ACLS, or Advanced Cardiac Life Support, is a set of medical guidelines that provide step-by-step instructions for healthcare professionals to follow when caring for a patient with cardiac arrest. ACLS certification is mandatory for all medical professionals who work in critical care units, and ACLS recertification courses to renew the certification must be done every two years.
There are many reasons why renewing your ACLS certification in important. This is a field of medicine that is constantly evolving as science finds more effective treatment methods, new drugs are discovered, and old ones improved. Therefore, renewing your certification ensures, first and foremost, that you are up-to-date with all the latest medical guidelines for treating cardiac arrest. It keeps you in touch with the latest research in this field and ultimately demonstrates your commitment to providing quality care to your patients.
What Is AHA ACLS Renewal?
AHA ACLS renewal is an update to your ACLS certification. It isn’t as long or as inclusive as the initial certification course. ACLS recertification courses are specifically geared towards making it as straightforward as possible to renew an ACLS card. Notably, they update medical professionals on the latest information about how best to respond to a patient that is already in cardiac arrest, and other emergency cardiovascular situations. This includes any changes to recommended cardiac drug administration, intubation and cardiac rhythm analysis.
Plan Ahead For Your ACLS Recertification
As you are required to sit for your ACLS certification every two years, it is a good idea to mark your calendar and plan ahead in order to have everything set up when the time comes. It’s helpful to do this well in advance rather than leaving the preparation to the last minute.
Are Online ACLS Recertification Courses Valid?
Many healthcare professionals have successfully earned and maintained their emergency life support certifications with online AHA ACLS renewal courses. Genuine providers of these courses work very closely with healthcare facilities to make sure their completion cards accepted all over the US. This means that legitimate online ACLS recertification courses are accepted as hour-for-hour equivalents to in-person classes by most medical institutions and employers. However, it is highly recommended that you confirm this with your employer before signing up for any ACLS online renewal course.
You should be able to find somewhere to complete an ACLS renewal course by searching online. The search will give you providers of online courses as well as those who offer in-person courses. If you are too busy to attend in-person classes, or there aren’t any being held in your area, you can opt for an online renewal course. These are just as legitimate as the in-person courses, and many healthcare professionals have in fact done their renewals online for years. They are convenient, can be completed in your own time, and at your own pace.
Upon successful completion of the AHA ACLS renewal course work, the in-person skills assessment sessions and exam, you will be issued with a course completion card that is once again valid for 2 years.
