Do you have to be ACLS certified to give conscio conscious sedation?

debbyed · Feb 20, 2002

Although we are in the process of having all of our Emergency Room nurses ACLS certified it is not necessary to do Moderate (Conscious) Sedation. However, that said, Every year we have mandatory education requirements and competencies. Moderate Sedation is always amoung them.

:)

sharann, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2002

I would hope you'd want to be. If you give CS or any heavy sedation, you want to know how to handle a code. CPR wont always do the trick (alone). ACLS doesn't mean you are "more skilled" at nursing, it just give you an edge and is a means of keeping competencies up. I wouldn't think of giving CS without ACLS. If theres a crash cart around, you should know how to use everything in it (or be very familiar with the parts).

NurseDennie, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2002

I'll bet it boils down to a $$$ issue. When I was on the floor, the job didn't require ACLS so the hospital wouldn't provide it - only the BLS.

On the floor, I assisted in CS several times. Everybody involved knows how to call a code if necessary, *and* everybody is familiar with the crash carts. I work in research now, not patient care, but I redo my competencies for a code every year at the least. CS is part of the competencies.

I work in an entirely different building to the hospital, where a crash cart isn't even available. But I go and attend the safety fairs just in case something happens when I'm at the hospital, I don't want to be standing around with my thumb up my nose.

But... my original point is that you don't need ACLS to start a code or work on most floors, and they do quite a bit of CS on the floors.

Love

Dennie

MLL · Apr 1, 2002

I work in the Endoscopy unit of a hospital. Although I am ACLS certified, most of the other RNs I work with (and who also give Conscious Sedation (CS)) are not.

However, our hospital does require that we study for, and pass, a CS certification exam. This includes ALL meds used during CS, i.e. Versed, Fentanyl, Dem, etc., the titration for each, total amounts a nurse is legally allowed to give in my state, along with the reversal drugs and their titration amounts, times, etc. We are annually "checked off" on CS competency.

Due to the nature of our unit, we have a crash cart available and ready at all times, and everyone on the unit is well versed in its contents and their use.

Due to the diligent monitoring of our patients during their procedures (cardiac monitor, B/P, and O2 Sats), any deviation from their baseline VS are addressed, and immediately remedied. In the entire time I have worked in Endo we have only had to "crack a cart" once, and that was erring on the side of caution for a post bronch patient.

Have a good one!

spidermonkey · Jan 1, 2006