Pathophysiology: Muscles, Joints, and Connective Tissues
Course Overview
As health care becomes more complex, it is essential that the theoretical concepts of the basis of illness (pathophysiology) be well understood. The purpose of this course is to reinforce the scientific rationales for the interventions nurses perform and the decisions nurses make as patients move through the ever-changing struggle with their illness.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
Describe the structure and function of the muscles, joints, and connective tissues.
Discuss the pathophysiologic influences that may affect the muscles, joints, and connective tissues.
Outline the role of subjective data in completing a full nursing assessment of the muscles, joints, and connective tissues.
Describe objective data compiled during a nursing assessment of the muscles, joints, and connective tissues.
Identify imaging and diagnostic studies used in the identification and classification of muscles, joints, and connective tissues.
Discuss genetic conditions manifesting in the muscles and connective tissues.
Evaluate the presentation and differential diagnosis of inflammatory muscle and connective tissue disorders.
Describe the clinical presentation and treatment of immunologic disorders of the muscles and connective tissues.
Review the assessment and treatment of traumatic conditions of the muscles and connective tissue.
Discuss disorders of the joints with multi-factorial origin.
Analyze the manifestations and therapeutic approaches for degenerative joint diseases.
Outline the presentation, treatment, and nursing considerations for patients with
immunologic joint conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Compare and contrast the various joint diseases with an infectious origin.
Describe cancers of the joints, muscle, and connective tissues.
- Evaluate the appropriate assessment and management of traumatic joint injuries.
About the Author/Presenter
Mary Franks, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and NetCE Nurse Planner. She works as a Nurse Division Planner for NetCE and a per diem nurse practitioner in urgent care in Central Illinois. Mary graduated with her Associate’s degree in nursing from Carl Sandburg College, her BSN from OSF Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in 2013, and her MSN with a focus on nursing education from Chamberlain University in 2017. She received a second master's degree in nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Chamberlain University in 2019. She is an adjunct faculty member for a local university in Central Illinois in the MSN FNP program. Her previous nursing experience includes emergency/trauma nursing, critical care nursing, surgery, pediatrics, and urgent care. As a nurse practitioner, she has practiced as a primary care provider for long-term care facilities and school-based health services. She enjoys caring for minor illnesses and injuries, prevention of disease processes, health, and wellness. In her spare time, she stays busy with her two children and husband, coaching baseball, staying active with her own personal fitness journey, and cooking. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Illinois Society of Advanced Practice Nursing, for which she is a member of the bylaws committee.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Nursing
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