ACLS

Nurses General Nursing

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Im interested in learning more about ACLS certification. Who can take this class, how long is it, how much, etc. Can student nurses or new graduate nurses take this class?

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Anyone with a CPR BLS card can take ACLS, whether or not it will be useful is another story. It's usually a one or two day course depending on who you take it through. Just search "ACLS (your city)" in google and you should find plenty of places to get it. The cost of the course is usually around $250 or so...

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Specializes in L&D, Antepartum, Adult Critical Care.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), can be obtained in any matter of ways, including online. You do not have to be a nurse to complete the training. You do however have to have the appropriate credentials to administer medications :-)

Courses are available online for a nice fee, study is independent and you take a timed test, online. Most hospitals offer courses at little to no cost to their employees. This type is recommended for the less experienced trainer as it provides hands on simulation and one has the opportunity to ask questions and engage in stimulating discussions with the instructor(s) and/or other attendants. First time certification in a real time classroom is over a period of two days. You must also have some basic EKG education as cardiac strips are part of the written test.

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The AHA website outlines the course very well.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/HealthcareTraining/AdvancedCardiovascularLifeSupportACLS/Advanced-Cardiovascular-Life-Support-ACLS_UCM_001280_SubHomePage.jsp

It is a two day course but there are expectations that you have done your homework before going to class. This includes having a thorough recognition and understanding of the basic cardiac rhythms and the pharmacology. The course will then present an overview of the sequences for each cardiac emergency. The class does not allow time for actual teaching of the basic components such as ECG interpretation or an indepth discussion about each medication used. While the class is relatively easy to pass, they will not pass you if you are not prepared.

But, there are also prep courses which you can take for the ECG and pharmacology portion which you will also find on the AHA or heart.org website. This may include online classes.

CPR is a big emphasis in the new ACLS course but very simplified now and actually teaches proper BVM use rather than just messing around with a laryngoscope and intubation head.

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http://www.onlineaha.org/ holds the American Heart Association's online classes. You can get to the above website through heart.org that GreyGull listed. I took the 'Learn: Rhythm Adult' online class before taking an ACLS class through the hospital where I work. The AHA course was excellent.

They also have an online ACLS course. I'm pretty certain you would be required to do the "mega code" through a facility approved by them if you took that online.

http://www.onlineaha.org/pdf/HC_ACLS_LEARN_MORE.pdf has more information about the AHA ACLS program.

As a side note, the hospital where I work limits ACLS courses to "medical professionals". Not sure if it's limited due to AHA or just what our facility looks for.

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Specializes in ICU.

One of my nursing instructors offered ACLS instruction as part of our program. After I graduated I came back the next week for 2 days and did ACLS. So I had it before I took my boards. It actually helped me learn the cardiac rhythms well, and it also looked good on my resume. When I got hired it was in a position where I had to have it and my boss was impressed that I already had it.

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Specializes in Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN).

I see that there are a number of companies that offer online-only ACLS training. But is there also a hands-on simulation required for certification, too?

I'm thinking about doing an ACLS at my own expense to strengthen my resume, as I've been out of school with a BSN/RN for 9 months now, and still not hired for an acute care position.

Finally, any more suggestions about pre-ACLS prep classes for cardiac rhythms and pharmacology would be appreciated.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
I see that there are a number of companies that offer online-only ACLS training. But is there also a hands-on simulation required for certification, too?

From what I understand, the online-only ACLS courses will not earn you an AHA ACLS certification. Some online providers will be very upfront with that information on their websites, while others won't. In order to earn AHA certification, you must do the in-person megacode.

ETA: For the class I took--a private provider--we were required to do the pre-assessment online from the AHA. That is where you can learn/review the rhythms and pharmacology. I was also provided a pharm and EKG book by the class provider, along with the ACLS algorithm book.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I just got my ACLS yesterday through my hospital. It was free, although the book was $35. Our instructor was awesome. I think the mega code was a good thing. It put the pieces into place.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Rehab.

I took the ACLS course right before I graduated. It was a good time to take the course because I had just finished my cardiac lectures and was able to ace the mega code. The instructor was actually impressed that I was a new nurse! I paid $225 plus $50 or so for the book. Can't say it helped me find a job though - I work in a SNF now and they don't even require ACLS. I'm still glad I have it though.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

having read all previous post, i must say i do agree with most of them. having said that, in the facility where i work you are required to have cpr certification, and if you work in any of the specialties depts. you need the acls certification, which they offer free to our employees. on a interesting note, our facility has the acls certification review course, which you take on line, then the mega code with the instructor. furthermore, then every staff from doctors , nurses and a few rt's take the test at the same time. it strikes me funny at times when some physicians don't pass and we nurses always do :yeah:

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A related story...

Some of my classmates were very weirdly gung ho about getting their ACLS. They got their ACLS card even before we studied normal EKGs and arrhythmias in class. They were quite proud of themselves. My professor singled them out during lecture and they were completely silent on even the most basic questions, such as what drugs are used to treat V-fib. Whatever they did to pass the ACLS course obviously did not garner them anything useful.

Make sure you have a foundation in CPR, basic EKG and knowledge of anti-arrhythmic drugs before paying for a class.

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