Credit

• Classroom method:  No formal credit for continuing education has been received for classroom version of this program, but nursing contact hours are being sought.  A letter of attendance documenting the hours of training will be provided upon request for to qualified healthcare professionals who complete the course.
  
• Computerized method:  Continuing medical education credit is already declared for physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.
  
• NJ paramedics receive credit through their MICU Clinical Coordinator.
• ACLS does not qualify for NJ EMT CEU credit.

Description
The goal of the American Heart Association ACLS program is to reduce death and disability for patients who suffer cardiovascular emergencies such as cardiac arrest, acute coronary syndromes, or stroke.  Such patients need well-coordinated interdisciplinary teams for optimal treatment and outcome.  Prompt, prioritized, and coordinated team-orientede care is the cornerstone of the ACLS educational objectives.  The course is intended to review, for qualified healthcare providers, the essential knowledge and skills needed to perform the early phases of an actual resuscitation.  However, successful course completion does not guarantee or certify that the participant will be able to adequately perform advanced life support skills in an actual emergency.

The core presentations and practice of the ACLS Refresher course is completed in either of two ways.

1. CLASSROOM:  In a one-day instructor-led classroom setting with traditional written, ECG, and MegaCode evaluations.
   
2. COMPUTER-ASSISTED:  Computerized self-review and practice by appointment using the HeartCode ACLS product.  This is completed on a special computer at EMS & Trauma Education only.  The main advantages of this method are the convenience of scheduling flexibility and custom course length--you take as much or as little time as you need to complete the course requirements and it can be done in sections.  Our experience so far is that ACLS-experienced students complete the program in four to six hours.  The maximum computer time allowed is 32 hours.  Internet-based ACLS coursework will not be accepted as a substitute.  (Buyer beware:  There are many Internet-based programs that give "ACLS cards" which are not acceptable to many institutions and regulatory entities.  The American Heart Association ACLS product is the universally accepted credential of its type.)  Students will attend a separate ECG and MegaCode evaluation session with an instructor in conjunction on established ACLS dates (see below).  Students may mutually arrange a private appointment for evaluation at additional charge.  These deadlines apply to the computerized renewal option:
   
• Computer coursework must be completed within 30 calendar days once started.
• Skills evaluation must occur within 45 calendar days of completion of computer coursework.
• Computer and skill activities must be completed before current ACLS card expires, if that occurs before the time frames above.
  

Prerequisites

• Applicants must have a current ACLS Provider and  BLS for Healthcare Providers card during the entire course.  Proof of current BLS and ACLS status must be submitted with registration in order to be enrolled.  
  
• Applicants must be physically able to adequately demonstrate BLS skills in class, even with a current BLS card.
  
• Candidates for the course must be an advanced life support provider (e.g., physician, emergency or critical care nurse, paramedic, physician assistant, etc.) who either will direct or participate in an adult's resuscitation as part of their daily occupation or routine clinical activities.  Other health professionals may attend at the discretion of the Course Coordinator.
• Our program expects students to have strong abilities in static and dynamic Lead II ECG interpretation.  Students who cannot demonstrate adequate ECG interpretive abilities will not complete the course.  Knowledge of 12-lead EKG interpretation is helpful, but not necessary for course completion.  Applicants without strong ECG interpreting experience should not enroll.
• There are several good ECG books.  We have good experiences with Basic Arrhythmias written by Gail Walraven (ISBN: 0-13-117591-2) and published by Prentice Hall.  Click here for more on this publication.
• Participants must be familiar with the actions and dosing of primary emergency drugs.
• Participants must have access to a Windows-based PC with CD-ROM capability to do the precourse homework.
  

Date(s) & Time(s) for 2008

ACLS Refresher References
To view and read the following information, you may need the Adobe Acrobat Reader:

• Guidelines 2005 ECC algorithm summary
  
• American Heart Association 2005 Guidelines for Emergency Cardiovascular Care
• Winter 2005 issue of AHA Currents Newsletter which contains a summary of the updated guidelines for ECC
  
• AHA ACLS science update video
  

• Optional lectures are free to enrolled students, but pre-registration is required.
• $125.00 registration fee for either the classroom or HeartCode ACLS Refresher courses
• Additional $75.00 for the optional private evaluation by mutually arranged appointment only
• Course materials available for purchase
• Replacement ACLS Provider Manual $28.50
• ECC Handbook $12.95
• We do not sell the other ACLS additional materials, but they are available from the AHA designated vendors.
  

Click here for AHA Disclaimer.