Best way to prepare for ACLS/PALS?

paccookie

paccookie

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I will be taking ACLS in March and PALS in May. What's the best way to prepare? I will have (free) access to the study guide before the class, but I'm not sure when that will be provided. It's a 2 day class through the hospital (where I work), which means it's free for me to take and I get paid to go, plus I get a raise once I complete the class, so I figured it was well-worth gaining the additional knowledge. ^_^ Now I just need to know how to best prepare myself. I've already taken a basic rhythm strip interpretation class, but I need to refresh myself on all of that. I have a book for that, so I think that's probably covered. Anyone have any advice? What do I HAVE to know when I walk in the door? I'm probably at a bit of a disadvantage over most of the people in the class since I'm an EMT-I and most of the class will be RNs and LPNs.

Thanks,
Christina
 
ACLS/PALS is all about algorhithms. Lean the algorhithms. You'll also have to learn the drugs, their dosages, side effects, contrandications, etc. You may also be in a system that hasn't adopted the new ACLS changes, so that make it a bit confusing as well. But overall, this is all memorization.
 
Just know your cardiology. ACLS and PALS aren't that difficult. Especially in their new "friendly" format. It's all group work and a "feel good" class that is next to impossible to fail. I wish they'd bring back the old ACLS and PALS where if someone didn't know what to do, they failed. But that's not how it is any more.

Read your algorithms and study up on the treatment modalities. Take it a step further and understand why we're treating the conditions the way we do.

Shane
NREMT-P
 
To prove a point, I had the ER janitor/housekeeping watch the video and was able to pass the ACLS test with a passing score and no he had never had any medical training ... The pre-test is much harder than the real test.

Learn cardiology to be proficient, ACLS is just a recognition that you attended a education credit per AHA.. and that is all it means, nothing more or less.

R/r 911
 
It seems to me that more and more of these classes are placing a higher priority on the documentation that the information and education was provided than in actually teaching.
 
Ridryder911 said:
To prove a point, I had the ER janitor/housekeeping watch the video and was able to pass the ACLS test with a passing score and no he had never had any medical training ... The pre-test is much harder than the real test.

R/r 911
Click to expand...

haha wow, that's kinda frightening :unsure:... I wouldn't mind taking the course then :P Do you have to be a paramedic in order to take the course?
 
Technically, it is suggested that one should have had a formal cardiology course prior to attending.

Personally, I do not suggest attending until ready to officially attend the course. The reason is it is not a teaching class rather it is just to emphasize AHA and ECC formal recommendations in resuscitation and ECC treatment. As well as the class is usually about $150-300. Watching a video and then practicing code team leadership (one must know algorithm and interpret ECG's). Again, it is just an education class for one to know their standards.

R/r 911
 
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