Multiple Sclerosis Nursing:
A Spectrum of Caring

Please select the conference in which you are interested in attending:

October 30-31, 2009 Omni Fort Worth Hotel Fort Worth, Texas	November 9-10, 2009 The Palazzo Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada

Registration Fee:

The standard registration fee for this conference is $55.  An optional printed syllabus to supplement the incuded CD-ROM syallabus is available for an additional $45.

Target Audience

This activity is carefully designed to meet the educational needs of nurses who care for parteints with multiple sclerosis.

Overview, Goal & Objectives

Overview
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating condition and is one of the most common diseases affecting the central nervous system. More than 2.5 million people worldwide, and as many as 400,000 in the United States alone, are diagnosed with MS. In the US, it is believed that as many as 200 new cases are diagnosed each week.

MS is diagnosed more frequently and with greater geographic diversity in the US, mirroring trends throughout the world’s industrial nations. Over the past two decades, the role of the specialized MS nurse has evolved from a supportive caregiver to an active participant in patient care, education, advocacy and research. Through an increased understanding of MS and advances in diagnosis, management and treatment, these nurses have been propelled into a significant position which improves the care patients with MS receive, positively affecting patient outcomes.

MS Nursing: A Spectrum of Caring is designed to increase nursing competencies related to MS. This two-day course presented by experienced and certified MS nurses will provide in-depth information on the core topics for which anyone seeking to become MS-certified should be knowledgeable and prepared.

Nursing Goal:
The goal of this activity is to enable nurses to contribute to quality health care by assuming greater roles in patient education, care, research and advocacy to meet the increasing needs of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Learning Objectives:
Those who complete this activity will receive information that should allow them to...

• Improve effectiveness and patient care by applying the five recognized components of MS nursing practice;
• Utilize strategies and develop plans to educate patients with MS and their family or caregiver;
• Describe the MS nurses’ role in clinical and basic research;
• Outline at least five opportunities and challenges for patient advocacy faced by MS nurses; and
• Enhance skills, knowledge and competence needed to successfully complete MS nurse certification.
  

Topics Covered (agenda varies by city)

• A Conceptual Framework for MS Nursing
• Defining Multiple Sclerosis
• Models of Treatment in MS
• Diagnosing MS
• Pediatric MS
• Symptomatic Management of MS
• Range of MS Nursing
• CAM Therapies in MS
• Psychosocial Implications of MS
• Patient & Family Education
• Research Update
• The Future of MS: A Bright Future

Scheduled Faculty (varies by city)

	June Halper, MSCN, ANP, FAAN Conference Chair Executive Director CMSC/IOMSN Teaneck, NJ (Fort Worth)			Gail Hartley, MSN, NP, MSCN Nurse Practitioner Neurology Consultants Arcadia, CA (Las Vegas)
	Kathleen Costello, MS, ANP-BC, MSCN, MSCS Director, Maryland Center for Multiple Sclerosis University of Maryland ALS Clinic Baltimore, MD (Both conferences)			Patricia Kennedy, RN, CNP, MSCN Nurse Educator/ Programs Advisor The Heuga Center for MS Edwards, CO (Both conferences)
	Constance Easterling, RN, MSN, ANP, MSCN Clinical Coordinator MS Care Center of Neurological Services of Orlando (NSO) Orlando, FL (Fort Worth)			Amy Perrin Ross, APN, MSN, CNRN, MSCN Neuroscience Program Coordinator Department of Neurosciences Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine Maywood, IL (Las Vegas)

Accreditation Information

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Texas Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

This activity meets Type I criteria for mandatory continuing education requirements toward relicensure as established by the Board of Nursing. This activity is approved for a maximum of 11.0 Contact Hours.

Commercial Supporters

This activity is, in part, commercially supporterd through educational grants from: