Parkinson's Foundation Launches New Online Nurse Course

Honoring Nurse Appreciation Week, the course aims to help people with Parkinson's live better

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May 07, 2019, 12:00 ET

NEW YORK and MIAMI, May 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Parkinson's Foundation has launched a new online course for nurses who are delivering care across the Parkinson's disease (PD) spectrum. Designed by leading Parkinson's nurse specialists, the course incorporates updated information on medical management, palliative care and novel team-based approach care models through its redesigned curriculum.

The Parkinson's Foundation Nurse Course, now revamped from its previous 2010 version, provides the educational tools needed for nurses to deliver optimal care to people with PD. The prevalence of PD is expected to increase in the coming years, with a large impact on the healthcare industry. Unfortunately, there is currently little information on the disease treatment specifically designed for nurses.

"Nurses play an extremely vital role in that care model where patients get a diagnosis and feel like there's nowhere to turn," said Raymond James, BS, RN, nurse course presenter, Senior Research Coordinator and nurse clinician at the Parkinson Disease and Movement Center at Boston University Medical Campus. "Often, a doctor can only provide so much time and information to a patient, so I think nurses are really on the front lines of Parkinson's and helping patients to really navigate their way, find answers, feel more informed and able to make better decisions. If we know more as nurses, we can help our patients know more."

To address this need, the Parkinson's Foundation has designed this multi-module course for career nurses who may work in long-term or acute care settings, current nursing students or recently graduated nurses who are looking for more information on caring for people with Parkinson's. By enrolling for the multi-module course, nurses will learn the latest in current treatment of the disease to ensure better care for people living with PD.

"I really think that every nurse, no matter which setting they're working – whether it's hospitals, long-term care or outpatient clinics are seen as the resource person. People turn to nurses when they have a concern about their health," said Ruth Hagestuen, MA, RN, nurse course presenter and consultant for the Parkinson's Foundation. "There are very important concerns such as the management and timing of medications that people don't understand so it's reassuring for people to come to a nurse and really know that they have some understanding of what they're dealing with."

The Parkinson's Foundation Nurse Course is course is available for up to ten Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for a nominal fee of $39.99 or can be viewed for free without any CEUs. In honor of Nurse Appreciation Week, the Parkinson's Foundation is pleased to extend a 20% discount for nurses who register between May 6-12, 2019 with code NURSES4PD.

To learn more about the Parkinson's Foundation Nurse Course, please visit Parkinson.org/NurseCourse.

This course is part of the Parkinson's Foundation professional educational offerings including The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program at the Parkinson's Foundation, which helps prepare the next generation of nurses to care for the growing population of people with Parkinson's. For more information, visit Parkinson.org/ProfessionalEducation.

About the Parkinson's Foundation
The Parkinson's Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson's disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson's community. For more information, visit www.parkinson.org or call (800) 4PD-INFO (473-4636).

About Parkinson's Disease
Affecting nearly one million Americans and 10 million worldwide, Parkinson's disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's and is the 14th-leading cause of death in the United States. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson's and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mona Clifton
Public Relations Manager
[email protected]
858-264-1713

SOURCE Parkinson's Foundation