Learn

at your own pace

NASCEND Learn enables you to take courses on your own schedule to improve care for substance exposed infants and their families.

NASCEND Learn

NASCEND has developed a comprehensive online curriculum to educate healthcare professionals on the growing epidemic of substance use disorder (SUD) and its impact from pregnancy to pediatrics on the mom, the infant and the family.

Our top-quality training helps healthcare providers treat substance exposed infants more effectively and efficiently, leading to better outcomes including an improved experience for families; higher care provider satisfaction; and significant cost savings for the healthcare system.

Explore Outcomes

What's included

Each course in the curriculum will feature both didactic & experiential learning, including:

  • Video presentation by an expert on the topic
  • Quiz on the video content to ensure comprehension & retention of the material
  • Supplemental materials & exercises to provide additional context & an interactive experience
  • Provider handouts for reference and for use with families

Continuing Education

Each NASCEND Learn course provides one contact hour for ongoing professional certification. Whether you are a nurse, nurse practitioner, or a physician, NASCEND Learn provides third-party credentialing for continuing education credits. Speech and occupational therapists, social workers and other professionals may seek continuing education from their respective governing body using documentation provided upon course completion.

Read more.

Courses

Our growing list of courses covers the following topics:

From pregnancy to pediatrics, NASCEND’s Continuum delivers 16 online, on demand, courses. Each course is designed to help healthcare providers treat substance affected infants & families more effectively and efficiently, leading to better outcomes; improved experiences for the family & care providers; and significant cost savings for the healthcare system.

Courses:

  • Preassessment
  • Substance Use Disorder & the Brain
  • Substance Use Disorder & the Brain - Part 2
  • Impact of Stigma in Substance Use Disorder
  • Pharmacology of Commonly Used Substances in Pregnancy
  • Attachment & Bonding in Substance Use Disorder
  • Pathogenesis & Presentation of Substance Exposed Infants
  • Comfort First: Improving Outcomes for Substance Exposed Infants
  • Music for Improved Outcomes in Substance Exposed Infants
  • Engaging Parents in Infant's Care with Music
  • Feeding in Substance Exposed Infants
  • Engaging Parents in Speech & Feeding
  • Substance Exposed Infants & Nutrition
  • Breastfeeding & Breast Milk in Substance Exposed Infants
  • Pediatric Follow-up & Adverse Childhood Experiences
  • Long-Term Development of Substance Exposed Infants
  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Trauma-Informed Care - Part 2

The TIC course will help all levels of healthcare recognize and understand trauma and its impact on patients, families, and the healthcare community. The training will discuss how providers can implement a trauma informed approach to care in day to day patient interactions and provide a special focus on improving care for women with both a trauma history and substance use disorder.

Courses:

  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Trauma-Informed Care - Part 2

Objectives:

  • Define & recognize trauma & PTSD
  • Recognize adverse childhood experiences & its impact in adulthood
  • Implement a trauma-informed approach to care in your organization

Pediatricians are in a unique position to help end the intergenerational cycle of substance abuse. This course will provide a comprehensive overview of the unique follow-up needs of substance exposed infants including age-appropriate expectations, recommendations for improved outcomes and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) reduction strategies for providers.

Courses:

  • Pediatric Follow-up & Adverse Childhood Experiences
  • Long-Term Development of Substance Exposed Infants

Objectives:

  • Understand the effects of in-utero substance exposure on infants’ motor, cognitive, vision, behavioral, & educational development
  • Understand risk factors for & impact of ACE
  • Learn how to monitor & manage outpatient nutrition & growth for substance exposed infants

Nutrition and feeding can be highly compromised in substance exposed infants (SEI). This course will provide training and resources to improve feeding, optimize nutritional outcomes and engage parents in safe and effective feeding for SEI.

Courses:

  • Feeding in Substance Exposed Infants
  • Engaging Parents in Speech & Feeding
  • Substance Exposed Infants & Nutrition
  • Breastfeeding & Breast Milk in Substance Exposed Infants

Objectives:

  • Recognize the impact of in-utero substance exposure on growth & nutritional outcomes
  • Learn strategies for successful feeding of SEI
  • Discuss how to handle parental misinformation
  • Review nutrition recommendations for improving outcomes
  • Understand recommendations for breastfeeding with substance use disorder

In this course we discuss the disease of substance use disorder (SUD)/addiction in detail including the epidemiology, pathogenesis and neurochemistry of SUD, and the 6-steps of addiction. We will also address stigma and bias in healthcare and how healthcare providers can improve outcomes by preventing the perpetuation of stigma.

Courses:

  • Substance Use Disorder & the Brain
  • Substance Use Disorder & the Brain - Part 2
  • Impact of Stigma in Substance Use Disorder

Objectives:

  • Recognize addiction as a disease & understand its impact
  • Describe the effects of maternal drug use on the fetus & the newborn 
  • Understand what you should know about stigma
  • Learn how you can avoid perpetuating stigma

This course will discuss many of the substances, illicit and legal, that are used and abused during pregnancy. It will explain the role of dopamine in addiction including decreased activity, joy, energy and interest which significantly affects bonding and parenting. Finally, the course will review the pathogenesis and presentation of neonatal withdrawal.

Courses:

  • Pharmacology of Commonly Used Substances in Pregnancy
  • Attachment & Bonding in Substance Use Disorder
  • Pathogenesis & Presentation of Substance Exposed Infants

Objectives:

  • Understand the basic pharmacology of commonly used substances in pregnancy
  • Understand difficulties in bonding & attachment for mothers with SUD
  • Learn steps you can take to help engage parents in the infant’s care
  • Review the pathogenesis & presentation of substance exposed infants (SEI)

This course will provide a comfort first, infant driven approach to non-pharmacological care for opioid exposed infants (OEI). Training includes the benefits of lullabies and guidelines to implement a non-therapeutic music program for OEI.

Courses:

  • Comfort First: Improving Outcomes for Substance Exposed Infants
  • Music for Improved Outcomes in Substance Exposed Infants
  • Engaging Parents in Infant's Care with Music

Objectives:

  • Discuss known & innovative comfort first techniques that improve outcomes
  • Implement music as a comfort measure
  • Learn music strategies to engage parents in care
  • Understand music’s role in neuroprotection, developmental skills & language development

Who should use NASCEND Learn

  • Nursing staff – nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse managers/directors, nurse educators
  • Physicians – neonatologists, pediatricians, obstetricians, addiction specialists
  • Registered dietitians
  • Other providers – speech therapists, music therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers, addiction support staff
  • Other community resources – Child Protective Services staff