The Clinical Focus Course Task Force

The Clinical Focus Course Task Force has prepared an interactive hands-on course for nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinicians interested in rheumatology. “The Advanced Practice Skills Training” course will be held before the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, California on Saturday, October 25, 2008. If you are interested in participating, make sure to register early; as space is limited.

This hands-on course is designed to aid nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinicians the ability to perform proper examination for musculoskeletal abnormalities, joint tenderness and swelling and to use score tools such as the HAQ and DAS28. Participants will also learn proper techniques for joint aspiration and injection.

There is plenty of opportunity for skill practice built into the course. Participants will perform joint exams with course partners and patients. We will also have prosthetic joint models available for practicing injections (shoulder, wrist/finger, ankle/foot and knee). The course focuses on both pediatric and adult populations. Remember seating is limited so please register early for this pre-conference course.

Objectives:
Upon completion of the training participants will be able to:

demonstrate rheumatologic upper and lower musculoskeletal examinations for adults and pediatric patients
apply principles of joint aspirations and injections to include injecting the shoulder, wrist/finger, ankle/foot and knee (joint prosthetics)
demonstrate comprehension by practicing joint count based on assessment of joint tenderness and swelling
calculate HAQ and DAS28 scores to measure disease activity and response to treatment objectively

Prerequisite:
Participants are asked to wear loose clothing and if they have a DAS28 calculator please bring it. A limited number of calculators will be available on site.

To view registration fees, click here and scroll down to ARHP Clinical Focus Course – October 25, 2008