Release Date: 12/14/2023
Expiration Date: 12/14/2025
Originally presented at Virtual NASN2022.

Cost: $20.00/Free for NASN members!

Instructions to Complete This NCPD Program
To receive a Certificate of Completion and be awarded NCPD contact hours for this program, follow the steps below, and complete and view the full content of the program including the program evaluation. If an assessment is included in the content, you will need to have 75% of the answers correct in order to pass the assessment. You will also have unlimited retakes on the assessment.

Step 1: Enroll in the program through the e-commerce system. Select the Purchase button. You will be directed to the e-commerce system. The program should already be in your shopping cart (look for the shopping cart icon at the top of the e-commerce web page). Select the shopping cart and choose "check out." You will receive a confirmation email with a link back to this program after your transaction.

Step 2: Complete and view the full content of the program. Content items are indexed at the bottom of this screen. After you enroll, you will return to this screen. The first content item will be “unlocked” so that you can begin completing the course. Subsequent items will “unlock” as you complete previous items.

Step 3: Retrieve the certificate.  After completing all content items, you will earn a certificate. You can save or print it.  Certificates are also stored in your Learning Center Profile.

Program Overview
The school nurse is in a position to recognize and refer children that may be exhibiting signs and symptoms of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), potentially expediting proper diagnosis. SLE is an inflammatory, multi-system, autoimmune disease of unknown cause with extremely variable clinical and laboratory manifestations. Between 10 to 20 percent of all persons who develop SLE do so in childhood. The symptoms of lupus can range from mild to life-threatening, can be intermittent, and may closely resemble those of other diseases. These factors, along with gaps in provider knowledge, often result in misdiagnosis and/or delays in diagnosis. However, prompt diagnosis and appropriate management of lupus is imperative to the prevention of morbidity and mortality, particularly in the pediatric population.
Given the critical role of school nurses in pediatric care, this session provides an overview of lupus in the pediatric population, including risk factors, disease etiology, and assessment. Likewise, the school nurse is integral to the proper management and continued care of persons with lupus, but tools are needed to assure the best outcomes. Thus, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has partnered with school nurses to develop a Lupus Care Plan and a Lupus Transition Plan. The care plan assists in addressing the needs of students presenting and is adaptable for each individual. The transition plan is intended to help school nurses assist students to make a smooth transition from child-centered care to adult health care. These tools will be presented and discussed.

Learning Outcomes
As a result of participating in this educational activity, learners will be able to:

• Recognize at least six of the most common signs and symptoms of SLE.
• Identify the three most at-risk populations for the development of SLE.
• Identify the top three barriers to lupus care in the pediatric population.
• Report confidence in the ability to implement the lupus care plan for school nurses.
• Report confidence in the ability to implement the lupus transition plan for young adults transitioning into adult care.