Heart Failure Certificate Program
Effective management of patients with heart failure requires systematic, coordinated patient care management by prepared heart failure therapy providers. As the numbers of patients with heart failure increase, the need for advanced educational preparation in patient care management has emerged.
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Description of Program
This interactive Internet Certificate Program is a five-week, 40-hour continuing education program for nurses, pharmacists and physicians. Effective management of patients with heart failure requires systematic, coordinated patient care management by prepared heart failure therapy providers. This program focuses on the physiology and pathophysiology of heart failure, patient assessment and management, pharmacology of drugs used in the management of heart failure, nonpharmacologic treatment options, and patient education and program administrative procedures. The content has been reviewed by local and national experts.
Who Should Enroll in this Program
This program is designed for English-speaking nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and other health care practitioners who have, or want to prepare for, responsibility for monitoring and managing outpatient heart failure patients.
Program Curriculum
Instruction will include the following content:
- Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Cardiovascular System
- Patient assessment and management
- Applied Pharmacology and Management of Heart Failure
- Nonpharmacological and Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure
- Patient education, programs and outcomes.
Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of this continuing education program is to provide an opportunity for physicians, pharmacists, nurses and other healthcare professionals to increase their knowledge and expertise in managing patients with heart failure. At the conclusion of the program the participant will be able to:
- Describe the physiology and pathophysiology of heart failure.
- Discuss the clinical assessment and classifications of the patient with heart failure.
- Discuss the indications, dosing, adverse effects, and monitoring of drugs used to manage heart failure.
- Formulate effective teaching plans for the patients with heart failure.
- Discuss surgical and nonsurgical cardiac interventions for patients with heart failure.
- Describe the administrative/operational components important in providing a quality heart failure service.
Featuring an "Ask the Expert" Session
A member of the National Advisory Board will be available to answer your most challenging patient management issue during the course.
Course Schedule
This 5 week course is offered two times a year.
Offering dates for 2013: January 7 (registration deadline December 21) and September 23 (registration deadline September 6).
We reserve the right to cancel any offering due to insufficient enrollment. Registrants will be notified well in advance if this occurs.
For more information, call toll free 1-877-USI-HLTH (874-4584) or 812-461-5217 or e-mail heartfail@usi.edu.
Enrollment Cost
$500
Fee includes Internet instruction, handouts, and a comprehensive exam.
Refunds are available prior to the start of the program, less an
administrative fee and the cost of received course materials.
The textbook is not included in the cost of the program.
There is an additional $80 charge for pharmacists requesting contact hours. NOTE: Pharmacists requesting CEs must request them during registration.
Refund Policy
A $25 administrative fee will be charged prior to the start date of the course if
the registration fee has been paid.
On
or after the start date of the class there will be no refund.
To Register
Call toll free 1-877-USI-HLTH
(1-877-874-4584)
Instruction Methods
A combination of delivery methods are used to facilitate learner and faculty communication including:
Internet
Provides on-line instructor-prepared materials and course assignments. Internet resources are used as an integral part of the instruction.
Computer Conferencing
Allows learners to interact with faculty and other course participants.
Electronic Mail
Allows learners to freely interact on an individual or group level with other learners and faculty.
We recommend that you do not use your work e-mail address for taking this course. Many businesses, especially government agencies, utilize security firewalls. Communication from the instructor, the University, or other students may not get through and you will not see the message. We also do not recommend you use AOL, for similar reasons. AOL acounts include spam prevention-type filters and our communication with you may be filtered-out. We recommend you obtain a separate e-mail account for your course work. Yahoo.com and MSN.com offer free e-mail accounts.
Telephone Consultation
Faculty will be available by telephone to assist learners.
Computer Requirements and Suggestions
If using a personal computer, it is recommended that the computer have Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, or Mac OS X. For compatibility, you will want to have access to Microsoft Office 2010, Office 2007, or Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac, or Office 2008 for Mac. In some cases, Office Live may be sufficient. For some course content, you may also need Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player and/or Windows Media Player (Flip4Mac WMV Components for QuickTime). Additionally, a broadband Internet connection would be very beneficial; AOL is not recommended. Lastly, if your course uses the Blackboard e-Learning platform, you may wish to verify that you have a compatible web browser.
If your computer is more than 6 years old or does not meet the requirements for running one the above versions of Microsoft Office (Windows system requirements / Mac system requirements), you may want to consider purchasing a new computer.
Text
Information on the textbook will be forwarded upon registration. The cost of the text is not included in the registration fee.
Faculty
- Vickie Bush, MSN, FNP-C, BSN, RN, CHFN
- M. Jane Swartz, APRN, MSN
Delivery of Program Content
The program has five modules. Each module includes reading assignments, study questions, case studies, and test questions. Learners interact with practitioners and faculty who are expert in the area of heart failure therapy. A comprehensive examination will be administered at the end of the five-week program.
Why Enroll in an Interactive Internet Program?
The convenience of on-line instruction allows the participant to "attend" class at any hour or day of the week during the 5 week period. Participants will learn from experts in the area of heart failure management and have the opportunity to network with other course participants from across the country. Internet instruction provides an opportunity for personal interaction with course faculty while providing the comfort of learning in your own home or office.
Continuing Education Credits
A Continuing Education Certificate will be awarded following successful completion of study guide questions, an online comprehensive examination (with a passing score of 70% or higher), and submission of a course evaluation. Certificates will be mailed approximately 30 days after the completion of the course.
Nurses will receive 40 hours.
The University of Southern Indiana, College of Nursing and Health Professions is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
California nurses will receive 40 hours.
The University of Southern Indiana is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. Provider #13378.
The
Indiana Pharmacists Alliance is accredited by the Accreditation Council for
Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Participants
will receive 40 contact hours or 4.0 CEU's for successful completion of this
program. CE Statements of Credit will be distributed at the end of the
program and the program evaluation tool. ACPE Universal Program Number 0120-9999-13-204-H04-P.
Initial Release Date: 01/02/13. Expiration Date: 12/31/15. There is an additional $80 charge for pharmacists requesting contact hours. NOTE: Pharmacists requesting CEs must request them during registration. This is a knowledge-based program activity.
