Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support or simply ACLS is one of the most sought-after courses in the medical field. It offers clinical algorithms for the treatment of cardiovascular problems.
It is not a new thing for healthcare professionals as it was introduced almost five decades back in 1974.
Since then, it is there for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to possess life-saving skills related to cardiovascular conditions.
At present, ACLS covers a wide range of cardiac conditions such as acute coronary syndromes, SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest), and stroke recognition.
Moreover, we can expect even more applications of ACLS.
This article will give you all the details about how to get ACLS Certification online and offline.
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What is that certification?
ACLS certification exemplifies that the person has been trained as per the standards set by the American Heart Association or AHA.
This certification verifies that the individual is qualified enough to perform ACLS.
It assures the following to the certified person:
- He is familiar with BLS or basic life support
- He can recognize and manage cardiac and respiratory arrest situations
- He is qualified for airway management
- He is familiar with ACLS’s pharmacology
If you would like to learn more about ACLS, check out this article of ours:
What are the benefits of ACLS certification?
ACLS provides the skills and tools to medical professionals to save the life of a patient as much as they can.
It is most suitable for practitioners who are deeply concerned as well as associated with patient care.
See also: How Can Nurses Improve Patient Outcomes?
It significantly increases the chances of saving the life of a critical patient.
In fact, it is even compulsory for experienced healthcare personnel who handle critical patients in medical emergencies.
ACLS certification teaches how to increase the chances to save the lives of critical patients by making efforts to keep the neurological function of the patient running during cardiac conditions such as heart attack and stroke.
See also: Nursing Care Plan for CVA
A majority of medical personnel take ACLS certification to make themselves eligible for certain jobs at healthcare facilities.
However, there are many more benefits to it.
1. Provides efficient training
Foremost, the ACLS course adds to the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals by means of vigorous training. It involves a real-time demonstration of practical situations.
This means you will be practicing with a team of nurses and also the lifeguards.
It is in-depth training in which you will learn how to deal with emergency conditions.
Most of the time, you will also learn through the live demonstration.
2. Offers better career opportunities
This is the reason why most medical professionals seek ACLS certification.
After getting the certificate yourself, you will open the door to many career opportunities. You will be able to differentiate and keep yourself at a higher level than your peers.
At work, you will be given more weightage for your skills to treat cardiac patients, which in turn will result in higher pay.
Check these out if you’re applying for a job:
3. Result in higher pay
After gaining life-saving skills and tools, you will increase your chances to get a promotion at work.
Also, your employer and your patients will readily pay any price for your amazing treatment and reputation in the field and they will happily do so.
Apart from this, many authorities reimburse their employees for ACLS certification when in need. This way it provides adequate opportunities for the personnel to improve their salaries.
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4. Adds to your reputation
ACLS certification will add to your reputation.
It shows that the professional has come a long way to learn more skills.
People will see you as a highly proficient person who is entitled to treat patients during emergency situations. This will automatically make you shine among your peers and even the seniors.
You will attract more attention and respect.
Also, the patients will prefer you over other professionals as they feel safer when treated by you. In short, you will be appreciated by all: your patients, your peers, and your seniors.
5. Emphasizes the stabilization of the patient’s health
This certification focuses on the stabilization of the health of patients. This life-saving support is very effective.
It not only allows you to handle the patient during a critical situation but also works on improving his health post-emergency.
Another great thing about the ACLS certification is, it is very simple to grasp.
You can easily understand the course which will provide you with a set of algorithms for handling the cardiac deterioration of patients.
6. You become more knowledgeable and confident
The rigorous training and the live demonstrations allow you to maximize your skillset by learning crucial life-saving skills.
Further, it teaches you the use of advanced medical equipment available at healthcare facilities.
After completing the certification, you will feel more confident and accomplished. You will be able to work with more passion and positivity.
This positive attitude will result in better outcomes in terms of quick promotion and higher incentives.
You will learn to take responsibility for the patients on your shoulders which is the most important thing for a medical practitioner.
See also: Responsibility of a Nurse
So, these were a handful of benefits of ACLS Certification.
After completing it yourself, you will explore many more benefits of it.
This course will surely strengthen your career.
But who can get ACLS certification in the first place? That’s coming up next.
Who can get ACLS certification?
ACLS certification is for only medical and healthcare personnel as it involves dealing with intravenous drugs and things like that.
Mainly the doctors, nurses, and paramedics are entitled to take this certification to increase their skill set.
While doctors can take this certification to enhance their skills, nurses, and paramedics usually take it for a quick promotion or for a better job.
See also: Can Nurses Be Paramedics?
ACLS certification is not for everyone because it requires some professional medical skills.
You can safely assume that the ACLS candidates are already familiar with the following things:
- They know how to use most of the advanced medical equipment
- They know how to read ECGs
- They are familiar with the medications
- They already know the concepts of pharmacology, anatomy, and physiology
Besides, it also involves live demonstrations and practical scenarios in which the candidates need to make the right treatment decisions and medications.
For this reason, only the medical professional can take this certification.
More related information can be found here: Requirements for ACLS Certification
Now that you know how to get ACLS certification it’s time to find out where to get ACLS certification.
Where to get ACLS certification?
You can get the ACLS certification in a number of ways. Earlier the candidates had the only option to obtain the certification by attending local classes.
But now, you can obtain this certification from your home by means of online training courses. All thanks to the technology.
So, basically, you have two options to complete your certification; the offline classes and the online classes.
You can go for anyone depending upon your convenience but make sure your certification meets the AHA standards and other credible sources.
Get your ACLS Certification Online:
Here is a quick introduction video from ACLS Certification Institute that offers these ACLS online courses.
Below are the two ways of obtaining ACLS Certification described in more detail.
Offline classes
The first and the most obvious way to obtain ACLS certification is by attending the classes and institutions in your area.
In fact, most healthcare facilities and private hospitals offer such courses. You can enroll yourself in one of such classes.
Generally, the cost of local classes ranges between $150 to $300.
Moreover, you can also ask your employer for any kind of reimbursement.
But the problem with offline classes is, they are more expensive and require a lot of time.
So, if you’re already a working professional, then attending extra classes will not be possible for you.
This is where online certification courses come into play.
Online certification courses
Online courses are more convenient than offline classes. You can easily manage them along with your job.
Moreover, they are also less expensive. On the flip side, some online courses are less and even not credible at all.
In simple words, they are not approved by the AHA. You have to mark yourself safe from such sites because a certification without credibility is of no use.
The hospitals and the medical facilities will never validate your ACLS certificate in such cases.
But the good news is, there are some online courses that are genuine and credible.
To help you with it, we have the right option for you.
At the platform that we recommend, you don’t have to worry about the credibility of courses at all as we provide courses that meet the standards set by ILCOR (International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation).
Also, the courses that we recommend are designed as per the latest guidelines for Emergency Cardiovascular Care.
You will get 24/7 access to high-quality study material and can test your knowledge by solving free and unlimited practice papers.
Get your ACLS Certification Online:
Conclusion: How to get ACLS certification?
ACLS certification is the best way to enhance your knowledge and skills as medical personnel.
It will help you in the future run by serving you a number of advantages.
Apart from it, you will be able to stand out from your peers and gain much popularity and respect in your field.
So, for improving your skillset and to open the doors for numerous career opportunities, you should definitely consider obtaining the ACLS certification.
That’s all about how to get ACLS certification. We hope that this article gave you the answers you were looking for.
If you would like to learn some more, check out these articles of ours:
- What is ACLS Certification? Full Guide
- How Long Does ACLS Certification Last?
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- Do Nurses Have to Do Continuing Education?
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