Are both your ALS courses endorsed or accredited?

Yes, our two-day ALS course and the one-day Recertification ALS course are fully endorsed by the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) according to our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Endorsed Course Standards and accredited by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).

Both ALS courses reflect the latest Australia New Zealand Committee of Resuscitation (ANZCOR) guidelines for advanced life support.

Is this a Nationally recognised course?

Yes, it is nationally endorsed through the Australian College of Nurses and also has a medical accreditation through ACCRM.

What is the difference between ALS Level 1 and ALS Level 2?

ALS level 1

ALS1 is a more fundamental level for nurses with little cardiac arrest exposure. It is designed to train the nurse to assist in an emergency until experienced clinicians provide further care.

ALS level 2

ALS2 course focuses on developing advanced skills in the assessment of a deteriorating patient and knowledge in managing cardiac arrest and other medical emergencies. It provides a higher depth of clinical intervention and may involve initiating intravenous access, interpreting rhythm strips and delivering emergency medications and urgent manual defibrillation. This course covers advanced resuscitation skills and the development of emergency team leadership abilities.

Do I have to do the ALS1 before registering for the ALS2 course you provide?

The nurse does not have to do the ALS1 before attending the level ALS2 course. It is not a prerequisite to ALS2.

The Nurses For Nurses Network only provide ALS2 level courses.

I'm not a critical care or emergency nurse. I work in the telemetry ward but have little knowledge of ALS. Will I still be able to attend? will I be given extra support?

You are welcome to attend, but you must enrol in the two-day ALS course, not the shortened one-day Recertification ALS course. In the two-day ALS program, there is an increase in the time allocated to present the basics of arrhythmias before the life-threatening arrhythmias lecture. This extra time is to assist anyone enrolled who is not experienced in ALS. You will also be given extra support in the mega code.

I'm not an experienced critical care nurse and am worried about the assessment pieces. What happens if I can’t meet the requirements for the assessment pieces?

There are two options in answering the above question:

First Option

If you are unable to pass the mega code competency or defibrillation competency, the facilitators will assist you and give you extra coaching with the required clinical skills. You will also be given an opportunity to re-sit your test at the end of the day. The facilitator will assist you prior to the re-sit by explaining the concepts you may have missed.

The Nurses For Nurses Network are committed to assisting inexperienced nurses to gain these skills and does not expect anyone to pass without adequate coaching and support.

Second Option

If you would rather not re-sit and redo the mega code assessment, you can elect to have a certificate of attendance which will still be issued to you. The facilitator may also indicate that this is the best option for you.

Your certificate will differ slightly from the certificate if you have passed all your assessments. However, you will still achieve your CPD hours.

After I have completed the two-day ALS course, am I then eligible in the future to book in to the one-day Recertification course?

Yes, correct. You don’t have to repeat the two-day ALS course if you recently completed the one-day Recertification ALS course.

However, some nurses each year or two repeat the two-day ALS course to revise the content in more depth as they prefer the slower two-day ALS course.

Also, if it is a number of years since you attended an ALS course and you don’t work in critical care or the emergency department, we would encourage you to redo the two-day ALS course, where you are provided with a slower pace and more time for practice.

How often am I expected to attend the one-day Recertification course?

How often you attend the one-day Recertification course is usually set by your hospital or institution you work for. Some hospitals require it every year, others every second year.

My facility only has a 10-lead ECG machine. Is this course applicable?

The 10-lead ECG machine makes no difference to the interpretation of rhythm strips.