Coming Attraction: TB Nurse Case Manager Certificate Program
In the meantime, you can explore the following:
Introduction to TB NCM Certificate Program: a video by its nursing faculty
Frequently asked questions (FAQs): answers to questions about the program
CDC Core Curriculum on Tuberculosis: What the Clinician Should Know: a recommended prerequisite to the program
The National TB Nurse Coalition (NTNC), a section of the National TB Coalition of America (NTCA), developed this program out of concern about the well-documented shortage of nurses with expertise in TB. Building upon the TB Nurse Case Manager Core Competencies, this program is offered to preserve and foster the development of expertise in the specialty area of TB nursing.
Target Audience
This program is intended for nurses who care for persons with tuberculosis (TB) and those interested in TB nurse case management. The content in this program is applicable to nurses working in public health or the private sector. Nurses in public health departments, hospitals, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), primary care clinics, correctional facilities, residential care facilities, and homeless shelters are all welcome to take the program.
Activity Description
Starting out in TB nursing, each nurse faces many basic questions:
- What are the public health laws for reporting persons with TB?
- How do I conduct a nursing assessment of whether a person has infectious pulmonary TB disease?
- What techniques ensure the collection of quality sputum specimens?
- What are important TB nurse case management skills?
- How do I develop a patient-centered plan of care for pulmonary TB disease?
- How do I recognize and address medication side effects?
- How does public health staff identify contacts to persons with infectious pulmonary TB?
- What TB nursing expertise and resources are available in the United States?
- How do I avoid stigmatizing language?
- How are responsiveness and self-awareness important in healthcare interactions?
The TB Nurse Case Management Certificate Program is based on the National TB Nurse Coalition (NTNC) TB Nurse Case Manager Core Competencies. The program walks through a fictionalized patient case study to illustrate the basic, Tier 1 nursing skills required to manage the care of a patient with pulmonary TB disease from diagnosis through treatment completion. The program also introduces the learner to the network of experts and resources at the CDC-funded TB Centers of Excellence and Heartland National TB Center and reviews how language and self-awareness can enhance communication and treatment adherence. In each section, the program shares downloadable resources for reference and to aid performance of key tasks.