The Vital Glutes: Assessment, Activation, and Treatment Techniques (CNE)
Course Description
This course helps nurses understand why the gluteal muscles matter in everyday clinical care. Gluteal function influences standing, transfers, gait, stair use, pelvic control, balance, fall risk, low back and hip symptoms, knee and ankle loading, mobility confidence, and discharge readiness. Patients rarely present by saying that their glutes are weak or inhibited; they are more likely to report pain, instability, reduced walking tolerance, difficulty rising from a chair, repeated falls, or loss of confidence with movement.
The course translates assessment, activation, and treatment principles into nursing-relevant clinical literacy. It does not aim to train nurses as physical therapists or authorise specialist rehabilitation outside local scope. Instead, it supports better movement observation, clearer documentation, safer patient education, stronger referral decisions, and more coordinated care for patients whose function may be affected by gluteal weakness, inhibition, pain, deconditioning, or compensatory movement patterns.
What You Will Learn
Functional Anatomy
Understand the practical roles of the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus in hip extension, pelvic stability, gait, stair climbing, and safe transfers.
Movement Observation
Recognise nursing-observable patterns such as difficulty standing, pelvic drop, guarded gait, poor sit-to-stand control, fatigue, imbalance, or compensation through the back, knee, ankle, or foot.
Safety and Scope
Clarify when nurses may reinforce agreed mobility guidance, when further assessment is needed, and when specialist exercise prescription or manual therapy should remain with appropriately qualified clinicians.
Referral and Care Coordination
Improve documentation, handover, patient education, falls awareness, rehabilitation referral quality, and interdisciplinary communication around functional mobility concerns.
Course Pathway
The learning pathway moves from gluteal anatomy and clinical relevance into movement patterns, inhibition, pain, function, activation principles, regional connections, balance, referral, and case-based integration.
Important scope note: Nursing scope varies by country, region, register, employer policy, job role, training, competence, consent requirements, supervision arrangements, and indemnity or insurance. Some nurses may be authorised to perform selected movement support, exercise reinforcement, or rehabilitation-related education in specific settings. Others may not. Learners must follow the requirements that apply to their own professional role and location.
Who This Course Is For
This course is suitable for nurses working in clinical practice, rehabilitation, orthopaedics, primary care, pain management, community care, aged care, falls prevention, wellness, sports-informed care, and interdisciplinary settings. It is especially relevant for nurses who observe patients moving during routine care and want to connect gluteal function with mobility, balance, pain presentation, fall risk, discharge planning, referral quality, and patient education.
About the Presenter
Dr. Elizabeth Wagner, DPT, is a highly accomplished physical therapist with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Washington and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Puget Sound. Her clinical background includes movement assessment, rehabilitation, patient education, and practical strategies for improving function and outcomes.
Dr. Wagner brings a clear, clinically grounded teaching style to NAT Global Campus, helping learners connect anatomy, movement, activation principles, pain patterns, and functional recovery with real patient care.
In support of improving patient care, this course has been planned and implemented by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and Neil Asher. AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare 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 activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 3.00 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.