This course has 9 parts (plus References, Standards & Supporting Documents). Each part has a quiz at the end, which needs to be completed.
Course Content
Pre-requisites
- Be an AHPRA registered Medical Officer, Registered or Enrolled Nurse or Registered Paramedic
- Competent in Basic Life Support (Practiced and assessed during scenarios)
- Competent in IV cannulation
- To be able to confidently recognize shockable and non-shockable rhythms, including various tachycardias and bradycardias.
- Ventricular Tachcardia
- Torsade De Pointes
- Ventricular Fibrillation
- Asystole
- Pulseless electrical activity (PEA)
- Narrow complex tachycardia (SVT)
- Broad complex tachycardia (Conscious VT)
- Bradycardia
- Participants must complete a pre-course theoretical assessment to be presented at the start of the program (but will not form part of overall theoretical pass mark)
Pre-requisites
The program aims to develop theoretical knowledge and practical competence in the provision of evidence- based ALS for Paediatric patients through:
- Recognition, assessment, and management of the critically ill or deteriorating child using a structured ABCDE approach.
- Paediatric Basic Life Support (PBLS) with emphasis on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), quality and minimising time to early defibrillation.
- Airway management, including adjuncts identification of foreign body airway obstruction.
- ANZCOR tachycardia, bradycardia algorithms and cardiac arrest algorithms for management of shockable and non-shockable arrests
- ANZCOR recommendations for safe delivery of Defibrillation and External Cardiac pacing
- ANZCOR recommendations for treatment of anaphylaxis in children
- ANZCOR recommendations for treatment of sepsis in children
- ANZCOR recommendations for treatment of Asthma and Croup in children
- Teamwork and communication including principles of Crisis Resource Management (CRM)
- Ability to team lead
- ANZCOR recommendations for post-resuscitation care
- Legal and ethical issues in resuscitation
- Involvement of and communication with family in resuscitation management
Assessment
To complete the program, PALS participants must successfully complete all clinical assessments and pass the final theoretical component.
Skills assessment
- Paediatric basic life support
- Recognise and respond to clinical deterioration using “ABCDE” patient assessment process.
- Advanced airway management techniques
- Timely recognition of common dysrhythmias
- Manual defibrillation techniques with confident recognition of shockable rhythms
- ANZCOR PALS recommended algorithms and drug therapy.
- Post resuscitation care.
- Communication and team leading
Clinical assessments are outlined in appendix 1.
Theoretical assessment
- During simulations and scenarios, participants must demonstrate their ability to correctly identify and follow ANZCOR ALS algorithms.
- PALS participants will complete an end of course written theoretical assessment. The pass mark for the written assessment is 85%.
Remediation
Skills:
- Failure to successfully complete one of the clinical assessments during the program results in review and reassessment.
- Failure to successfully complete more than one of the clinical assessments during the course results in the recommendation for repeat of the program.
Theory:
- Failure to gain an 85% pass in the theoretical component, the participant will be invited to sit a supplementary paper on another day.
- Failure to gain an 85% pass in the supplementary paper results in the participant being invited to attend a full program.
Bledisloe Medical recognise and acknowledges learning differences and needs of students. Any participant with numeracy, literacy or language difficulties should make this known to Bledisloe staff to allow discreet appropriate adjustments to be made to assist the participant in their learning and assessment.
