Education
Free CPD: Vitamin D and Bone Health Expert Mini-Course
Nurses and midwives are being called on to take the lead on important public health issues such the rising incidence of rickets and micronutrient deficiencies.
A new online CPD learning activity called The Vitamin D and Bone Health: Expert Mini-Course – an on-demand, evidence-based course that features Australia’s leading Vitamin D experts – is available throughout the month of August on Healthed for Nurses. This activity was developed specifically to educate nurses and midwives on the important new developments relating to the importance of vitamin D for bone health.
Role of Vitamin D
As widely recognized, Vitamin D plays a critical role in skeletal health and bone-building, helping to control calcium levels in the blood and maintain muscle strength. Research has also suggested that vitamin D extends its role across much of the human health and disease spectrum – including to such conditions as immune disorders, diabetes, pregnancy and possibly even to susceptibility to Covid 19 infection!
Vitamin D deficiency is common in Australia with over 30% of Australians demonstrating a mild, moderate or even severe deficiency.
Bringing experts together
Featuring 4 national experts, the Vitamin D and Bone Health Expert Mini-Course, will present the latest, evidence-based research.
These speakers will reveal the latest research and explain the significant health impacts these deficiencies can have on the skeleton and other body systems. It will empower nurses and midwives to lead the charge in the national Public Health effort to tackle this widespread deficiency.
Vitamin D deficiency on the rise
A staggering 40 per cent of Melbourne’s population is likely to be Vitamin D deficient, according to Melbourne endocrinologist presenter Prof Peter Ebeling.
“The majority of cases are completely asymptomatic, so if you’re waiting to see signs of deficiency you’ve missed the boat. In severe cases, symptoms can include tiredness, weakness and flat mood or aches and pains, but these can be easily missed,” he says.
Prof Ebeling, who is a Professor of Paediatric Bone and Mineral Medicine at the University of Sydney, will be offering strategies to help empower and educate nurses and midwives on how to become agents for change for this important issue.
Nurses and midwives must take the lead
The World Health Organisation’s 2000 Munich Declaration called nurses and midwives “a force for health” and that they have “key and increasingly important roles to play in society’s efforts to tackle the public health challenges of our time.” This mini-course was created with that as its guiding inspiration.
THE FREE MINI-COURSE IS AVAILABLE NOW TILL THE END OF AUGUST!
This free mini-course equates to 120 mins of CPD activity and comes complete with the following features
- Test your Learning quizzes after each session to reinforce learning
- Certificate of completion
- CPD Documentation and Reflection
- Resources from experts
TOPIC 1: Vitamin D, Coronavirus, and other Non-Bone Diseases
Prof Peter Ebeling AO – Medical Director, Osteoporosis Australia; Endocrinologist, Head of the Department of Medicine, Monash Health
Scientific research is steadily revealing the role that this important substance potentially plays in modulating chronic disease. Recently, the importance of Vit D has been revealed regarding susceptibility to respiratory tract infections and hence Covid 19. There are even possible links with regard to cancer risk. Prof Ebeling is a leading expert on Vit D, he will describe some of the fascinating evidence and clinical implications.
TOPIC 2: Osteoporosis and the Role of Fracture Liaison Services
Klaus Sommer: Endocrine Clinical Nurse Consultant, Concord Hospital, Sydney
It is estimated that by 2022 approximately 72% of women and 62% of men older than 50 years of age will have osteoporosis or osteopenia, according to WHO criteria. It is therefore a major public health issue. In this nurse led presentation, Klaus Sommer, an Endocrine Clinical Nurse Consultant at Concord Hospital, provides a comprehensive outline of osteoporosis, including its consequences on patients and public health implications, as well as highlighting multidisciplinary components required for a successful Fracture Liaison Service (FLS). He also discusses the role of nurses in these services and the effects of COVID-19.
TOPIC 3: Vitamin D: Bones and Beyond
Dr Christian Girgis: Endocrinologist; Senior Lecturer, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney
Around 1 in 3 Australians are vitamin D deficient, with around 4% being severely deficient. In this presentation, Dr Christian Girgis, Staff Specialist Endocrinology at Westmead and Royal North Shore Hospitals and Senior Lecturer at Sydney Medical School, the University of Sydney, uses relevant studies and data to discuss the importance of vitamin D on musculoskeletal health, effects of vitamin D deficiency on high risk groups, the relationship between chronic diseases and vitamin D, as well as various vitamin D treatments.
TOPIC 4: Can I Get Enough Vitamin D from Diet Alone?
Melanie McGrice: Fertility and Prenatal Dietitian; Media Spokesperson, Dietitian’s Association of Australia
Throughout life, vitamin D plays an important role in skeletal and possibly extra-skeletal health. This talk will highlight the dietary requirements not only of vitamin D, but other important dietary factors to ensure optimal bone health in childhood and adult life. McGrice will cover how to meet dietary requirements for vitamin D with food, how to meet dietary requirements for iron with food, foods that inhibit iron absorption, life stages that require increases in vitamin D, iron and iodine and the top food sources of iodine.
ENROL FOR THIS FREE MINI-COURSE HERE
This post was sponsored by Heathed for Nurses.