Dustdevil Posted February 28, 2008 Posted February 28, 2008 I do wish NREMT would eliminate AHA ACLS requirement for Paramedic level. It is a waste of time and has no value to it any more. The same thought has certainly crossed my mind in the past. It definitely is not what it used to be. Thing is, ACLS was never intended to be for paramedics. Paramedic school should cover everything in an ACLS class to begin with. ACLS was intended only as a focused class of emergency procedures for physicians and nurses, whose entry level education does not cover all of that, unlike ours. Why it got thrown into EMS in the first place, I'll never really understand. But I do see a place for ACLS in EMS practice. Certainly not as an educational course. I don't send anybody to ACLS to actually learn any skills or concepts. But -- if well presented -- it does serve as a good review of current treatment recommendations, assuring that we keep up with the latest AHA recommendations for cardiac care. The flowcharts change all the time, and there has to be some organised way to keep us updated on those changes. The ACLS class serves that purpose well, and I would keep it as a requirement in my organisation strictly for that purpose. That's all ACLS means to me. It means that you have at least been exposed to the latest modalities and regimens for ECC, and hopefully you are up to date on the latest recommendations. But those people who think that ACLS is a merit badge that actually means you have learned something that others have not are kidding themselves. It's just a rehash of what you had in medic school. And if you are not a medic, then it is just some memorised flowcharts without any theoretical foundation to support it. That's why I have to laugh when people try to argue that they are 'furthering' their education with courses like ACLS. It's definitely not education.
ccmedoc Posted February 28, 2008 Posted February 28, 2008 That's all ACLS means to me. It means that you have at least been exposed to the latest modalities and regimens for ECC, and hopefully you are up to date on the latest recommendations. I couldn't agree more. Now days it is just an update and tries to keep everyone on the same page. This is far from a base educational experience, and cardiology is something that should be well understood before taking it. They certainly don't teach it here anymore.. I think it was brought into EMS for that reason. Continuity of care. If everyone runs a code, or cardiac event in a similar way, quicker transfer of care can ensue with minimal communication obstacles.. I think I remember hearing that many moons ago when it became mandatory for medics in our areas..or I made it up :?
mrmeaner Posted February 28, 2008 Author Posted February 28, 2008 Not that I can give a course layout for an alternative, but it does seem to be missing the point in that we are required to take a class every two years regarding something that applies to 5 to 10 percent of calls. Then again "Advanced Abdominal Pain Management" probably wouldn't gather enough attention to get a class together. :roll: Now that I think about it, I think someone here made the same point a little while ago...
Freaknuggetz_chick Posted March 2, 2008 Posted March 2, 2008 i just recerted last fall. i found the team element really emphasized the leader being clearly the leader, and that he/she is aware of what everyone was doing. also, there is less confusion. you can only do so much on your own (although i personally know a medic who ran an acls code by herself in the back of a unit, drugs, tubes, compressions and all!) i found my course to still emphasize pharmacology, but as the old addage goes, you cant have A©LS without BLS first.
Dustdevil Posted March 2, 2008 Posted March 2, 2008 you can only do so much on your own (although i personally know a medic who ran an acls code by herself in the back of a unit, drugs, tubes, compressions and all!) Welcome to my system, lol. That's pretty much the norm in a lot of rural places.
mrmeaner Posted March 2, 2008 Author Posted March 2, 2008 (although i personally know a medic who ran an acls code by herself in the back of a unit, drugs, tubes, compressions and all!) Sorry, but that seems a little...incredible. i found my course to still emphasize pharmacology, but as the old addage goes, you cant have A©LS without BLS first. There goes the [s:1defb282f2]neighborhood[/s:1defb282f2] thread.
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