If you want to work in healthcare or are currently enrolled in a degree program, you may wonder what certifications and requirements you need to meet. You may or may not have encountered the acronym ACLS during your search. Whether or not you have encountered it, it does not diminish its significance or the importance of knowing about it. In this article, we will explain this certificate and the people that need it.
What Is ACLS Certification?
ACLS, or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, is a course that provides aspiring healthcare professionals with the knowledge and certification they need to excel in the medical field. It is a comprehensive classroom course that teaches medical professionals how to respond to patients who have gone into cardiac arrest. The course teaches medical team communication and dynamics by combining classroom and online learning techniques. ACLS certification is required for many jobs in the healthcare field, including nursing.
The Advanced Cardiac Life Support course is for people who are directly or indirectly involved in managing and solving cardiovascular emergencies, cardiopulmonary arrests, or other emergencies.
What Does the ACLS Course Cover?
Life support during cardiovascular emergencies necessitates extensive knowledge of the subject. Background medical knowledge is insufficient; therefore, gaining additional knowledge would allow you to perform effectively. Individuals outside the health care sector may find that certification in introductory life support courses (BLS) is sufficient, but learning extensive and advanced techniques is required for those working in it.
So, what exactly does ACLS teach? If you’ve decided to go a step further and take an ACLS course, you should know that it’s not the same as a BLS course. The BLS course covers some fundamental medical conditions and procedures, whereas the ACLS course covers more advanced medical procedures and conditions.
ACLS simply expands on BLS knowledge and takes it to the next level. Enrolling in an accredited ACLS certification course gives you access to instructor-led demonstrations, workbooks, and interactive learning sessions that teach the invasive procedures required of advanced healthcare professionals. ACLS courses include group sessions, case-based scenario presentations, and learning stations.
The courses are set up so that people can participate in active, hands-on sessions where they can learn techniques that will help them become competent in a reasonable amount of time.
The American Health Society approves the ACLS certification courses, which teach people about essential changes in how to help people with heart attacks. The course covers important information, such as how to do chest compressions, handle a cardiac or respiratory arrest, and recognize an emergency. It also covers peri-arrest conditions, heart attacks, and the use of bag-mask devices. Other topics covered include resuscitation team dynamics, airway management, and pharmacology, which includes stroke and acute coronary syndrome management.
Depending on your instructor, the course may offer two learning formats. While one format aims to supplement BLS standards in respiratory and cardiovascular emergencies, the other uses e-simulation technology to allow attendees to assist patients in a virtual healthcare environment at their own pace.
Participants would have gained advanced knowledge to be able to perform invasive procedures and manage severe respiratory and cardiovascular issues by the end of the course. They would also have learned how to save patients’ lives and improve their outcomes in critical situations. Participants who complete the course are given a course completion card that is valid for two years.
Who Needs ACLS Certification?
People who do not work in the medical field are unlikely to obtain an advanced cardiovascular life support certificate. Simple CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training obtained through basic life training would suffice for people who are not involved in responding to cardiovascular emergencies.
Because ACLS courses provide advanced knowledge of basic life support skills, the question arises of who needs ACLS certification. Those who manage or supervise cardiovascular emergencies must be ACLS certified. ACLS training and certification are demanded for healthcare professionals working in emergency departments.
ACLS training is required for doctors and nurses working in emergency rooms. Because of the nature of the care they provide, nurses are more needed to have this certification than doctors. Nurses spend more time with patients than doctors in hospitals and nursing homes, where their assistance is most needed, and cardiovascular emergencies are more likely to occur. In such cases, they will almost certainly be the first responders to cardiac arrests and other emergencies. Since they are more likely to be in these situations, they need to know more about how to save lives.
If you want to help people in the medical field, you must have the proper training and credentials. ACLS certification courses are generally required by healthcare professionals working in emergency or critical care units. They are designed to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge of skills and techniques for adequately arresting cardiovascular emergencies. Finding the right instructor or an accredited ACLS certification course for your certification and expertise is critical.