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Continuing Education
Coming Soon
CE Emergency Trauma Nursing
The course teaches emergency and trauma nurses systematic triage, primary/secondary survey, massive transfusion, stroke code, and STEMI protocols, enabling rapid, evidence‑based assessment and stabilization of critically ill patients.
Who Should Take This
Registered nurses working in emergency departments or trauma centers who regularly perform triage, resuscitation, and acute care should enroll. Ideal participants have at least one year of bedside experience and seek to sharpen decision‑making and protocol mastery for high‑acuity scenarios.
What's Included in AccelaStudy® AI
Adaptive Knowledge Graph
Practice Questions
Lesson Modules
Console Simulator Labs
Exam Tips & Strategy
20 Activity Formats
Course Outline
65 learning goals
1
Triage Systems
2 topics
ESI triage
- Identify the five levels of the Emergency Severity Index triage system and describe clinical decision points for assigning each ESI level.
- Explain the ESI algorithm including immediate life threat assessment, high-risk situation identification, and expected resource utilization prediction methodology.
- Describe triage documentation requirements including chief complaint, acuity level assignment, vital signs, allergies, medications, and reassessment timing.
Special populations and reassessment
- Describe triage modifications for pediatric, geriatric, pregnant, and behavioral health patients requiring adapted assessment approaches and acuity considerations.
- Explain uptriage and downtriage decision-making including reassessment triggers, condition change indicators, and documentation of triage level modifications.
- Analyze complex patient presentations to assign appropriate ESI triage levels and prioritize care in a crowded emergency department with limited resources.
2
Primary and Secondary Survey
2 topics
Primary survey ABCDE
- Identify primary survey components including Airway with cervical spine protection, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, and Exposure with critical interventions.
- Explain airway assessment and management including jaw thrust, chin lift, OPA, NPA, suctioning, and preparation for rapid sequence intubation.
- Describe circulation assessment including hemorrhage control with direct pressure, tourniquets, pelvic binders, and IV or IO fluid resuscitation initiation.
- Explain Glasgow Coma Scale scoring including eye opening, verbal response, and motor response components with scoring interpretation and trending significance.
- Analyze primary survey findings in multi-system trauma to prioritize life-threatening conditions and determine immediate intervention sequence using ABCDE framework.
- Describe trauma team activation criteria, role assignments during resuscitation, and closed-loop communication requirements during trauma resuscitation.
Secondary survey
- Describe secondary survey head-to-toe assessment including SAMPLE history, injury pattern recognition, and systematic examination for occult injuries.
- Explain FAST examination purpose and the nurse's role in facilitating focused assessment with sonography for trauma including positioning and documentation.
- Identify injury patterns associated with specific mechanisms including motor vehicle collisions, falls, penetrating trauma, and blast injuries with expected injuries.
3
Massive Transfusion Protocols
1 topic
MTP management
- Identify indications for massive transfusion protocol activation including blood consumption score, shock index calculation, and clinical hemorrhage indicators.
- Explain balanced resuscitation using 1:1:1 ratio of packed RBCs, FFP, and platelets and describe whole blood alternatives in massive hemorrhage management.
- Describe nursing responsibilities during MTP including rapid infuser setup, blood product verification, calcium replacement, hypothermia prevention, and lab monitoring.
- Identify transfusion reactions including acute hemolytic, febrile, allergic, anaphylactic, and TRALI with immediate nursing interventions for each type.
- Analyze massive hemorrhage scenarios to determine MTP activation, monitor the lethal triad of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy, and guide resuscitation endpoints.
4
Stroke Code
1 topic
Stroke assessment and treatment
- Identify stroke recognition tools including FAST, BE-FAST, and Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale with assessment components and scoring criteria.
- Describe stroke code activation including last known well time determination, NIHSS administration, emergent imaging protocols, and door-to-needle time targets.
- Explain thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke including alteplase eligibility criteria, dosing calculations, infusion monitoring, and post-administration neurological checks.
- Describe post-stroke nursing management including blood pressure parameters, dysphagia screening before oral intake, DVT prophylaxis, and hemorrhagic transformation monitoring.
- Analyze stroke presentations to differentiate ischemic from hemorrhagic stroke and determine thrombolytic eligibility based on time window and contraindication assessment.
- Describe mechanical thrombectomy eligibility including large vessel occlusion identification, extended time window criteria, and nursing preparation for neurointerventional procedures.
5
STEMI Protocols
1 topic
STEMI management
- Identify STEMI criteria on 12-lead ECG including ST elevation by coronary territory, reciprocal changes, and STEMI equivalents requiring emergent intervention.
- Describe STEMI activation process including ECG acquisition within 10 minutes, cardiology notification, cath lab activation, and door-to-balloon time targets.
- Explain initial STEMI pharmacotherapy including aspirin, P2Y12 inhibitors, anticoagulation, nitroglycerin, and morphine risk-benefit considerations.
- Describe post-PCI nursing care including access site monitoring, dual antiplatelet therapy management, reperfusion dysrhythmia recognition, and patient education.
- Analyze acute chest pain presentations to differentiate STEMI from NSTEMI, unstable angina, and non-cardiac causes and determine emergency management priorities.
6
Disaster Preparedness
1 topic
Disaster response
- Identify types of disasters including natural, technological, and man-made and describe hospital incident command system structure and nursing role assignments.
- Describe mass casualty triage systems including START, JumpSTART for pediatrics, and SALT with color-coded categorization algorithms and decision criteria.
- Explain surge capacity planning including staff callbacks, space conversion protocols, supply stockpiling, and altered standards of care during mass casualty events.
- Describe decontamination procedures for chemical, biological, and radiological exposures including PPE levels, decon zones, and patient flow management.
- Analyze mass casualty scenarios to apply START triage, allocate limited resources ethically, and make decisions under altered standards of care.
7
Trauma-Specific Injuries
2 topics
Chest and abdominal trauma
- Identify life-threatening chest injuries including tension pneumothorax, open pneumothorax, massive hemothorax, flail chest, and cardiac tamponade with clinical signs.
- Describe chest tube insertion assistance and management including drainage system monitoring, water seal assessment, air leak detection, and removal criteria.
- Explain abdominal trauma assessment including peritonitis signs, retroperitoneal hemorrhage indicators, serial abdominal exams, and emergent laparotomy preparation.
Orthopedic and spinal injuries
- Describe spinal immobilization principles including cervical spine precautions, log-roll technique, spinal motion restriction, clearance criteria, and neurogenic shock signs.
- Identify compartment syndrome signs including the six Ps, intracompartmental pressure significance, and the urgency of fasciotomy for limb salvage.
- Analyze complex multi-system trauma presentations to prioritize assessment and interventions using primary survey framework and damage control principles.
8
Sepsis Recognition
1 topic
Sepsis screening and bundles
- Identify Sepsis-3 definitions including qSOFA scoring, organ dysfunction criteria, and SOFA score components for sepsis identification in emergency settings.
- Describe the one-hour sepsis bundle including lactate measurement, blood cultures prior to antibiotics, broad-spectrum antibiotic administration, and fluid bolus initiation.
- Explain sepsis-related hemodynamic management including fluid responsiveness assessment, vasopressor initiation criteria, and MAP target goals.
- Analyze sepsis screening data and clinical trajectories to identify patients progressing from sepsis to septic shock and escalate care appropriately.
- Synthesize a sepsis early detection and rapid response program incorporating nurse-driven screening, automated alert systems, and bundle compliance monitoring.
9
Emergency Procedures and Skills
2 topics
Procedural competencies
- Describe emergency procedural skills including peripheral IV insertion, IO access, chest needle decompression assistance, wound management, and splinting techniques.
- Explain point-of-care testing in the ED including troponin, BNP, lactate, blood gas, D-dimer, and coagulation studies with clinical decision-making implications.
- Describe targeted temperature management for post-cardiac arrest patients including cooling methods, target temperatures, monitoring parameters, and rewarming protocols.
Forensic and documentation
- Explain forensic nursing considerations including evidence preservation, chain of custody documentation, sexual assault evidence collection, and legal proceeding preparation.
- Describe emergency nursing documentation standards including timed entries, intervention documentation, reassessment frequency, and handoff communication requirements.
10
Behavioral Emergencies in ED
1 topic
Psychiatric presentations
- Identify common behavioral emergencies in the ED including suicidal ideation, acute psychosis, agitation, substance intoxication, and withdrawal syndromes.
- Describe de-escalation and safety strategies for ED behavioral emergencies including environmental safety, verbal intervention techniques, and chemical sedation protocols.
- Analyze ED presentations to differentiate medical from psychiatric causes of altered mental status and determine appropriate medical clearance evaluation requirements.
- Synthesize a comprehensive emergency nursing competency program covering triage, trauma survey, time-sensitive protocols, disaster response, and behavioral emergency management.
11
Burns and Environmental Emergencies
1 topic
Burn and environmental emergency management
- Identify burn classification by depth including superficial, partial thickness, and full thickness with total body surface area estimation using the Rule of Nines.
- Describe initial burn management including airway assessment for inhalation injury, Parkland formula fluid resuscitation calculation, wound care, and pain management.
- Explain environmental emergency assessment and management including hypothermia rewarming protocols, heat stroke cooling strategies, and drowning resuscitation priorities.
- Describe toxicological emergencies including common poisoning presentations, antidote administration, decontamination methods, and poison control center utilization.
- Analyze burn and environmental emergency scenarios to determine resuscitation priorities, transfer criteria to burn centers, and appropriate initial stabilization interventions.
12
Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation
1 topic
Cardiac arrest management
- Identify cardiac arrest rhythms including ventricular fibrillation, pulseless ventricular tachycardia, PEA, and asystole with their corresponding ACLS treatment algorithms.
- Describe high-performance CPR principles including chest compression depth, rate, recoil, minimized interruptions, and team-based resuscitation role assignments.
- Explain post-cardiac arrest care including hemodynamic optimization, neuroprognostication timing, targeted temperature management, and family communication during resuscitation.
- Analyze cardiac arrest scenarios to determine appropriate rhythm-specific interventions, medication administration timing, and resuscitation termination criteria.
Scope
Included Topics
- ESI triage system including five-level classification, algorithm, and special population modifications.
- Primary and secondary trauma survey with ABCDE approach, GCS, FAST examination, and injury pattern recognition.
- Massive transfusion protocols including balanced resuscitation, nursing responsibilities, and transfusion reaction management.
- Stroke code management including recognition tools, NIHSS, thrombolytic therapy, and post-stroke nursing care.
- STEMI protocols including ECG recognition, door-to-balloon targets, pharmacotherapy, and post-PCI management.
- Disaster preparedness including HICS, mass casualty triage, surge capacity, and decontamination procedures.
- Trauma-specific injuries including chest, abdominal, orthopedic, and spinal trauma assessment and management.
- Sepsis recognition using Sepsis-3 criteria, sepsis bundles, and hemodynamic management principles.
- Emergency procedural skills, point-of-care testing, and post-cardiac arrest targeted temperature management.
- Behavioral emergencies in the ED including psychiatric presentations, medical clearance, and safety strategies.
Not Covered
- Advanced trauma surgery or interventional radiology beyond nursing assessment and preparation.
- Prehospital EMS or paramedic-level protocols beyond ED receiving nurse responsibilities.
- Pediatric emergency nursing covered in the separate pediatric nursing CE domain.
- Critical care nursing beyond initial ED stabilization and resuscitation.
- Emergency medicine residency-level pharmacology beyond standard nursing medication administration.
CE Emergency Trauma Nursing is coming soon
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