Sepsis 101 for Nurses

Today, sepsis is the leading cause of death in hospitalized patients and is a serious medical condition. In fact, every 20 seconds, someone is hospitalized for sepsis. Despite efforts to educate healthcare workers about sepsis, there is still a need for basic sepsis education. This is likely due to a number of factors, including an increase in the number of new nurses and the evolving specialties of existing nurses. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of registered nurses is projected to increase by 12% between 2018 and 2028, which means there will be an additional 371,500 registered nurses. However, this number doesn't account for the existing nurses who will move from one specialty to another. With these changes, there is an even greater need for sepsis education for nursing professionals.

Nurses are often the first to notice changes in a patient's signs and symptoms that may indicate the development of sepsis. But identifying sepsis can be challenging, especially in the early stages when treatment is most effective. That's why it's important for nursing students, new graduate nurses, nurses who want a refresher, and nurses who are changing their specialization to have ongoing access to accurate sepsis education. This training module aims to meet that need.

Target Audience: 

Nurses, advanced practice providers, physicians, emergency responders, pharmacists, medical technologists, respiratory therapists, physical/occupational therapists, infection prevention specialists, data/quality specialists, and more.

At the end of the activity, the learner should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), sepsis/severe sepsis, and septic shock;
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of early recognition and treatment for patients with sepsis/severe sepsis and septic shock;
• Review the interventions to treat sepsis/severe sepsis and septic shock;
• Identify actions required by the nurse to facilitate appropriate care for patients with sepsis/severe sepsis and septic shock.

Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17068 for 2.3 contact hours.