Printable ACLS RHYTHM TEST

Course Completion and Attendance Requirements:For students to be eligible to receive a course completion card (certification), students must:

• Attend and participate in all learning stations
• Pass the 1-resucer CPR/AED testing station (this is not a BLS certification course)
• Pass the Megacode testing station – serving as both a Team Member and Team Leader
• Pass the closed-book written test with a minimum score of 84%
• If remediation is required, it must be completed within 30 days of the course

How to Prepare for the Course:This course covers extensive material in a short time, so you will need to prepare for the course beforehand. Please note: This course does not teach ECG, pharmacology, or BLS for Healthcare Providers. It is unlikely that students who are have not adequately prepared for the course will pass. To prepare, we recommend that you:

q  Review the course agenda and study guide

q  Review the areas of the precourse assessment and rhythm exam that you missed

q  Review and understand the information in your ACLS Provider Manual. Pay particular attention to the 10 Core Cases in Part 4 - these you will be practicing and be tested on during class.

q  Review and understand the information of the BLS Adult Healthcare Provider Algorithm. All of the resuscitation scenarios require that your BLS skills and knowledge are current to the 2010 AHA/ECC Guidelines

q  Review the supplementary materials included on your ACLS Provider Manual CD. It includes information on ACLS Core Drugs, ACS and Stroke, Science Overview, and videos of BLS for Healthcare Providers video clips.

 Course Goal: The Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Provider Course is designed for healthcare providers who either direct or participate in the resuscitation of a patient, whether in or out of hospital. The goal of the ACLS Provider Course is to improve the quality of care provided to the adult victim of a cardiac arrest or other cardiopulmonary emergency.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to (including but not limited to the following):

1. Recognize and initiate early management of peri-arrest conditions that may result in cardiac arrest or complicate resuscitation outcome
2. Demonstrate proficiency in providing BLS care, including prioritizing chest compressions and integrating AED use
3. Manage cardiac arrest until the return of spontaneous circulation, transfer of care, or termination of resuscitation
4.  Identify and treat ischemic chest pain and expedite the care of patients with acute coronary syndromes
5. Recognize other life-threatening clinical situations, such as stroke, and provide effective initial care and transfer to reduce disability and death
6. Demonstrate effective communication as a member or leader of a resuscitation team and recognize the impact of team dynamics on overall team performance

Course Prerequisites: To attend this course, you must:

Be a current healthcare provider that directs or participates in the resuscitation of a patient, whether in or out of hospital

Hold current American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR certification card (completed following the 2010 AHA/ECC Guidelines). You will not be taught CPR or use of the AED in the course. You will be required to demonstrate correct skills for Adult 1-Resuer CPR and AED test use without prompting.

Be able to identify – on a monitor and paper tracing – rhythms associated with bradycardia, tachycardia with adequate perfusion, tachycardia with poor perfusion, and pulseless arrest. You will not review or be taught rhythms in this course.

Have a basic understanding of the essential drugs used in stroke, acute coronary syndromes, pulseless arrest, bradycardia, tachycardia with adequate perfusion, and tachycardia with poor perfusion. You will not review or be taught pharmacology in this course.

q  Be able to combine ECG rhythm interpretation and pharmacology

1.       Verification of current American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR certification card            **CMC Employees – via HealthStream transcript

      **Non-CMC employees – must provide copy of front and back of card

2.       Rhythm interpretation exam (available from the CMC website or in Education Resources   office) **Must score 84% or better to participate in class. We will contact you if your score is  lower than 84%.

3.       Signed and dated ACLS Precourse Preparation Checklist (available from the CMC website, in the ACLS Provider Manual, or in Education Resources office)

The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and proficiency in BLS, ACLS, and PALS and has developed instructional materials for this purpose. Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsorship by the American Heart Association, and any fees charges for such a course do not represent income to the Association.

This activity has been approved by the Montana Nurses’ Association , which is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center (ANCC) Commission on Accreditation.   Approval as a provider refers to recognition of education activities only and does not imply ANCC Commission Accreditation or Montana Nurses Association approval or endorsement of any product.