This 3-part series, directed to nurse practitioners and physician assistants, is designed to take the learner from a comprehensive understanding of critical congenital heart disease, the imperatives of appropriate neonatal oximetry screening and implementation of standardized protocols nationwide, to discussion of the continuum of care from assessment and diagnosis to management decisions and follow-up post-discharge.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of these activities, participants should be better able to:

• Express more knowledge of, and competence with recognizing the seven specific lesions as primary targets for the life-threatening CCHD in an effort to avert misdiagnosis
• Employ recent HHS, AAP, AHA guidance initiatives and clinical trials data when considering the timing of pulse-oximetry screening for CCHD in newborns
• Evaluate the clinical trials data and public policy initiatives that support the use of pulse oximetry for CCHD in newborns

This educational activity is jointly sponsored by Medical Education Resources (MER), Nurse Practitioner Associates for Continuing Education (NPACE) and Haymarket Medical Education (HME), and supported by an educational grant from Covidien.

Each of the 3 articles offers 0.5  AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credit(s)™ and 0.5 contact hours of continuing nursing education

Article 1: Detection of hypoxemia: visual observation versus pulse oximetry 0.50 / AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM 0.50 / contact hours of continuing nursing education Part 1: Detection of hypoxemia: visual observation versus pulse oximetry provides an overview of the burden of CCHD and introduces the role of pulse oximetry as a simple, safe, and effective screening tool that complements the standard newborn physical examination to enhance the detection of CCHD.

Article 2: Implementation of standardized protocols 0.50 / AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM 0.50 / contact hours of continuing nursing education Part 2: Implementation of standardized protocols is designed to take the learner from a comprehensive understanding of critical congenital heart disease (CCHD), the imperatives of appropriate neonatal screening for CCHD and implementation of standardized protocols nationwide, to discussion of the continuum of care from assessment and diagnosis to management decisions and follow-up post-discharge.

Article 3: Updated standards for CCHD screening: pulse-oximetry pearls and statewide protocols 0.50 / AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM 0.50 / contact hours of continuing nursing education This third article examines improved pulse-oximetry standards that translate into more sensitive CCHD screening and takes a closer look at CCHD screening programs and policies nationwide.