A Longer Look at Arthritis for Rehabilitation Nurses

Presented by Cheryl Lehman

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Rehabilitation nurses will encounter patients with a variety of orthopedic conditions, both medical and surgical in nature. Arthritis is one of the medical orthopedic conditions commonly seen in the rehabilitation setting. Arthritis in rehabilitation patients may be a primary diagnosis and the cause of admission, or a secondary diagnosis and a chronic disease that the patient with a rehabilitation diagnosis “just happens to have.” There are more than 100 types of arthritis, with multiple risk factors and causes. This course will review six types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, juvenile arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Risk factors, causes, symptoms, diagnostic tests, assessment parameters, course of the disease, treatment and the indications for rehabilitation will be discussed. The role of the rehabilitation nurse in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and patient educations will be emphasized.

Meet your instructor

Cheryl Lehman

Dr. Cheryl Lehman has been a registered nurse since graduating from the Decatur Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 1978. Since that time, she earned a BSN from Maryville University-St. Louis in 1990; an MSN in Adult Health Nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston in the Clinical Nurse…

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Chapters & learning objectives

Osteoarthritis

1. Osteoarthritis

This chapter reviews the unique aspects of osteoarthritis. Risk factors, causes, symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatments are discussed, with assessment parameters included. The role of the rehabilitation nurse in the acute and chronic stages of the disease are included.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

2. Rheumatoid Arthritis

This chapter reviews the unique aspects of rheumatoid arthritis. Risk factors, causes, symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatments are discussed, with assessment parameters included. The role of the rehabilitation nurse in the acute and chronic stages of the disease is included.

Gouty Arthritis

3. Gouty Arthritis

This chapter reviews the unique aspects of gouty arthritis. Risk factors, causes, symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatments are discussed, with assessment parameters included. The role of the rehabilitation nurse in the acute and chronic stages of the disease is included.

Juvenile Arthritis

4. Juvenile Arthritis

This chapter reviews the unique aspects of juvenile arthritis. Risk factors, causes, symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatments are discussed, with assessment parameters included. The role of the rehabilitation nurse in the care of the person with juvenile arthritis is included.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

5. Ankylosing Spondylitis

This chapter reviews the unique aspects of ankylosing spondylitis. Risk factors, causes, symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatments are discussed, with assessment parameters included. The role of the rehabilitation nurse in the care of the person with juvenile arthritis is included.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

6. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Pain in the joints can be complex in nature. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can be one cause of joint pain. This chapter reviews SLE, with a focus on joint pain. Risk factors, causes, symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatments are discussed, with assessment parameters included. The role of the rehabilitation nurse in the care of the person with SLE is included.