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Disciplines:
  • Nursing
  • Advanced Practice Nursing
  • Psychiatric Technician
Hours: 2 Contact Hours
Author(s): Erik J. Usher, RN, BS, CEN, CPEN, EMT-P, CFRN
Peer Reviewer(s): Kimberly Whalen, RN, MS, CCRN
Item#: N1911
Contents: 1 Course Book (44 pages)
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Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma, 3rd Edition

Price $17.95
Item # N1911
When available, the Online Course format is included with the hard copy, eBook, or audio book formats!

Release Date: August 24, 2018

Expiration Date: August 31, 2021

The purpose of this course is to provide the learner with the knowledge necessary to assess and implement interventions for children with suspected or diagnosed Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma (PAHT) and their families. By recognizing predisposing factors and identifying persons at risk for perpetrating PAHT, healthcare professionals can be instrumental in initiating needed preventative education. This course is appropriate for healthcare professionals who work with children or their families. Additionally, this course meets Kentucky’s continuing education requirement on pediatric abusive head trauma.

Kentucky Nurses - This course fulfills your one-time Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma (Shaken Baby Syndrome) requirement.

Course Objectives

  • Discuss the epidemiology and nomenclature of pediatric abusive head trauma (PAHT).
  • Identify anatomical factors predisposing infants and young children to significant head injuries.
  • Describe pervasive motives for child maltreatment, injuries commonly associated with PAHT, and the signs and potential long-term sequelae of PAHT.
  • Discuss questioning, physical assessment, and diagnostic techniques for obtaining information about a potential victim of PAHT.
  • Identify treatments and interventions that should be used for a suspected victim of PAHT, and the professional and personal obligations of a suspecting clinician.
  • Describe the legalities of identifying PAHT and strategies used to increase PAHT recognition, awareness, and prevention.

Erik J. Usher, RN, BS, CEN, CPEN, EMT-P, CFRN, has more than 30 years of widespread clinical pediatric trauma experience, most recently as a rotor-wing flight nurse/paramedic for the Bayflite aero­medical program out of St. Petersburg, Florida. Mr. Usher began his trauma career in 1988 in Bristol, Connecticut, working for a busy hospital-based emergency medical services (EMS) agency. While con­tinuing to work in EMS, Mr. Usher obtained a diploma in nursing from the St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing, where he started his trauma nursing career in the emergency department of one of the state’s largest and busiest Level I trauma centers. Mr. Usher was one of the pediatric child abuse nurses in the department, working closely with local law enforcement. In 1998, Mr. Usher began working for the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, which at the time was the busiest Level I adult and pediatric trauma center, based on Injury Severity Score, in the United States. While working in the free-standing Resuscitation Department, Mr. Usher began his flight nursing career for Mercy Air in 1998, where he helped establish the Las Vegas medevac flight program. Mr. Usher became the man­ager of the Las Vegas base while also maintaining his skills in the trauma center as a nurse and in EMS as a street paramedic. Mr. Usher has been an active speaker at national conventions as well as a lead instructor for advanced procedural cadaver laboratories throughout the country. Mr. Usher maintains active credentials as an instructor for the Emergency Nurses Association Trauma Nurse Core Course as well as with the American Heart Association as a Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support instructor. Mr. Usher maintains board certifications as a Certified Emergency Nurse, Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse, and Certified Flight Registered Nurse. He holds a bach­elor’s degree in health administration and has been published in several textbooks and medical journals throughout his career.

Kimberly Whalen, RN, MS, CCRN, has 22 years of experience as a Pediatric Intensive Care nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She received her master’s degree in informatics and was the pediatric informatics analyst at MGH for 2 years during the transition to Epic. Ms. Whalen is currently the nursing practice specialist in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at MGH, a Level I trauma center. Ms. Whalen maintains board certification for Critical Care Registered Nurse and Trauma Nurse Course Certification. She is a part of the Regional Biothreats Team at MGH. Ms. Whalen is a published author and has spoken and presented at many national conferences.

  • Courses must be completed on or before the expiration date noted in the course description above.
  • You must score 75% or higher on the final exam and complete the course evaluation to pass this course and receive a certificate of completion.
  • Through our review processes, Western Schools ensures that this course content is presented in a balanced, unbiased manner and is free from commercial influence. It is Western Schools’ policy not to accept commercial support.
  • All persons involved in the planning and development of this course have disclosed no relevant financial relationships or other conflicts of interest related to the course content.