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ACLS

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification is required for nurses, physicians, paramedics, and other clinical professionals working in high-acuity settings. These articles cover what ACLS involves, who needs it, how requirements vary across health systems and states, and how to stay current — whether you’re renewing for the first time or navigating a new employer’s credentialing expectations. All courses referenced meet American Heart Association® standards.

8 03, 2019

What’s the Difference Between ACLS and BLS Certification?

March 8th, 2019|ACLS, BLS, Education|

Are ACLS and BLS the same thing? The short answer is no; they differ quite a bit – specifically in the level of advancement. So, what is the difference between BLS and ACLS, and which do you need? Read on to find out.

13 02, 2019

Visual, Auditory, Reading or Kinesthetic? ACLS Instruction for Every Type of Learner

February 13th, 2019|ACLS, Education|

Getting your ACLS accreditation requires taking a multi-day class and passing both a written and a hands-on test in most cases. This is done to assure the instructors that you have the knowledge it takes to quickly respond to life-threatening emergencies and even to lead others around you in life-saving techniques. However, if you have not done well with college classes or tests in the past, you may be wondering how easy it will be to learn the information in [...]

8 02, 2019

5 Top Tips for Learning Your ACLS Algorithms

February 8th, 2019|ACLS, Classes, Education|

Are you feeling stressed and nervous about your upcoming ACLS examination? You are certainly not alone. Nearly every person who has taken this test will admit to feeling at least some nerves as they prepped for the final examination and the mega code. However, the key for most people is to have the algorithm well-memorized. When you can easily pull any algorithm out of your head and know the exact order of steps, you’ll be ready to treat your mannequin-patient [...]

6 02, 2019

Caring for a Stroke Victim Using the Suspected Stroke Algorithm

February 6th, 2019|ACLS, Advanced Nursing|

If you’ve ever known someone who has suffered from a stroke, you know that some of the symptoms can be quite visible. Now that you are a health care practitioner, you must know even more about this potentially devastating health event so that you can provide the best quality of care and the fastest help possible to your patients. The best way to get the knowledge and experience you need is to take part in ACLS training. This class [...]

1 02, 2019

Documentation During a Life-Threatening In-Hospital Event

February 1st, 2019|ACLS, Education|

When you’re busy trying to save your patient’s life, probably the last thing on your mind is paperwork. After all, if you’re like most health care practitioners, paperwork is always to be dreaded and is only done because it’s required to be completed by law. While documentation during a code certainly is required by law, you should understand that there are actually some other good reasons to get it done. In fact, it may even help you provide better [...]

30 01, 2019

Cardiac Arrest: First Steps as a Trained Professional

January 30th, 2019|ACLS, CPR Training Articles|

One of the most nerve-wracking aspects of your job as a nurse, physician or other health care provider is the fact that you will be called on regularly to save lives. No matter how well you are trained and how easily you understood and passed your ACLS training, this is still a serious situation that may leave you feeling inadequate initially. You will become acutely aware that the lives of your patients rest in your hands. However, by regularly reviewing [...]

15 01, 2019

Understanding the 2015 Changes to ACLS Guidelines

January 15th, 2019|ACLS|

The American Heart Association comes out with a new version of their guidelines for BLS and ACLS every five years. Changes to the guidelines are designed to reflect current research and care standards with an emphasis put on the ultimate survival of every patient. The most recent set of guidelines came out in 2015, and if you’ve not renewed your ACLS certification recently, you’ll definitely want to recognize these changes. Updates to AHA ACLS Guidelines In the 2015 guidelines, [...]

28 12, 2018

5 Tips for Passing Your ACLS Examination the First Time

December 28th, 2018|ACLS, Advanced Nursing, Career Programs|

It can be scary to take an Advanced Cardiac Life Support class for the first time. You may feel totally out of your element and may feel as if you know less than any of the others around you. While these feelings of low confidence are normal, you can do some things yourself to improve your experience. Specifically, you can follow these five tips to help you ace your certification exam the first time you take it. Learn to [...]

26 12, 2018

The Most Commonly Used Drugs in Advanced Cardiac Life Support

December 26th, 2018|ACLS, Advanced Nursing, Education|

When you are helping patients in a health care facility, medications become an integral part of many of your treatments. This is especially true in the case of life-threatening conditions when code blues are called. As you study your algorithms in preparation for your ACLS certification or renewal, you’ll quickly find that the following medications are frequently seen throughout many treatment pathways. Atropine Atropine is the drug of choice for improving very slow heart rates. It is used as part [...]

19 12, 2018

Best Care Practices for Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

December 19th, 2018|ACLS, Advanced Nursing, Education|

High blood pressure, coronary artery disease and a variety of other heart and blood vessel conditions may gradually cause this condition. However, the most important point for you to consider as you care for patients with this diagnosis is how you can most effectively help them regain their health and avoid sudden death, which become increasingly common with severe CHF.

    Emergency Nurses Association (ENA)   Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC)   Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)   California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN)   Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE)   California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

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