When nurses have in-depth knowledge to manage complex trauma cases and can anticipate injury patterns with the appropriate interventions, they are more confident when caring for patients with severe injuries.
The Emergency Nurses Association recently launched the Trauma Nursing Advanced Course designed to equip nurses with the critical thinking and additional knowledge they need to strengthen their expertise.
TNAC is available for emergency, trauma and critical care nurses already experienced in trauma care who are seeking advanced knowledge in trauma management.
"Many times, severe injuries in the ED can require an advanced level of care," said ENA President Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC. "TNAC is able to provide experienced trauma care nurses with the higher-level critical thinking and clinical skills necessary to take care of complex trauma patients with skill, precision and confidence."
Prior to enrolling in TNAC, nurses must have a current Trauma Nursing Core Course verification after taking an 8th or 9th edition course. Nurses completing TNAC receive 25 contact hours and a four-year verification demonstrating expertise in advanced trauma care.
TNAC follows a 3-4 week learning flow, with online modules; in-person or virtual classroom sessions; and a final in-person simulation experience. The course covers a wide range of advanced trauma topics, including critical thinking and clinical decision-making, physiologic response to trauma and shock, massive transfusion and hemodynamic management, neurological trauma and more.
A study done by ENA researchers identified elements of an advanced trauma nursing program for the emergency department and defined advanced trauma nursing practice education curriculum for emergency department nurses. The results of this study served as the foundation for the content to be included in TNAC.
"ENA is proud to have a team of researchers dedicated to improving emergency nursing care and education for nurses so they can provide the best patient care possible," said Oglesby. "Watching TNAC come to fruition has been exciting as ENA is the only nursing association that develops and delivers its own research."
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