Target audience: Inpatient and outpatient nurses, social workers, mental health professionals.

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge Based Practice and Four: Collaborative Practice

Course description: It's that time of year; not everyone is ready to be merry and celebrate. The winter season can be a difficult time for many people…holiday blues, stress, and depression. Come and learn about psychiatric and mental health issues that become evident during this time of year and how to help your patients survive the season.

Target audience: Inpatient and outpatient nurses; advanced practice nurses.

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge Based Practice and Four: Collaborative Practice

Course description: Interest in complementary and alternative therapies is growing and is here to stay! Approximately 38 percent of adults in the United States aged 18 years and over use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to a nationwide government survey. It is important that you are aware of what CAM your patients may be using as that may have an effect their healthcare management. Come and learn about alternative therapeutic options that you might be able to use with your patients. Don't get left behind! Complementary and alternative therapies are here to stay!

Target Audience: Health professionals, faculty and practitioners, post-doctoral fellows and others who are interested in writing a manuscript suitable for publishing.

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension One: Professional Responsibility.

This program is targeted to the tenured and tenure-track faculty in many university schools of nursing who are expected to write for publication and clinical practitioners and health professional educators who are interested in presenting innovative ideas in practice and education. This course will provide guidance in how to select the appropriate journal for submission and how to write the perfect introductory sentence. The process of writing and publishing will be presented along with keys to productivity to assist you in writing for publication!

Target Audience: Nurses.

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions Two and Four: Knowledge-Based Practice & Collaborative Practice

This course is intended to provide an introduction or a review for nurses who would like to feel more confident about their EKG interpretation skills. The instructor will provide detailed instructions for reading and interpreting EKG rhythm strips and an EKG pocket card and ruler. Participants will have the opportunity to practice and review the skills introduced in this course with an experienced, expert cardiac nurse.

Target Audience: Pediatric nurses, hospice and palliative care nurses, chaplains, social workers.

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions One. Two, Three and Four: Professional Responsibility, Knowledge-Based Practice, Legal/Ethical Practice, Collaboration

This conference will address pediatric end of life and palliative care issues with regard to improving quality care for children and their families. Various topics specific to provision of palliative and end of life will be discussed.

Target Audience: All nurses who are in practice, teach at any educational level, provide continuing education, and all interested Health Professionals

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions One, Two, and Four: Professional Responsibility, Knowledge-Based Practice, and Collaborative Practice

Nurses are practicing in a highly dynamic, technologically challenging world. Technological innovation can enhance your skills as an educator and practitioner. Learn from the experts how they are using the latest technology to educate and monitor patients, enhance patient safety, communicate professionally with colleagues, and to update their skills.

Target Audience: Nurses and Nurse Practitioners preparing to take the Oncology Nursing Certification Examination

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge Based Practice

Have you thought about taking the Oncology Nursing Certification exam? The Oncology Nursing Society believes that certification provides validation of the specialized knowledge and experience required for competent performance in the care of cancer patients and that certification provides employers with reassurance that they are hiring nurses who can provide the highest quality of care to patients with cancer. Register now for this course to help prepare you to take the certification examination!

Target Audience: Perinatal nurses, ambulatory/primary care nurses, neonatal nurses, diabetes educators

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge Based Practice

Caring for pregnant women with diabetes can be challenging as we strive to deliver optimal care which will result in improved outcomes. Come and learn the latest in the management of diabetes and pregnancy!

Target Audience:Inpatient and outpatient nurses

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge Based Practice

This program will provide the most current information regarding evidence-based pharmacological therapy for health maintenance and treatment including: interpretation of laboratory tests in the selection and dosing of specific drug therapies, identification of appropriate drug selection, route, dose, side effects, possible drug interactions and factors that may affect patient medication adherence

Target Audience: Nurses, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions Two and Four: Knowledge-Based Practice and Collaborative Practice

This one-day interactive class is designed for healthcare providers who are required to be competent in 12 lead EKG interpretation. Case studies of 12 lead EKGs will be reviewed to enhance application into the clinical setting. Knowledge of basic EKG rhythms is encouraged as a pre-requisite.

Target Audience: Nurses in Hospital Practice, Home Health or Long Term Care

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions One, Two, Three and Four: Professional Responsibility, Knowledge-Based Practice, Legal/Ethical Practice, and Collaborative Practice

The Joint Commission's Core Measures describe how our actions will be guided as we work toward provision of quality care. This program examines evidence-based process-of-care practices for the latest core measures including lateral violence. It analyzes relationships between core performance measurement data and perceptions about their value, actions taken, and the impact of interventions.

Target Audience: Inpatient and outpatient nurses caring for patients at the end of life, social workers, and chaplains

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions Two, Three, and Four: Knowledge- Based Practice, Legal Ethical Practice, and Collaborative Practice

Families and those facing the end of life have a broad range of physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and practical needs. Families and individuals nearing the end of life need to be should be provided with compassionate therapies to comfort and support them at this difficult time. This conference will focus on providing an understanding of issues and challenges for improving care at the end of life.

Target Audience: Perinatal Nurses, Nurse Midwives, Childbirth Educators

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge- Based Practice

Evidence-based maternity care involves the use of the best available research on the safety and effectiveness of specific practices to help guide clinical practice and facilitate optimal outcomes in mothers and newborns. Come and learn the latest in evidence-based maternity care!

Target Audience: Home Health, Primary Care, Ambulatory Care Nurses, Social Workers, PT and OT

NC BON Continuing Competence: TThis program helps meet Dimensions Two and Four: Knowledge-Based Practice and Collaborative Practice

Patients are living longer with hemophilia, sickle cell, the thalassemia and other blood disorders, thus challenging them to face increasingly potential disabilities as they age. Home health, primary care and ambulatory care nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers and physical and occupational therapist can benefit from hearing from an established interprofessional team about the latest treatments and therapies to help patients live longer and fuller lives. Help patients manage weight gain, exercise regimes and chronic joint pain.

Target Audience: Nurses, Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions Two and Four: Knowledge-Based Practice and Collaborative Practice

Nurses, Advanced Practice Nurses, and other health care professionals are encouraged to attend a clinical update on HIV. HIV positive status is being viewed by some patients as a treatable chronic condition. In 2006 in the US, almost three quarters of HIV/AIDS diagnoses among adolescents and adults were for males. HIV Prevention, treatment and education remain the best hope for stemming the transmission of deadly infection. Come and learn from the experts the latest screening, testing and treatment guidelines.

Target Audience: PACU and ambulatory surgery nurses

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions One, Two, and Three: Professional Responsibility, Knowledge-Based Practice, and Legal/Ethical Practice

It's time again for the 21st Annual PACU and Ambulatory Surgery Conference! Join us for this year's conference which is packed with information that will be of interest to PACU and Ambulatory Surgery nurses. Infection control is an important and timely topic not only to prevent post operative complications, but also because of the additional financial and reimbursement implications related to hospital acquired infections. What is the best way to address the needs and concerns of health care consumers? Could you use some tips on interacting with your patients? Do you have questions or concerns regarding nursing practice? You will be provided with information you can use in your practice.

Target Audience: Nurses, Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions One, Two, and Three: Professional Responsibility, Knowledge-Based Practice, and Legal/Ethical Practice

Abuse of prescription drugs, alcohol, illegal drugs and tobacco use is threatening the lives of adolescents and adults in the US at an alarming rate. Receive guidance on addressing suicidal thoughts and behaviors in substance abuse treatment. Hear from the experts about evidence based, culturally appropriate prevention and treatment programs which have found to be effective in both community and clinical settings. Research has shown that persistent health care provider's reminders can make a critical difference in behavior change.

Target Audience: Inpatient and Outpatient Nurses who practice involves care of patients with autoimmune diseases

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge-Based Practice

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates up to 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease and that the prevalence is rising. There are more than 80 different autoimmune diseases and possibly 40 additional diseases that have an autoimmune basis. These diseases are chronic and can be life-threatening. Diagnosis and treatment can be challenging! Come and learn more about autoimmune diseases and how you can help your patients improve their quality of life!

Target Audience: Nurses caring for patient experiences heart failure

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge-Based Practice

An estimated 5.7 million Americans are living with heart failure, and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Are you familiar with the 2009 Focused Update: ACCF/AHA Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure in Adults? This conference will incorporate current standards of care in the management of heart failure. Be sure that the care you are providing to your heart failure patients is based on the latest information!

Target Audience: Nurses who provide health care to women

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge Based Practice

Women's health is often very different from men's health. Not just in the obvious ways, but also in how frequently conditions occur and how they present and are treated. This program will provide an update on health issues for women.

Target Audience: Nurses practicing in any arena

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet the NCBON Competency Dimensions One and Three: Professional Responsibility and Legal/Ethical Practice

All nurses can be called to a provide testimony about their professional actions and judgments. In this course you will learn how to protect yourself and your patients using electronic medical records effectively and efficiently and about the realities of the Good Samaritan Act and how it should determine your decision making in non clinical situations. Make risk managers your allies in providing safe patient care!

Target Audience: Inpatient and Outpatient Nurses

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge-Based Practice

This conference is designed to provide cutting edge information on pain management issues. Come and learn about the latest in treatment modalities and current research related to pain management.

Target Audience: Inpatient/outpatient nurses, public health nurses, camp nurses, and school nurses.

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge-Based Practice

Now is the time to get ready for a safe and healthy summer! The days are getting warmer. The time is right for a cool dip in the pool, hike in the woods and fun in the sun. But… before you pack your picnic and leave winter behind, be sure you know how to deal with those summer bad bugs and other summer health issues!

Target Audience: All Healthcare Professionals

NC BON Continuing Competence: TThis program helps meet Dimensions One, Two, Three and Four: Professional Responsibility, Knowledge-Based Practice, Legal/Ethical Practice, and Collaborative Practice

This inter-professional conference will address the appropriate identification and communication of environmental risks to patients, the principles of toxicology and the preventive and intervention tools available to health care professions to protect their patients. Areas of special consideration include asthma, lead in schools and environmental health and safety in the hospital setting for patients and health care providers.

Target Audience: Nurses and other health care providers involved in geriatric care

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge-Based Practice

This conference will explore the challenges of caring for the growing number of geriatric patients. The latest information on clinical care, research on aging, and innovative models of care delivery will be presented so that participants will be prepared to provide optimal nursing care to meet the health care needs of older adults

Target Audience: Nurses, Advanced Practice Nurses, Physician Assistants, MDs, Social Workers and Law Enforcement

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimensions One, Two, Three and Four: Professional Responsibility, Knowledge-Based Practice, Legal/Ethical Practice, and Collaborative Practice

This two day conference will provide both a foundation and further professional expertise in the areas of evaluation, reporting, investigation and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Interprofessional cooperation and exchange of critical information are key to the appropriate and timely referral and care of abused children. A team approach with nurses, physicians, NPs, PAs, social workers and law enforcement working together to learn about all the legal issues surrounding child abuse and neglect.

Target Audience: Students are expected to be Registered Nurses and provide their own stethoscope with bell and diaphragm.

In this 8-day course nurses will learn to gather data from the health history and physical examination of adults, to refine their basic skills, and to perform a complete adult physical assessment. Differences and implications for assessment of the child and older adult will be integrated in a limited fashion throughout the course. In each system, a representative selection of abnormal findings will be discussed; however this course does not provide advanced skills in health assessment and diagnostic reasoning. The unique aspect of this course is the guidance provided in obtaining an accurate history and the demonstration and supervised return demonstration of the physical exam process with a partner.

Program Schedule: Registration begins at 8:00 am May 15, 2009. Program begins at 8:30am and concludes at 4:30pm. Course continues May 18, 19, 25, 26, June 1 9:00-4:00, June 2, 8:00am to 5:00pm. If more than 50 students register for the course, a second lab from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm will be opened.

Required Text: Seidel, H. M., Ball, J.W., Dains, J.E., Benedict, G.W. (2006) Mosby's Guide to Physical Examination (6th Ed.) Books can be purchased online or by phone at the UNC Health Affairs Bookstore.

Target Audience: Inpatient and outpatient nurses and other psychiatric mental health care providers.

NC BON Continuing Competence: This program helps meet Dimension Two: Knowledge-Based Practice

It's our annual spring psychiatric mental health conference! Come join your colleagues and interact with experts as we explore current trends and challenges in psychiatric mental health care.