Receiving Advanced Life Support (ALS) training is a part of every healthcare provider’s career track. Allied health professionals who work in organized medical environments are typically required to receive training in either Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), depending on what area of the hospital or healthcare facility they are assigned in.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) is by far the more popular choice, because it is an Advanced Life Support program that focuses on adult victims. In a hospital, most wards and areas contain adult patients but only one area is designated as the pediatric ward; hence, more students apply to take ACLS training over PALS training.
Saskatoon First Aid offers both kinds of ALS training, including basic-level CPR – CPR levels A and C. You can sign up for any of these programs with the form below, or if you need more information, just contact us via e-mail, telephone, or a visit in person!
Advanced Adult CPR Management
Advanced Life Support is a training program designed to introduce the concept of organized medical management of cardiorespiratory emergencies to students. While basic CPR courses available at Saskatoon First Aid focus on management outside of an organized medical environment, advanced training focuses on in-hospital type of cardiorespiratory care.
The ACLS program specifically focuses on management of adult cases. It is a long program; students complete it in two days over approximately 12 hours. We also have an ACLS refresher course available, which is around 5 to 6.5 hours long. We introduce students to topics such as:
- Updates to the 2010 CPR and ECC guidelines
- Team dynamics involved in a resuscitation team
- Cardiac pharmacology (adult dosages)
- Chest compressions and ventilation skills for adult victims
- Automated external defibrillation (AED) for adult victims
Note that all these topics are tailored for emergency management in a set-up with available equipment and medication.
Your Training Certificate in ACLS
An ACLS training credential or certificate is valid for a full 36 months. After mailing in their permanent certificates, we remind trainees to enroll in an ACLS refresher program before the certificate expires. Refresher programs are updated training classes that students need to take in order to receive a new training certificate, valid for another 36 months
To receive a training credential, the student must meet the following requirements:
- Complete attendance
- Passing grade on the written test
- Passing grade on the skills test
Also, all enrollees of Saskatoon First Aid’s ACLS program are required to have Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers training and certificates (also known as CPR Level C).
Getting started with your training: The Crash Cart
In a hospital set-up, the most important piece of equipment you should familiarize yourself with is the crash cart. It is used primarily during “codes”, which is medical lingo for a cardiac/respiratory emergency, usually cardiac arrest. It contains the defibrillator, bag valve masks, and cardiac and respiratory meds used during a cardiorespiratory emergency. We introduce this topic in an ACLS course.