---
title: Framework for a Nursing Clinical Excellence Program
description: Use this nursing clinical excellence program blueprint to level-set the knowledge of your emergency department nurses and edit to fit your needs.
---

[Blog & Articles - The Sullivan GroupThe Sullivan Group](https://blog.thesullivangroup.com)

# [Framework for a Nursing Clinical Excellence Program](https://blog.thesullivangroup.com/framework-for-a-nursing-clinical-excellence-program)

 Written by [Shelley Cohen](https://blog.thesullivangroup.com/author/shelley-cohen) | August 19, 2019

\[2 MIN READ\]

Your organization might find itself hiring more new, inexperienced nurses for your emergency department due to the national nursing shortage. While these new hires arrive with a nursing degree, you need to be sure that each has a baseline set of knowledge to effectively treat patients in your ED.

Our [RSQ® Solutions – Nursing Clinical Excellence Program](https://info.thesullivangroup.com/emergency-department-nursing-training) was designed to help level-set the knowledge base of your clinical workforce. Our team of experienced ED nurses and educators compiled the blueprint below as a foundation for what an effective continuing education program might look like for your ED staff in their first three years of employment.

The recommended, case-based education includes 14 courses in each of the first two years, followed by 8 courses in year three. If your novice nurses are orienting to a pediatric-only or adult-only environment or an ED that doesn’t see obstetrics patients, you could consider trying to condense the coursework into two years.

| **Education Categories** | **Year 1** | **Year 2** | **Year 3** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Behavioral Emergencies** | Behavioral Health-Related Presentations: Part 1 | Behavioral Health- Related Presentations: Part 2 | ---- |
| **Cardiovascular** | Cardiovascular Arrythmia Interpretation   The Many Aspects of SHOCK | Cardiovascular Emergencies | Acute Decompensated Heart Failure and Hemodynamic Monitoring |
| **Hematology & Chemistry** | Alteration in Fluid and Electrolytes | ---- | Hematologic Emergencies and Blood Administration |
| **Maternal-Newborn Care** | Care of the Obstetrical Patient in the ED | Care of the Laboring Patient in the ED | Care of the Newborn in the ED |
| **Neurology** | Stroke Care: Nursing Care in the ED Neurological Assessment for the ED Nurse | Neurological Emergencies: Part 1 | Neurological Emergencies: Part 2 |
| **Patient Safety** | ---- | Active Shooter Event in a Healthcare Environment | National Patient Safety Goals |
| **Pediatrics** | Pediatric Initial Approach and Assessment | Pediatric Common Procedures: Part 1   Child Abuse: Part 1 & Part 2 | Pediatric Common Procedures: Part 2   Child Abuse: Part 3 & Part 4 |
| **Respiratory** | Respiratory Management Part 1 | Respiratory Management Part 2 | ---- |
| **Toxicology** | Alternatives to Opioids | Toxicology-Related Presentations to the ED | ---- |
| **Other** | Gastrointestinal Presentations in the ED   Genitourinary Presentations in the ED   Pain Management: Challenges in the ED Setting   Sepsis: Fast, Furious, Fatal | Bites – Stings – Envenomations   ENT, Dental and Ocular Emergencies   Care of the Geriatric Patient in the ED   Orthopedic Presentations | Endocrine Emergencies   Environmental Emergencies   Wound Management for the ED Nurse |

 

While this framework offers a blueprint for how you might structure and implement your education program, every organization is unique; you might prioritize certain areas over others. If you have questions about how you might modify this to work for your organization, reach out to our [Client Success Team](mailto:nsullivan@thesullivangroup.com), who will be happy to optimize a plan for you.

 

[View full post](https://blog.thesullivangroup.com/framework-for-a-nursing-clinical-excellence-program)

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