ACLS next week

brownbook · Jan 23, 2016

I hope, believe, you will be surprised and pleased when you take the class.

The instructor must, should, will, ask the students what their background is. Newish students who don't work acute care, don't work cardiac units, have never taken ACLS should be (will be) treated different than students who are paramedics or work ER.

It is the same as you teaching a patient....you would teach a newly diagnosed Chron's patient differently than you would someone who has had Chron's for years!

The emphasis will be keeping the patient alive until paramedics or the code team arrive. If you can remember to, 1st) call a code, or 911, or whatever your clinic does and be yelling for help from co-workers. 2) Getting the AED (I hope your clinic has one?) or having a co-worker get the AED (and knowing how to use it which will be emphasized in ACLS). 3) Giving good basic CPR, chest compressions and breaths.

Honestly that is it, 3 key steps can keep a patient alive. Notice no mention of rhythms......or drugs!

Yes to pass ACLS you will need to know the drugs, (and there are so few now). The emphasis on rhythms are is it too slow...what do you do...is it too fast...what do you do. I have not heard Wenkeback, Mobitz I and II mentioned for years in ACLS. Simply...too fast..what do I do....too slow what do I do.

In a code you do not want to be staring at a cardiac monitor and interpreting what rhythm it is!

I don't know...maybe I'm just lucky I live in laid back California?

RescueNinjaKy · Jan 23, 2016

Basically know which one are shockable rhythm. Vfib and pulse less vtach are shock right away. Also your crash carts should have the algorithms on it.

For either svt or extreme Brady you gotta know if they're stable or not. If they're not stable then cardiovert or pace them. If they're stable then you can try the medications first. If they have a change in rhythm where they go from svt to vfib then you change algorithm straight to the cardiac arrest one and you shock right away.

ED Nurse, RN · Jan 23, 2016

I hope, believe, you will be surprised and pleased when you take the class.
The instructor must, should, will, ask the students what their background is. Newish students who don't work acute care, don't work cardiac units, have never taken ACLS should be (will be) treated different than students who are paramedics or work ER.
It is the same as you teaching a patient....you would teach a newly diagnosed Chron's patient differently than you would someone who has had Chron's for years!
The emphasis will be keeping the patient alive until paramedics or the code team arrive. If you can remember to, 1st) call a code, or 911, or whatever your clinic does and be yelling for help from co-workers. 2) Getting the AED (I hope your clinic has one?) or having a co-worker get the AED (and knowing how to use it which will be emphasized in ACLS). 3) Giving good basic CPR, chest compressions and breaths.
Honestly that is it, 3 key steps can keep a patient alive. Notice no mention of rhythms......or drugs!
Yes to pass ACLS you will need to know the drugs, (and there are so few now). The emphasis on rhythms are is it too slow...what do you do...is it too fast...what do you do. I have not heard Wenkeback, Mobitz I and II mentioned for years in ACLS. Simply...too fast..what do I do....too slow what do I do.
In a code you do not want to be staring at a cardiac monitor and interpreting what rhythm it is!
I don't know...maybe I'm just lucky I live in laid back California?

I'm an ACLS instructor, actually training site faculty. I do NOT treat people differently depending on where they work. ACLS needs to be taught the same across the board and you need to understand the concepts no matter where you work. I think it's even more important actually for those who don't use ACLS on a regular basis to have a better understanding bc if someone codes in your area and no one is used to running a code, it will be a disaster- having ACLS and knowing how to follow the algorithm and what to do will make a world of difference.

OP please don't go into this thinking you don't need to know everything or have a working understanding of the class bc you do- study hard, ask questions, and don't leave until you feel competent to do this. I can't tell you how many codes I've been in where I'm running it bc the MD that's there doesn't know what to do bc they don't do it often. ACLS is serious, and being lucky enough to take this course, get everything you can out of it.