Care” that describes the most common wounds seen on 7B, how to recognize each wound, and the treatment plans available at this hospital for each wound. After completing this tool, she included the hospital policy for standing protocol for basic wound care as part of the tool and educated the staff. Outcome: After conducting a survey, she found that 75% of the staff utilizes the tool at least once a week and 90% have stated it is a very helpful and easy tool to use. There are fewer delays in consultation and prevention measures and fewer errors are made in the types of wound dressings and in the identification of