Weekender: BLS-ACLS Training

Finally got the chance to sit down and write again. Week went well, though I was quite busy with the trainings but I think it's good. There are just so many blessings to be thankful about and I must say that I'm really blessed.

I just finished my Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) training at NC-CLEX. As a basic requirement for all newly graduate and registered nurses, it is now a growing trend that after graduation and/or having passed the NLE, one would enroll into as much seminars and trainings to have something put into their resumes and increase their credibility as a professional. It’s not new to us that almost all the hospitals here in the Philippines or even abroad are on recession right now because of surplus of nurses, and it is now almost mandatory to have an edge among the hundreds of thousands of competition out there. Unless, of course, if you have a backer.

I decided to take my BLS-ACLS training at NC-CLEX because I find their program interesting and informative. This is a whole day practical course conducted for 5 days, covering the essentials life support skills. The training was not that tough. I thought that it's gonna be another stressful day for me. But it’s not. The staffs and the instructors are super nice and my co-trainees are easy to get along. The participants were taught the basics of first aid and how to interpret ECG strips. They also had hands on demonstration on Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the use of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED). We started by having a brief orientation, followed by the lectures, then repeating what is instructed and when everything was already discussed, we started practicing for the return demonstration (which is graded). Of course, we were given time to practice the techniques. After that, our skills and knowledge were evaluated.

What I like about our training is their 1:1 ratio for participants, meaning one instructor for each students and it comes by batch so that they can all accommodate the participants unlike the other programs where in there are so many students for only one instructor. The demonstration from our instructors fascinated me. I watched in awe as he performed chest compressions, CPR and rescue breathing on the dummy. I knew that afterwards, we were supposed to do it ourselves. That chest compression part is some kind of hard for me, I need to give my over all energy to do it right! Ahaha. Thankfully, I was able to learn how to do it properly as I passed the exercises on doing basic life support. But boy it was the grueling activities that not only entailed physical strength but mastery of the step-by-step process and/or the practice of ergonomics. Not complaining though! Hehe :)) The lecture on ECG reading and interpretation caused me migraine but I survived it nonetheless.

The training venue itself is nice; they have different dummies that work! And they have the proper equipments that were use both local and international for the said course. At the end of the entire course, you'll have an evaluation exam, it consists of 2 parts: a written one and a return demonstration (Megacode). You have to pass both, if you don’t you have to repeat the entire course and pay again. And after passing all of that and completed the course, you will be issued with a Certificate of Completion plus ID cards which are valid for two years—both cards are renewable in any accredited training center. Also, good thing is their programs are accredited by ASHI which is credited both local and international.

Now, the hunt is on...again. The hunt for an IVT training hospital, that is. It seems like everywhere we look, slots get taken right before our very eyes and it's a pain waiting for another training session to open for reservations for the next month. I recommend you guys (nursing students/health practitioners) to enroll in NC-CLEX, they also have other trainings and programs besides BLS & ACLS.

And oooh, after 3 months of waiting I finally got my PRC license! Yeyy! Raise your ID!! :) haha!

For more information about the NC-CLEX you could visit their website HERE.