University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Center for Professional
Development
Continuing Nursing Education Certificate Programs
Created for the adult learner seeking professional growth or a new practice focus
PENN Nursing has a new and exciting initiative to expand your knowledge base and enhance your professional growth. Earn a certificate of completion in a continuing nursing education “Specialty.” Completion of these continuing nursing education programs will provide you a broader preparation and flexibility in your choice of career opportunities.
To earn a Continuing Nursing Education Certificate the required courses
in each program must be successfully completed.
Options:
To attain a continuing education certificate of completion all required courses must be successfully completed in the “Specialty,” however individual course can be taken as desired for continuing nursing education credit but will not receive a course certificate.
Continuing Education Course - Current Topics in Pain
If you are a health care provider (nurse, physician, spiritual care or social worker) practicing in the area with patients who could benefit from knowledgeable approaches to palliative care, possibly new to the area of a palliative care, or currently caring for a family member and would like to gain more information about the practice of palliative care, this evidence based continuing education certificate is for you.
A multidisciplinary clinical focused approach is taken with opportunity for clinical conversation and real world experiences. Leading experts in the field will present a variety evidenced based topics.
Fee: Individual course @ $ 899.00 each
Credit: In order to receive nursing contact hour credit on-time attendance of 85% of the class is required and successful completion of selected course assignments.
Spring 2008
º Course: NUCE 536 Current Topics in Pain
This course focuses on biopsychosocial aspects of the pain experience and interpatient differences and how these form the basis for understanding pain perception, physiological and behavioral reactions and response to pain interventions. Content includes an integrated overview of the neurobiology of pain, measurement pain, pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches for acute and chronic pain syndromes, health policy and care delivery models for improving pain assessment and management. Peripheral processing, neuroanatomical pathways and central integrating mechanisms involved in nociception and pain are examined. The roles of individual biochemical mediators, neurotransmitters and neuromodulators are examined and linked to the effectiveness of pharmacological and alternative methods for pain control. The challenges of pain assessment and pain management in special clinical populations are considered. Relevant topics of special interest to course participants will be introduced for class discussion in the form of student presentations.
Description:
Pain is a complex, multidimensional experience with sensory, affective, cognitive, behavioral and sociocultural components which are influenced by a host of biopsychosocial factors. Safe and effective pain management requires an interdisciplinary approach based on sound rational therapeutics, which is grounded in the understanding of the neurobiology of pain and the scientific principles underlying various treatment options for the relief of pain. This course provides a theoretical and clinical practice framework for developing a working knowledge of the neural and biochemical mechanisms underlying acute and chronic pain. A review of major pain theories, models and paradigms will provide a historical perspective on the evolution and revolution of pain research. Interdisciplinary clinical interventions for effective pain management will be presented, with a focus on the nursing role.
Required Reference:
Pain: Current understanding of assessment, management, and treatments.
National Pharmaceutical Council, Inc. and Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations Monograph. December, 2001.
Date: 13 Week Course 1/28/08 - 4/28/08
Time: Monday-
Credit: Register: Registration Information
Location: School of Nursing Room TBA
Instructor: Rosemary C. Polomano, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Professor of Pain Practice
Dr. Polomano is currently an Associate Professor of Pain Practice at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and a Clinician Educator at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She has extensive clinical experience in both the management of acute and chronic pain. Dr. Polomano has taken part in many national pain management initiatives and research on pain assessment, validating instruments to measure pain, patient satisfaction with pain, and types of pain (neuropathic, postoperative, and cancer-related pain) and lectures throughout the country on these topics. Active with professional publications, Dr. Polomano has published research articles, clinical reviews and book chapters on pain-related topics. She is a member of several professional organizations and advisory boards created to set national agendas for pain management. She is a reviewer for several peer review pain journals and serves on an NIH study section reviewing grants on development and testing of new analgesic agents and innovations in pain technology.
Register Here: Download Registration Form
Please fax to 215-573-9103
Information Janet Tomcavage 215-898-4522