Welcome to Ortho STRONG!

Thank you so much for your purchase. I hope you enjoy this course as much as we enjoyed compiling it for you. This course is taught mainly by Elizabeth but also by Kati as well. Our reviewer is Jeannie Cisney, MSN RN CCRN. You can learn more about the team here.

This course is for you if you:

• Are a nursing student wanting to get ahead in orthopedic clinical
• Are an experienced nurse who regularly floats to ortho, and you want to deepen your knowledge of the specialty
• A new grad nurse just hired onto an orthopedics unit
• An experienced nurse hired onto an orthopedics unit
• A preceptor on an orthopedics unit looking for something to prepare your preceptees, and step up your game as well
• A nurse manager or educator looking for some resources to support your acute care ortho nurses
• You just want to learn more about acute care orthopedic nursing
• You enjoy learning online at your own pace

This course is not for you if:

• You're looking for NCLEX® review material or questions
• You're looking for study material for the ortho certification exam
• You're working in outpatient orthopedics and want more information on outpatient ortho procedures
• You hate online courses

Our goal as educators

We aimed to take all the information we wished new ortho nurses knew before their first day. This is not highly advanced, certification-level information. This is not NCLEX®-crafted textbook information. While the textbook explanation is helpful, it is based on the ideal world. And while we should always strive for the ideal, reality rarely aligns with this aspiration. We will teach you how to function safely and confidently in that uncomfortable space between ideal and real. 

This is for the nurse new to ortho patient care. We want to empower you with foundational ortho knowledge and how to handle some really complex situations you’ll find yourself in with care and confidence. We want you to get your feet wet in ortho and know the significant information necessary to safely care for your patients without having to navigate information overload. 

Know that merely reading this information will not make you a fantastic ortho nurse. We aim not to transfer information to you but to facilitate experiential learning. You’ll need to get your reps in with patient exams, physically see what we’re teaching you about at the bedside, try out different talking points, manage medications, and so forth. Therefore, we encourage you to review the entire course and revisit modules as needed. (Remember, you’ve got lifetime access, and there is no limit to the number of logins or plays.)

Also, you'll notice that we don't discuss every single ortho surgery out there. Why? Well, this course is specifically for those working in acute care orthopedics. Many ortho surgeries do not require inpatient care after surgery. Many are discharged home directly after surgery. Therefore, we are focused solely on the surgeries requiring inpatient stays post-operatively.

What ultimately guides your practice

The education contained in this course is meant to supplement, not replace, your existing knowledge. It is for informational purposes only. Always refer to your organization's policies and procedures, Nursing State Practice Act, standards of care, and the American Nurses Association's Code of Ethics to guide your practice, as their information will supersede anything you learn here. 

The views expressed are of the authors and/or contributors and do not reflect the views of any current or former employers.

Any professional recommendations or statements are based upon opinion, and actions taken are of your own free will. Should you choose to take action based on content read in this course, you do so at your own risk and agree to hold the author and/or contributor(s) harmless.

While this information may apply to healthcare settings worldwide, the content has been created specifically with the newly licensed nurses practicing in acute care in the United States of America. Laws and governing bodies differ widely throughout the world, and this content does not attempt to comply with anything outside of the rules, regulations, and standards set forth by the governing bodies of the author (Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, Illinois Nurse Practice Act, Illinois Board of Nursing, National Council of State Boards of Nursing).

How to use this course

Each module has a video or audio component, as well as text. The audio file is me (Kati) reading through the text provided to accommodate those of you who prefer to hear rather than read. We encourage you to listen to modules that may be confusing or difficult to comprehend repeatedly. Repetition is very helpful and can help you cement this information into your memory. 

Modules have images, videos, and downloads as well. Please download and print the PDFs, as they were meant for that purpose. Download the cheat sheets and keep them with you at work by storing them on your clipboard with your report sheets. 

As you complete a module, make sure you mark it as COMPLETE. You cannot claim the contact hours unless all are marked as complete, so doing it as you go is helpful.

Continuing education credits

This course is eligible for 5.2 approved nursing contact hours.

The Ohio Nurses Association, an Ohio Board of Nursing Approver, approved this continuing education activity. (OBN-001-91).

None of the planners or presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose with ineligible companies except for presenter Kati Kleber, who sponsored a blog post and podcast episode with Eko Littman CORE stethoscopes. All of the relevant financial relationships listed for this individual have been mitigated.

The expiration date for this learning activity is December 14, 2025.

If you are unsure if your state board of nursing will accept these credits, it is the learner's responsibility to ensure they will. Refunds cannot be issued after 14 days - no exceptions.

To obtain continuing education credits, each participant must complete the entire course and pass the quiz with a score of 80% at the conclusion of the course. This means that every module must be marked “complete.” You must get an 80% on the quiz to pass, and there is no limit to the number of times you take the quiz. The rationales for the correct answers are provided in the final module, but please do not read through them until after the test. Honor system here, nurses!

We would love your feedback on how effective our teaching style was, the relevancy of the content, and how it specifically helped you grow as an ortho nurse! You can submit feedback as a comment in that module, as well as submit an email to [email protected].

Once all modules are marked complete, and you take the post-test, you will receive a PDF you may print as proof. Please download and print that certificate for your records.

Please note if you request a refund, it will not be issued if you have already claimed your continuing education credits.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The planners and faculty have declared no conflict of interest.

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT/SPONSORSHIP

There is no commercial support or sponsorship for this event.

SPONSORSHIP

There is no commercial support for this event.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION

Criteria for successful completion include affording a reasonable effort to complete all modules and submission of a completed quiz with a score ≥80%.

Objectives

After completion of this activity, learners will be able to:

1. Define compartment syndrome, describe patients at an increased risk for the complication, and state at least three symptoms of limb compartment syndrome.
2. Discuss why post-operative orthopedic surgery patients are at risk for myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and/or arrhythmias. Discuss at least methods to troubleshoot differentiating between an actual cardiac event versus anxiety or gastrointestinal complications.
3. Discuss the pros and cons of the anterior total hip replacement approach versus the posterior total hip replacement approach, and discuss how post-operative nursing care differs between the two approaches.

Refund Policy

What’s the refund policy?

To obtain a refund, the following criteria must be met:

• It must be requested and issued within 14 days of purchase (please allow 2-3 business days for refunds to be processed)
• The continuing education credits have not been claimed
  

You do not need to provide a reason why you'd like a refund, although we greatly appreciate that feedback so we can know where we missed the mark! To obtain the refund, email us at [email protected] and let us know. We'll check to ensure the purchase is still eligible for a refund and get it processed STAT! Please allow 2-3 business days for us to process the refund.

Ownership

Copyright © 2023 Kleber Media LLC, all rights reserved.

Re-purposes or transmission in any form is not permitted without written permission of Kati Kleber and Kleber Media LLC. For inquiries or to report unauthorized use, please email the course administrator at [email protected].

All images have been either created and copyrighted by the author(s), purchased from Adobe Stock images, or are of use under Creative Commons and credited appropriately. Photos taken by the author, Elizabeth Fields, are also copyright protected, taken, and shared with the written and verbal permission of the patient. They may not be downloaded and used without written consent.

Patient Privacy

Throughout the course, examples are provided from the experience of the author and/or contributor. In these instances, identifying details of those involved have been changed to protect their privacy and remain compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.

Sources & Content Updates

Please note that much of this information stems from the authors' expertise. Sources are cited within the text and in the references module at the conclusion of the course. Every possible effort is made to ensure these remain up to date. However, should a link no longer work, or if newer information, evidence, or best practices exist, please notify the FreshRN® team administrator at [email protected] to ensure it is appropriately updated.

Should any updates or content be added, there will be no additional charge to existing students. Once purchased, this includes lifetime access, which includes all subsequent updates.

Owner of FreshRN®

Kati Kleber is the owner of FreshRN®, its website, podcast, courses, and related books. She is the author of the website and host of the podcast.