Promoting Best Practices for Managing Acute Low Back Pain in an Occupational Environment

This issue of Workplace Health & Safety contains a Continuing Nursing Education Module on “Promoting Best Practices for Managing Acute Low Back Pain in an Occupational Environment” 1.0 contact hour of continuing nursing education credit will be awarded by AAOHN upon successful completion of the posttest and evaluation.

A certificate will be awarded when the following requirements are met by the participant: (1) Participant logs on to the AAOHN LMS website at www.aaohn.org/education/online-learning-center and enrolls in the course ($10 members; $15 non-members); (2) The completed posttest and course evaluation are entered online at at http://www.aaohn.org by September 2017; (3) A score of 75% (6 correct answers) is achieved by the participant.

Upon completion of this lesson, the occupational health nurse will be able to:

1. Discuss the effectiveness of an online education course on nurses’ understanding of EBP for treating low back pain

The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. is an Approved Provider of continuing nursing education by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc., an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. is additionally approved as a CNE provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing (#CEP9283).

Contact hours received for successful completion of the posttest and evaluation may be used for relicensure, certification, and re-certification.

1. In this article, CPG means

2. Clinical Practice Guidelines

3. Center for Professional Guidance

4. Clinical Professional Guides

The purpose of the study reported in this article was

To educate nurses about evidence-based practice of treating low back pain and test the effectiveness of this online education

To evaluate various treatment options for low back pain

To teach nurses how to review the literature for low back pain treatment options

To determine whether student nurses know more than experienced RNs about low back pain treatment

Underuse of CPG may be due to

Company policies that prohibit their use

Fear of not meeting workers’ expectations and lack of access to recommended programs

Better guidelines available from local specialists

Lack of endorsement from state boards of nursing

According to this article, well-established web sites for CPG include

WebMD and the Cochrane Group

WebMD and the CDC

The National Guideline Clearinghouse and UpToDate

UpToDate and the CDC

MRI use in low back pain cases has increased in recent years,

And that is why MRIs should be done within 48 hours of initial low back pain report

And the results have consistently led to positive outcomes

But no studies have been done to determine MRI effectiveness in leading to positive outcomes

But use of MRI has not resulted in more positive outcomes for low back pain

The study described in this article used

Two groups: one treatment and one control

One group using a pre/post-test design

Case studies to describe participants’ learning

A cross-section design to determine participants’ knowledge at a point in time

Results showed

Statistically significant improvements in both knowledge and EBP belief

Statistically significant improvements in knowledge only

Statistically significant improvements in EBP belief only

No significant change in knowledge or EBP belief

The online course on treatment of low back injuries described in this article

Was available to selected participants only during two months in 2013

Remains open and free of charge on the AAOHN website

Is available from the author’s university for a modest fee

Is included in all COHN review courses