[cassioo]

I'm taking ACLS this week need all the prayers I can get as people who have read my posts before know I'm L&D why do I Get myself into this stuff I don't know.

[mattsmom]

Hey don't worry...ACLS is not the monster it used to be. 99.9% of today's ACLS instructors are committed to helping you learn vs passing or failing you. You will do fine...relax... first time is always the hardest...it will get easier!!

I remember way back in the stone ages when i first took it...the docs taught it and I DID fail...because the MD was a jerk, and the docs were threatened and gave us field situations, etc. LOOKING for reasons to fail us. It ain't like that anymore thank God!!

Mattsmom

[cassioo]

I figure it will be ok just don't know why I get myself into some of the things I do. Since it's not required in my area I have to do it on my own "time" something I lack is time. I do think we will be required to have it in the not too distant future so I'll be a step ahead it's just having the time to review the material I've done ok on the test questions in the book that I have gotten to it's the getting to the rest of them LOL

[nursinghumor]

Look at it this way, once you have it, you won't need to worry about it again for a few years. Having it is handy for when patients crash unexpectedly. While it would be nice to get paid more for having it, that doesn't happen too often in my neck of the woods. You're just expected to have it.

Take solace in knowing that you do have it and will know what to do when you find yourself in a situation needing ACLS.

You can find some helpful resources here:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/acls/

Best wishes,

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursinga2z.com

[cassioo]

I did pass some. The written test wasn't too bad but then I do good on written tests. The stations weren't bad either and the instructors I do know and were nice but I put too much on myself and got upset when I thought they would have to prompt me which I didn't want I wanted to know it all then if I didn't made me upset and getting upset made me upset then it's just a vicious circle....I'm the one that expects too much from myself....I did tell my husband and co-workers DO NOT let me take anything I don't have to anymore. I blame my parents and told my mother she's to blame for me putting this on me she says nope at my age I"m doing it to myself LOL . I did the certification test this year also, started teaching, new clinical ladder along with the home stuff...my cell phone sings Toby Keith Don't bite off more then you can chew....I'm full now.

I WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE THIS YEAR....

[IM-an-MD]

when I took ACLS a few weeks ago it was extremely easy to pass so dont worry...

[cassioo]

when I took ACLS a few weeks ago it was extremely easy to pass so dont worry

I did pass but it irritated me that I had to have a couple of prompts like what would you give now? I'm my own worst critic and I really do hate not knowing everything. I'm an OB nurse those tachy heart rates really look like pretty good fetal hearts to me LOL....right now the book on tape I'm listening to is "The Know it All" about a man who reads through the encylopedia...which I've thought was a good idea since I was a child. The instructors were really nice in the course I was in and said don't feel bad about needing a prompt there were tele, ICU and ER nurse and MD's that needed prompts too I just want to know it all (ok maybe I should have prepared better before I went but didn't have/take the time between working full time & per diem, teaching clinicals, going to a student activity, selling Avon, having a 6 yr old, going to out of town seminar on critical care OB, sleeping ...oh and watching survior and apprentice the night before

[medi]

Congratulations on passing Cassioo!

Don't kick yourself so hard for needing a few prompts. Everyone does now & then. Things like that are like recipes in a cook book-- you can read the recipe & bake a cake.... and after you've done the same recipe a few times you don't need to glance at the pages each time you add an ingredient... then after you've done a few other recipes you can not only make the original one by heart but you also know when it's ok to make some ingredient changes. Same thing with running a code-- you may need prompts (checking the recipe) at first but after you've done it for real a few times it will be ingrained.

I'm not trying to make a personal ad here, BUT, I know ACLS is a frightening thing for those who haven't taken it before or those who aren't in a setting that exposes them to "codes" very often but would like to keep their knowledge level and skills up in case they find themselves with a patient who crashes, so please forgive me, but I'm going to post a link to a program I offer that I honestly believe is so worthwhile that I'm going to post it here (though I don't want to or believe in "advertising" here)--

The ACLS Teaching Series -- which includes "Code Team" and "Cardiac Arrest", is an outstanding method of learning new skills or keeping up to par with the knowledge you already have. I don't want to "push" so I'll simply link and you can read more for yourselves here:
http://medi-smart.com/software.htm

[cassioo]

I've looked at those books before I'll have to get back to them sometime right now I'm doing some critical care OB again....stick to my old steak and potatoes