ACLS and Tele floors - Are they hand in hand?

[Crux1024]

I have some questions I'm just curious about, Looking for responses from people that are working in acute care settings.

Does your hospital require cardiac telemetry nurses to have ACLS? If they dont, what's their reasoning? Has it always been that way?

If they do require them to have it, do you agree with them having that training? Does your hospital have a specialty code response team? Do your MS Tele floors have ACLS nurses?

Thanks for any input. A local facility is changing their policy so that Cardiac tele floors do not have to have ACLS certified nurses. The nurses are allowed to have ACLS, but the hospital will no longer be paying for the training unless they are in specific areas (IICU, ICU, ER, OR, TRAUMA serv.) I can't really understand why. Wondering what others view points are.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Personally, I think your hospital is making a mistake. If you watch a monitor you better know how to intervene in the event of a code.

So, who is going to be blamed when the patient codes and there are not trained personnel to respond appropriately and in a prompt manner to avoid untoward outcomes. The hospital or the nurse who knows better.

The reason they are doing this is simply money. I would be making a call to my malpractice insurance, and the BON, to ask them this question. I wonder at the liability of the nurse who is taking care of these patients and NOT ACLS certified having the onus of responsibility to have ACLS, even at her own cost, if this is the standard of care with other "reasonable and prudent nurses".

Where does the responsibility of delay of treatment lie? Will you still be allowed to administer ACLS drugs?

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

In our facility, all floor nurses, regardless of unit, must have ACLS or PALS, depending on the patient population for that unit. Many have both.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Not a requirement at my facility for med-tele, only required for step-down and higher acuities of care. However the med-surg and med-tele nurses can voluntarily choose to take the class for a discounted price of $50