ACLS Heartcode via AHA?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Has anyone tried this online course? The skills portion still is hands on through an approved instructor near where you live, however this is quite challenging!

I do love it, but it plays out like a real patient and you have to choose everything for that patient. We are not doctors, but this plays out like we are, which is pretty fun. It's expected you do everything in order from A - Z. Very interesting! I haven't gotten to the end yet, where I'm tested, but each scenario you have to pass before you can go onto the next. I'm currently on one and each time I reattempt, it's a new scenario. It's just the coolest thing. For someone like me, I learn best when I'm on my own and can go over and over it without pressure from a group. This is awesome.

Specializes in critical care, Med-Surg.

From what she said (and this was prob a secretary? ), I am thinking they need to see you be able to do BLS Survey skills, i.e., effective compressions. Not sure. She just said "demonstrate CPR".

But she was emphatic about "No drugs, no code, you already did that. You will just need to choose an know how to insert the airways."

I didn't have to choose who did skills check. I signed up thru hospital training center, and they just provide and schedule it. I'll let you know what happens at skills check tomorrow.

Specializes in ER.
From what she said (and this was prob a secretary? ), I am thinking they need to see you be able to do BLS Survey skills, i.e., effective compressions. Not sure. She just said "demonstrate CPR".

But she was emphatic about "No drugs, no code, you already did that. You will just need to choose an know how to insert the airways."

I didn't have to choose who did skills check. I signed up thru hospital training center, and they just provide and schedule it. I'll let you know what happens at skills check tomorrow.

I'll have to choose who will check me off from a list provided on the AHA website, there are about 10 places around where I live, so who to choose will probably determine how quickly I can get this done. Was this through your hospital? I will take some time, I think I have 90 days.... I'm already lapsed, so I guess doesn't really matter now!

Good luck and look forward to hearing all about it!

Specializes in critical care, Med-Surg.

SKills check was pretty much as I was told. Demonstrate one rescuer CPR, followed by rescue breathing after the pt. developed a pulse.

Insert OPA and NPA.

Nothin' to it!

That's all we have available to us. I think it's fine for renewals, but I desperately wish I could have taken a live, in-person class for my initial ACLS cert because then I could have asked questions. I also absolutely LOATHE the fact that I can't PRINT the manual to read away from the computer, and how very difficult it is to refer to the reference materials while in the program.

Specializes in critical care, Med-Surg.

I had the SAME complaint about not being provided with a manual. So I spent $30 something bucks and bought one from Barnes and Noble. That was the ONE criticism I listed on the post course eval.

I felt like the manual provided me w a greater ability to answer most of my questions. But at skills check, they were definitely available and willing to answer any lingering questions.

"But at skills check, they were definitely available and willing to answer any lingering questions."

Yeah, but at skills check, you're pretty much done, and only have to demonstrate the ability to do rapid, high-quality compressions, and adequately use bvm on a dummy, which is not 100% completely unlike using one on a person, but close. I could have asked questions, but the fellow running our skills check, though very nice, hasn't worked at the bedside in more than a decade, and I'm not even sure where he worked then. I was able to ask a couple people from work with way more xp/knowledge when I had questions, and I was lucky to have an ACLS instructor as a co-worker. Still, I think it's an inherent flaw in the program. Not everyone works with an instructor.

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