The goal of this continuing education module is to present nurses with up-to-date information about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, and its human equivalent, new-variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). This module will also provide nurses with information from The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Alert on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and explain the alert’s recommendations that must be in place to attain compliance. After studying the information presented here, you will be able to:
- Identify current methods to control the spread of BSE and vCJD into the U.S
- Discuss the prion as a new type of agent capable of causing infectious disease
- Discuss patient teaching and counseling needs related to BSE and vCJD
