Nursing CEU Continuing Education Credit Online


The following is an excerpt from an online continuing education course for Nursing Continuing CEU credit at :

1.9 Therapeutic Options:

Drug Treatment
Four major classes of medications are used to treat dyslipidemia:

    • HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins)
    • Bile acid sequestrants
    • Nicotinic acid
    • Fibric acids

Statins (rosuvastatin, atorvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, and lovastatin) can lower LDL levels 18% to 55%, and triglyceride levels 7% to 30%. They can also raise HDL levels by 5% to 15%. Major side effects include myopathy and elevation of liver enzyme levels.

Many clinical trials have shown that statins reduce incidence of major coronary events, CHD death, and stroke, and they may also reduce the need for coronary procedures, and lower total mortality. However, there is controversy.

Statins work by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase and are therefore also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. The process begins with acetyl-CoA. Three acetyl-CoA molecules combine to form hydroxymethyl glutaric acid (HMG). The step from HMG to mevalonate requires HMG-CoA reductase. Statin drugs work by inhibiting this enzyme, and herein lies the potential for numerous side effects because statin drugs inhibit not just the production of cholesterol, but a whole family of intermediary substances, many if not all of which have important biochemical functions.

Cholesterol is one of three end products in the mevalonate chain. The two others are ubiquinone and dilochol. Ubiquinone, also known as Co-Enzyme Q10, is a critical cellular nutrient biosynthesized in the mitochondria. It plays a role in ATP production in the cells and functions as an electron carrier to cytochrome oxidase, a major respiratory enzyme. The heart also requires high levels of Co-Q10. Ubiquinone is found in all cell membranes, where it plays a role in maintaining membrane integrity critical to nerve conduction and muscle integrity. Co-Q10 is also vital to the formation of elastin and collagen. Side effects of Co-Q10 deficiency include muscle-wasting leading to weakness and severe back pain, heart failure (the heart is a muscle), neuropathy, and inflammation of the tendons and ligaments often leading to rupture.

Finally, there is controversy regarding the mechanism by which statins reduce CHD risk. While statins significantly reduce serum cholesterol levels, this may not be the cause of reduction of cardiac events. The fact that some studies have shown that statins can prevent heart disease, at least in the short term, is most likely explained not by the inhibition of cholesterol production but because they block the creation of mevalonate. Reduced amounts of mevalonate seem to make smooth muscle cells less active, and platelets less able to produce thromboxane. Atherosclerosis begins with the growth of smooth muscle cells in side artery walls, and thromboxane is necessary for blood clotting.

Bile acid sequestrants (cholestyramine, and colestipol) can reduce LDL levels 15% to 30% and raise HDL levels 3% to 5%. They have no effect on triglyceride levels. Major side effects include gastrointestinal distress, constipation, and a decrease in the absorption of other drugs. Clinical trials have shown that these agents reduce the incidence of major coronary events and CHD death.

Nicotinic acid (niacin/vitamin B3) can reduce LDL levels 5% to 25% and triglyceride levels 20% to 50%. Nicotinic acid also raises HDL levels 15% to 35%. Major side effects of nicotinic acid include flushing, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, gastrointestinal distress, and hepatotoxicity. Clinical trials have shown it can prevent major coronary events.

Fibric acids (fenofibrate, and gemfibrozil) can reduce LDL levels 5% to 20% and triglyceride levels 20% to 50%, as well as raise HDL levels 10% to 20%. Major side effects include dyspepsia, gallstones, myopathy, and unexplained noncardiac death. Clinical trials have shown that they lower the risk of major coronary events.


End of Course Example



Nursing continuing education courses are available online using LMS components making the downloading of courses and course materials easily accessed by remote users.  Any location can download PDFs, search, use live website links, and have live cross engagement in a simple, easy-to-use manner.  Nurses have access to educational materials for license credit in California and other states. ANCC certification of online courses ensures that most courses are accepted for nursing continuing education credit in most states with the exception of CA and Iowa.  These states have their own separate process for certification.  

In the past, online publishing represented challenges to colleges, schools, and other institutions.  No longer, the process is simple and using open source technology, easily accessible for publishing without the need for full time IT.  Online publishing and quizes with certifications becomes a process that even small institutes can handle.  Nurses benefit from this approach in that quality publications make it online faster and more easily without the cumbersome process of print publication that can delay information from reaching healthcare practitioners.


Nursing Computerization
Nurses need to learn as much as they can to get the most for patient care.  Now, politically, there are interesting changes.  For example, computerization has actually caused a hassle for some nurses creating extra hours for input without increase in pay.  On the other hand, the cry for computerization has been a charge to save money.  Interesting that so many nurses cite increased work hours to meet the demands of non user friendly software.  This is much like the equivalent of using Microsoft DOS software in a world that offers Apple Mac OS platform ease of use.  It seems that exactly what software is used in nursing continuing education and patient care is just as important as the change itself.  Open source software has its own problems with constant updates and issues.  An expanding field, computers do not automatically update open source as does an Apple machine.

One of the best modes of exposure in nursing today is the online environment.  Now, nurses can speak up on cares and issues pertaining to the profession.  Learning how to use the web, blogs can help develop environments in which international new on nursing and patient care can be shared.  A cross cultural comparison of needs from different areas can be viewed in relation to health care administration.  Importantly, cost effective methods of providing healthcare can be viewed and studied such that nurses can quickly pull up data on topics of interest on many states in the USA including California.  California and CEUs in CA remain a large and important factor on keeping nurses current with medical data news.

Nursing CEUs
Nursing CEUs can be obtained online so that nurses can maintain their licensure. However, one frustrating component to this process is that many online and in-class courses have material that is only marginally applicable to the nursing work environment. As nurses, if we are going to take the time to study something for credit- we’d sure like to enjoy the process and learn something new. This is the magic of prescreening online courses to ensure that course material is appropriate.

In this way, we can ensure that our time and money on nurse ceu courses is well spent. We are most interested in patient care and getting on with our lives. Rather, some course material is so dry and redundant that it does not move the nursing cause forward.
Learn about dyslipidemia and Chinese medicine in a format for nurses at Often, nurses interface with acupuncturists and this course will help in this process. Acupuncturists, such as those at Acupuncture Santa Cruz , often use Chinese medicine to assist in the treatment of dyslipidemia.