Med-Surg Nursing Overview and Certification Review Preparing for Certification Saturday and Sunday, August 22-23 2009 Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Burtness Auditorium    Download Registration form (WORD doc)

This two-day course is an overview of interventions that medical-surgical nurses use to promote quality of life for their clients. Using the nursing process to enhance physical and psychological well-being in clients and their significant others is inherent in the role of the medical-surgical nurse. Taking this course will provide those taking the medical-surgical certification exam with information necessary for success and will include practice exam questions. For those not taking the test, the course provides an excellent review of the body systems and nursing interventions used as well as objective and subjective data to gather. At the end of this program, participants will be able to: Describe techniques for preparing for a Medical-Surgical Certification exam. Relate the pathophysiologic basis of various disease states to the nursing assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation necessary. Identify outcome criteria and evaluative criteria used by nurses to determine effectiveness of nursing care of various Medical-Surgical patients. Outline the legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities inherent in being a Medical-Surgical nurse caring for a variety of patients.     Program Saturday, August 22 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (lunch provided) Topics Covered Include: Test Taking Tips Fluid and Electrolytes Immune System Pain Cancer Post-Op Nutrition Gastrointestinal Respiratory Hematology Sunday, August 23 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (lunch provided) Topics Covered Include: Cardiovascular Diabetes Endocrine Genitourinary Renal Musculoskeletal Neurologic Integumentary Nursing Practice Issues       Faculty Betty Jo Ernst, APRN BC, CMSRN has over twenty years of clinical experience in the Adult Health areas of ICU, ED, Recovery and Med-Surg. She received her BSN in 1984 from Texas Christian University and her MSN in Adult Health and Illness from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. She has held teaching positions in both university associated and community hospitals. She is currently the Clinical Outcomes Manager for Heart Failure at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, MO. She has lectured on numerous topics in Med-Surg nursing, and is known for her enthusiasm and approachable style.

Preregistration is required. Cottage Health System (CHS) employees and travelers: Register via Healthstream     Employees: $100 deposit (forfeited if no-show)       Travelers:  $200 (due upon registration)   Non-CHS employees:  Complete the registration form     $250 (include with registration form)