Should OR RN's be ACLS/PALS certified?

Specialties Operating Room

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Ok, remembering that I work PACU my question occurs because out hospital has determined that it is unecessary for the OR nurses to take ACLS etc, except for BLS(basic life support) since there is an anesthesiologist in the room. This is purely a cost cutting matter we believe. Whats up in your neck of the woods? We are a 290 bed acute care facility averaging 15 cases(give or take) a day.

Thanks,

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There is an ER Doc in the room during emergencies in the ER, and they still require the nurses there to be certified. ACLS isn't just about intubation. Same with PALS.

I actually have ACLS, PALS, and NRP. I used to work NICU and still keep it up when working OR as you can get newborns into surgery for an emergent procedure at any time.

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Exactly Suzanne! Just because the nurse doesn't intubate, he/she must still know WHAT is being done to the pt and how to assist or even run the code if there is an unusual occurence (say the anesthesiologist has a MI...)

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

Not required here. I did go through the ACLS and let it expire because no reason to have it. I have been around long enough if my gas passer drops dead I think I know what to do. Mike

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Not required here. I did go through the ACLS and let it expire because no reason to have it. I have been around long enough if my gas passer drops dead I think I know what to do. Mike

So do you still review updated ACLS protocols...that is, w/o bothering to get the certification?

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Specializes in Operating Room,, Plastic Surgery.
Not required here. I did go through the ACLS and let it expire because no reason to have it. I have been around long enough if my gas passer drops dead I think I know what to do. Mike

no flames please

Big syringe, little syringe, little syringe, turn on gas.... read magazine tease circulator...turn off gas...PRAY :rotfl:

marci

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Yes, I feel all OR Registered Nurses should be ACLS/PALS certified. I am a PACU RN, so I have had plenty of experiences with patients coding in the OR. The alarm rings and the light flashes in the PACU when there is a code. This is our signal to assist in the OR. The problem I have with this is that we are very busy in PACU with our patients and it can be very difficult to drop whatever we may be in the middle of to help. I say this because sometimes out patients are experiencing problems and need a nurse at the bedside. Plus, I can't stand it when I get in the OR and may of the RN's are just standing around because they don't know how to assist me..they need to be able to help if necessary. I feel this certification is an extra safety precaution for patients and staff.

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

lifeisbeautiful, don't take this wrong but it seems to me you have a lot of stupid RNs working back in the OR. None of the nurses I work with would be "standing" around waiting to be rescued by the PACU. Sorry, just sounds dumb. Mike

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lifeisbeautiful, don't take this wrong but it seems to me you have a lot of stupid RNs working back in the OR. None of the nurses I work with would be "standing" around waiting to be rescued by the PACU. Sorry, just sounds dumb. Mike

Mike,

I work with some real doosies in the OR. Thats probably why I asked the original question. These nurses DO stand around and wait to be rescued. They have no clue beyond their "little box of comfort".

You happen to work with nurses with minds(lucky you!) :)

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lifeisbeautiful, don't take this wrong but it seems to me you have a lot of stupid RNs working back in the OR. None of the nurses I work with would be "standing" around waiting to be rescued by the PACU. Sorry, just sounds dumb. Mike

No Mike, the RNs are not "stupid" as you called them, they are not certified. If the OR Nurses began administering drugs during a code and they are not certified, they are working outside their legal scope of practice! The OR nurses have to "stand around waiting to be rescued by the PACU" because it is the hospitals policy that OR nurses DO NOT have to be ACLS certified. They don't have a choice.Yes it is dumb policy and I hate practically abandoning my patient in PACU to help the OR with the code! I don't know about you, but I certainly wouldn't want an RN pushing drugs into me that isn't certified to do so.

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It's not stupidity that I see as a problem, but lack of motivation. I fault the hospital though for not providing the need to certify(and re-cert). Just having the class doesn't actually "Certify" one, it just helps provide a sense of competence/confidence that one can assist in the BEST and most current way as possible. It doesn't help that every single year the AHA changes a drug or dose or some minor number(so as to sell the new updated books)

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I know I'm going to here a lot of negatives about this but...

The more sh** you know, the more sh** you get. I worked at a facility that wanted the OR nurses to get ACLS so they could bill the patient for the sedation instead of anesthesia billing. At the time, they also wanted the same nurse to monitor the patient and circulate. That, to me, is just a disaster waiting to happen. I went from the ICU to the OR (a long time ago). I decided to let my ACLS lapse. We are put in enough difficult situations every day without looking for trouble.

Anesthesia where I work is great. Together, we can handle any situation we need to.

In the facility where I work, we rarely have a code in the OR. When we do, we almost never call the code team. They are called "the fleas" for the way they come from nowhere and attack (teaching facility). In the past year, at a trauma center, I have had maybe two codes. I'm not attacking, but your post sounded like this was not a rare occurance where you are working. Maybe the problem is bigger than the OR nurses not having ACLS cert.

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