ACLS CERTIFICATION in OB

MercyAngels · Jul 15, 2000

Where I work ACLS (:eek is not required for LDRP nurses; we are CPR and NALS certified. I know that in states such as Texas, you are required to be ACLS certified. It's never been mentioned at the hospital where I work; hope it doesn't come!! Have a good day!

NorthernRN · Aug 16, 2000

As an RN licensed in TX, I can safely say that not all TX RN's are required to maintain ACLS creds. However, when I was an active duty Air Force OB nurse, we were required to have ACLS, BLS, and NRP. The certifications you need to maintain are going to vary by state, agency, hospital, etc.....

Pamela67 · Aug 17, 2000

It is not mandatory to have ACLS in our L & D. I do have my certification because I like to keep up some of my knowledge and skills in this area. In my facility I am required to float to other areas all throughout the hospital and have been put in some situations that could require that knowledge.

binky · Aug 17, 2000

Originally posted by MercyAngels:
Where I work ACLS (:eek is not required for LDRP nurses; we are CPR and NALS certified. I know that in states such as Texas, you are required to be ACLS certified. It's never been mentioned at the hospital where I work; hope it doesn't come!! Have a good day!

In Mississippi all RN's are require to have ACLS....ER nurses and Labor and Nursery nurses are require to have it all.....NALS, BTLS, Certifications in their area...and no more pay comes with it.....

HazeK · Aug 21, 2000

***Whoops! Be careful!

Everybody double-check what Joint Commission and AORN *NATIONAL* (not local) standards are!

Do you have a recovery room on your unit for post-op patients??

Do you recover post-op pts on your unit?

Does your hospital require PACU/RR nurses to be ACLS certified? If so, your facility CANNOT have a "double-standard" for nurses in OB who recover patients! It is a big "red flag" for Joint Commission evaluations to mark you down on accreditation.

We started requiring ACLS for all in L&D about five years ago...and, although it did really intimidate me the first time through, I have been thankful for it several times.

Just two years ago, one of our "low risk" moms was laboring in a birthing room, with her husband & teenage daughter as her coaches. She was tolerating early active phase of labor quite well when she got a "funny" look on her face, became acutely dyspneic, became cyanotic & arrested--all in the course of three minutes or less!

Yes, she had thrown an amniotic-fluid embolus. Yes, we coded her. Yes, we did a crash c/s in the birthing room while doing CPR with her husband & daughter standing in the hallway, nearly hysterical, in the arms of the House Supervisor & the Hospital Chaplain. Yes, we got a healthy baby boy delivered in time. And, despite broken hearts for the family, YES, WE ALL SLEPT WELL THAT NIGHT, knowing we had done EVERYTHING we could for her, following all ACLS protocols, working as a team on her behalf. I can only imagine how we would have been had we stumbled through the Code....

Suggestion: suck up your nerves & go take the course!!! it really isn't that painful!

Our hospital offers a "pre-course" called ACLS for the Anxious, that really reviews the "scary" parts & makes you feel more comfortable. Look for something like that the first time!

Go for it!

Haze :-)

LCobnurse · Aug 30, 2000

In Memphis, TN our institution recently selected a "core group" of nurses to attend a critical care obstetrical nurse conference and also to become ACLS. We are moving our unit to a free standing building and will be dependent on ourselves for critically ill patients and emergency situations. We are a high risk OB unit delivering 5800 per year! I am interested in attending, but will have to pay out of pocket. I have 8 years OB experience but was not chosen due to part time status. Has anyone attended and would they recommend?

Doey, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2000

In the hospital I work in L/D nurses are not required to be ACLS certified at this time. We just went through a joint commision survey and as far as I know nothing has been said about it. If something were to occur, an RN from critical care would be called to the unit to assist.

LuvofNursing, BSN, MSN, RN · May 30, 2009

Hello everyone!
Is your institution being required or suggesting that L/D nurses be certified in ACLS ? We just went Through Joint Commision survey and this is what they were implying. Any comments or information will greatly be appreciated.

At our hospital we ARE required to have ACLS. In my opinion, it is a good certification to have on any floor of a hospital.

LizzyL&DRN · May 30, 2009

We are required to take the new OB ACLS course that was developed by the Univerisity of Idaho in Boise. It's a great course. Our clinical educator went to Boise to get trained on becoming an instructor.

LuvofNursing, BSN, MSN, RN · May 30, 2009

We are required to take the new OB ACLS course that was developed by the Univerisity of Idaho in Boise. It's a great course. Our clinical educator went to Boise to get trained on becoming an instructor.

how would i go about finding out if there are courses available in my area? i live in stockton, california.

i think having a class like this is a great idea.

ducknurse · May 31, 2009

Any nurse that does recoveries must have ACLS at my hospital bc if the surgery/recovery standard.