EMT-B take ACLS?

[jstuben]

I am an EMT-B in N. California. My question is this. I want to take ACLS, as well as PALS, but I have heard that they won't give you the certification. I realize that much of ACLS is above an EMT-B scope of practice, but are there any EMT-B's who have taken the course anyway? My background in an emergency room has given me a basic introduction to EKGs and pharmacology relating to the heart.

Thanks

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[Blue128K]

I am an EMT-B in N. California. My question is this. I want to take ACLS, as well as PALS, but I have heard that they won't give you the certification. I realize that much of ACLS is above an EMT-B scope of practice, but are there any EMT-B's who have taken the course anyway? My background in an emergency room has given me a basic introduction to EKGs and pharmacology relating to the heart.

Thanks

Hey...I am an EMT-B also, in Pennsylvania. I wanted to do the same thing here but all the ACLS and PALS stuff was for EMT-P only. I did find something though....There is a course called "ACLS for EMT-Basics" I saw it is an EMS magazine and wrote down the web address. Actually the website was for the textbook only but it was the only thing I had seen about EMT-B's and ACLS. The course is focused on EMT-B's fuctioning as part of an ALS team with a paramedic. It goes over Cardiac disease, assessing cardiac pts., assisting in intubation and airway control, preventing cardiac arrest, basic EKG rhythm analysis, all types of electrical interventions (Defib, Pacing, Cardioversion, etc.), cardiac pharmacology, and a bunch of other stuff too in a course for EMT-B's. It was exactly what I was looking for but I couldn't find the course offered anywhere because the book is very new (2003). I bought the book though just to have as a reference so I could read up on some of the stuff but in less detail than is in a paramedic textbook. If you can find the course offered it is supposed to be worth con-ed so it would be worth taking but I couldn't find it offered anywhere. Anyways the website is www.EMSzone.com Hope I helped.

 

[beanbean]

You could takae the class but you would not be allowed to use it in the field as a EMT-B. Those skills are beyond your scope of care as a basic and your medical direction is at the basic level.

Years and years (~25) ago there used to be a class of EMTs in CT that were certified in ACLS. Maybe some states still have something similiar, but I doubt it is commom

 

[dgmedic]

Go ahead and take it. You'll do better than 90% of the nurses that are in the class. (sorry, that was rude...just had to say it though...you know how the nurses always look for and team up with the medics....hahahahahah)

 

[OSUdoc08]

I am an EMT-B in N. California. My question is this. I want to take ACLS, as well as PALS, but I have heard that they won't give you the certification. I realize that much of ACLS is above an EMT-B scope of practice, but are there any EMT-B's who have taken the course anyway? My background in an emergency room has given me a basic introduction to EKGs and pharmacology relating to the heart.

Thanks

You can take any AHA course that you want to. You just can't use it until you are certified to do it. It's good knowledge to have as long as you aren't wasting money on the class.

(An AHA card doesn't = certification)

 

[leviathan]

I am an EMT-B in N. California. My question is this. I want to take ACLS, as well as PALS, but I have heard that they won't give you the certification. I realize that much of ACLS is above an EMT-B scope of practice, but are there any EMT-B's who have taken the course anyway? My background in an emergency room has given me a basic introduction to EKGs and pharmacology relating to the heart.

Thanks

I took an online ACLS course that was being offered for free, just out of curiosity. It covered all the pharmacology, EKG interpretation, algorithms for cardiac arrhythmias, diagnosis and treatment of electrolyte and nutritional (eg magnesium) abnormalities, etc etc. Doesn't hurt to know the stuff so when you need to certify later it is a lot easier on you. Also, I have a link for a really good ACLS simulator which I can post later if anyone is interested, but for now I gotta finish doing my biochem.