What is An ACLS Card, and How Do I Get One?

More and more hospitals are requiring their nurses, EMTs, and Paramedics to have an ACLS provider card. This credential serves as an indicator of the healthcare provider’s ability to provide a particular set of life-supporting care.

What is an ACLS card?

An ACLS card refers to certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support. To get certified, the healthcare provider has to attend one of two workshop sessions approved by the American Heart Association.

The course covers evaluation and management of sudden adult respiratory arrest, VF/VT arrest, asystole, pulseless electrical activity, bradycardias, stable and unstable tachycardias, acute coronary syndromes and acute stroke. It is an advanced-level course.

An ACLS card is proof of specialization in cardiorespiratory emergencies. How does one handle a cardiac arrest or stroke of an infant, child, or adult? What are the signs and symptoms of cardiac distress? The training provided for certification addresses all of these questions.

How do I get one?

Health Career Institute is an Authorized Training Center for American Heart Association courses. By enrolling in a course, you can receive the high-quality training you need to become certified in ACLS.

The course will go over the knowledge you need to know as an ACLS provider. After you understand what medical knowledge needs to be at your fingertips, you will be able to perform hands-on instruction of ACLS techniques, designed from the latest American Heart Association guidelines.

Once students have completed both the knowledge portion and the hands-on session, they are able to take the ACLS examination to become certified. ACLS cards are designed for healthcare professionals who are often required to complete this training for their employers.

Cardiorespiratory and stroke emergencies are very common in hospitals. According to 2017 AHA statistics, around 790,000 people have heart attacks every year. Around 795,000 people have new or recurrent stroke every year as well. This is why healthcare providers would do well to earn their ACLS cards.

The goal of healthcare is to save patients’ lives. Being certified in ACLS helps healthcare providers to be able to do that. You can get an ACLS card by enrolling in a course at HCI. When you have completed your training, you are prepared to handle cardiorespiratory and stroke emergencies at an advanced level.