ACLS & circulating

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Specializes in L&D.

Are LDRP nurses out there required to have their ACLS certification? I've worked in two smaller facilities and didn't need it! But I am required to get it for a job now, just wondering about other LDRP nurses, does management let you get by with just BLS & NRP & AWHONN?

also are you required to circulate & be the OR nurse during cesarean deliveries?

Both of the smaller facilities I've been at did not require you to circulate in the OR, as the LDRP RN we are expected to catch and resuscitate the baby. Is it only bigger facilities that require the LDRP RN to circulate?

just curious on other nurses experiences!

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I have been told by facilities that required it that we have to have it because we recover patients in the PACU, not for the circulating in the OR part. Most facilities that have the nurses recover in the PACU are starting to require it, I think it may be a joint commission thing, not sure.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

As Quazar mentioned, ACLS is required for post-anesthesia recovery. This is a requirement by TJC, CMS, and I'm sure recommended by AORN.

I've worked in both types of places: facilities where surgeries are staffed by the OR crew, not OB; and other facilities where the OB nurse circulates for C/S and then does the post-anesthesia recovery of the mom afterwards. It's usually, but not always, determined by the size of the facility and/or how many births are done there. Hospitals that do more births will typically have a dedicated OR on the OB unit, and the OB nurses circulate/recover C/S and other procedures (BTLs, SOs, etc).

My current facility is small, but I'd like to see the OB nurses start to do their own surgeries/recovery in the future. This will require all the L&D nurses go through ACLS.

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As Quazar mentioned, ACLS is required for post-anesthesia recovery. This is a requirement by TJC, CMS, and I'm sure recommended by AORN.
Ah, this is helpful to know, thank you. I've always circulated and recovered my own c/s, but just in the past maybe 2-3 years was required to get ACLS. Is it a relatively new absolute requirement?
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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
As Quazar mentioned, ACLS is required for post-anesthesia recovery. This is a requirement by TJC, CMS, and I'm sure recommended by AORN.

More likely ASPAN than AORN. Not sure that AORN has much for outside of the OR itself.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Ah, this is helpful to know, thank you. I've always circulated and recovered my own c/s, but just in the past maybe 2-3 years was required to get ACLS. Is it a relatively new absolute requirement?

I don't think it's particularly new. I had to take ACLS back in 2010 in preparation for our unit taking over C/S circulation and recovery.

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I don't think it's particularly new. I had to take ACLS back in 2010 in preparation for our unit taking over C/S circulation and recovery.
I guess my old hospital was just really behind, then. Not entirely shocking, though. At any rate, yeah, it's become standard for L&D nurses to have ACLS from what I'm seeing in the markets and what my peers are saying, and of course, this post.
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Specializes in L&D.

Neither place where I've worked l&d ( where we also have our own OR suite and circulate and recover our own patients) do they require ACLS. I am certified though because I worked a small 6 month stent in PACU, so just keep it up every 2 years.

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Specializes in LDRP.

We are required to have it. Like others said, it is for PACU. We have some newer nurses that haven't gotten it yet and they aren't allowed to do PACU until they have ACLS. We have a few nurses that only do Postpartum (L&D, antepartum and PP are all one unit), and they only need BLS. All the hospitals in my area require L&D nurses to circulate and recover C-sections. I work in a large teaching hospital, but the smaller hospitals around me do it too.

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I work at a 300-400 del/mo facility.

We are required to cross train to all areas except NICU. We circulate for sections. We have a transition RN come to the OR w/RT. We train to scrub in and scrub in 1x a year min. We are required to have ACLS to recover patients who have had general anesthesia.

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Specializes in L&D.

Thank you for the insight everyone.

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