COPD Educator Course

The American Lung Association COPD Educator Course is a professional education course for healthcare professionals who work with COPD patients, such as respiratory therapists, internal medicine nurses, pulmonary nurses, pharmacists and care managers. The course includes thorough and practical information healthcare professionals can use in their work with COPD patients while earning continuing education credits. 

The COPD Educator Course is a three partial-day course.

Course Topics & Objectives:

• Disease Overview - Recognize that COPD is preventable and treatable and increasing in prevalence.
• COPD Diagnosis and Management - Discuss and understand the pathophysiology of COPD.
• Spirometry/Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome - Understand key components of spirometry and its role in diagnosis and management
• Smoking Cessation - Recognize COPD risk factors, specifically smoking; Discuss prevention strategies, including cessation programs
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation - Explain how pulmonary rehabilitation and self-management skills can improve quality of life for a COPD patient.
• Patient Activation and Education - Utilize shared decision making and engagement strategies to help patients improve medication adherence, reduce health care burden, and be active in their healthcare.
• Medications and Delivery Devices - Observe and practice correct inhaler device technique.
• Oxygen Therapy - Understand principles for selection of appropriate oxygen therapy devices.
• Reducing COPD Readmissions - Review risk factors and discuss interventions to reduce readmissions
• Palliative Care, Hospice, and End of Life Issues Understand the role of palliative care and hospice for COPD patients
• COPD Pharmacological Management – Identify medications used in COPD management and differentiate between action pathways of common COPD pharmacological therapies, dosing regimens

Visit a link below to register for a course near you or call 1-800-LUNGUSA to learn more.

Stay Informed

If you don’t see an event that works for your schedule or location, we have more events scheduled over the next 12 months that will be posted soon. If you would like to be informed on programs, events, continuing education opportunities, or future resources, please sign up using the form below and a staff member will be in touch to discuss your needs.