Contact Hours Awarded: 4

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is a rapidly progressive and often fatal condition with a mortality of >50%. ARDS is encountered by nurses in all hospitals settings- from small rural hospitals to large urban centers. Patients may quickly become too unstable for transport, therefore it is imperative that nurses are familiar with ARDS therapies, including prone positioning. In this module we will discuss ARDS and the use of prone positioning in depth.

Course outline:

1. What is ARDS, and Why Do We Care So Much?
2. Pathophysiology Breakdown: The Exudative Phase
3. Pathophysiology Breakdown: The Proliferative Phase
4. Pathophysiology Breakdown: The Fibrotic Stage
5. How Steroids Can Alter the Progression of ARDS
6. Case Study: Patient Introduction
7. Case Study: Physical Exam
8. Diagnosing ARDS – The Berlin Criteria
9. Case Study: Early Results
10. What Do We Do With the Ventilator in ARDS?: ARDSNet Protocol
11. Part I: Ventilator Setup and Management
12. Part II: Weaning
13. Case Study: Ventilator Management
14. Prone Positioning: What Is It and Why Are We Doing It?
15. When To Initiate Prone Positioning
16. Prone Positioning: How Long and How It’s Done
17. Proning: The Process of Placing a Patient in Prone Position
18. Case Study: Proning
19. Case Study: Resolution
20. References (Bibliography)

Accreditation statement: Nursing CE Central is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.