Advanced Cardiac Life Support, or ACLS, is a certification that provides critical training and knowledge to healthcare professionals. ACLS builds upon prior training in basic life support (BLS) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses to teach students how to respond to adults experiencing abnormal heart rhythms, cardiac arrest, and stroke. Keep reading to learn why an ACLS certification can be beneficial, and what to expect in an ACLS course.
When to Utilize ACLS Training
ACLS may be utilized in a variety of circumstances relating to cardiovascular stress. ACLS response is essentially any sort of emergency response to these heart-related issues, including diagnoses and immediate treatment. An ACLS certification does not teach long-term treatment planning for patients with heart issues. It is an emergency certification for healthcare professionals who need to administer immediate care to someone experiencing cardiovascular problems.
Knowledge and training from an ACLS certification can be utilized in the following circumstances:
- Making an immediate response to abnormal heart rhythms/arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, pulmonary arrest, stroke, or other cardiovascular problems
- Diagnosis of a cardiovascular condition or event listed above in a non-emergency situation
- Providing a quick assessment and diagnosis on the possible etiology of an event in an emergency situation
- Increase survival rates by being able to provide immediate responses to ACLS-related emergencies
- Providing a clear perspective on how to improve a patient’s quality of life both in the long and short term.
- Providing care to patients with a clinical history of a cardiovascular condition
- Responding to emergency situations related to any events that can be identified as a result of a cardiac malfunction.
Why Receive a Certification
If you work in a medical setting as a nurse or healthcare provider, an ACLS certification will broaden your capabilities–both in your ability to provide care, and in your ability to qualify for positions that require an ACLS certification.
Many jobs in the medical care industry require an ACLS certification. This includes any medical positions in critical care or emergency units, emergency response positions, and nursing positions in cardiac-related units.
In summary, an ACLS certification will not only make you more qualified, but allow you to provide more comprehensive care to people who may be at higher risk for a cardiovascular condition. Being able to assess the symptomatology in a high pressure situation in order to provide the best possible treatment to improve the patient’s survival rates.
The two main reasons you should consider furthering your medical certification repertoire with an ACLS certification:
- Become a more skilled and knowledgeable care provider to patients that you are caring for, both in daily/long term care settings and in emergency situations.
- Become qualified for a broader range of medical positions that require the ACLS certification as a prerequisite.
What to Expect in the Course
If you have already decided that you need or want to pursue an ACLS certification, it will be helpful to know what to expect from the course. When signing up for ACLS, you can expect to take a 1-day course either in person or online, that verifies your knowledge of the course material at the end of the class
Keep in mind that an ACLS course is an advanced class designed to teach students how to respond to adults with abnormal heart rhythms, cardiac arrest, and stroke. In order to complete the course and comfortably navigate the material in an ACLS course, you will need to have completed some prerequisite courses beforehand.
The following courses are highly recommended before taking ACLS:
- ECG
Why Choose Lifesaver Education
There are many options to choose from when it comes to emergency training and certifications. Lifesaver Education is a highly recommended, well-established emergency training provider.
Lifesaver is a locally-owned company in the greater Los Angeles area. With Lifesaver, you can expect the professionalism and expertise of any top-tier training provider, with the benefits of a small-scale business. Lifesaver courses are not over-crowded or impersonal. Instead, you can expect attention and support during training courses, with additional resources such as private training lessons, tutoring, and more.
You can also enjoy the following when you choose Lifesaver for your ACLS certification:
- Easily add additional courses and certifications to your cart at registration. For ACLS training, BLS can be added for students who hold a current AHA BLS Provider card.
- Register for 1 hour of one-to-one private tutoring with a certified instructor by calling our office.
- Choose from in-person group classes, online classes, or one-to-one private training classes.
- Receive a same-day provider card after passing your certification training.
- Enjoy guidance from top-quality instructors both in the classroom and online.
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Have any questions about the ACLS course or other certifications offered by Lifesaver Education? Please feel free to contact us for more information and guidance on our emergency training courses.
