A Case For PALS
Meet Maxwell. He was delivered by emergency C-section 1 week after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Moments after the delivery, the top picture was taken by a nurse who was untrained in recognizing Maxwell’s need of life support. Upon showing the photo to a Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) trained health care provider, immediate medical attention saved Maxwell’s life (bottom picture).
Infants developing complications shortly after they are born is not a unique scenario. Health care professionals trained in life support often need to provide quick and decisive treatment during and immediately following the birth of a child. The challenge is that so few medical providers have the training necessary to provide excellent life support.
PALS certification requires a comprehensive yet concise training program that involves mastering the subject, as a child’s life oftentimes can depend upon it! The goal of the program is to aid pediatric health care providers in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage critically ill infants and children. The skills taught include recognition and treatment of cardiopulmonary arrest, the systematic approach to pediatric assessment, effective respiratory management, defibrillation and synchronized cardioversion, and effective resuscitation team dynamics.
Medical professionals feel greater demands now than they ever have and long hours are often required. In these situations, the pursuit of additional training can be a real logistical challenge. Fortunately, you can complete PALS training through entirely online programs, which allows you to study the training materials anytime and anywhere. Certification curriculum experts design the online instruction programs so that participants can successfully complete all of the necessary certification training without the need for in-class instruction or hands-on laboratory work.
In Haiti, I witnessed numerous situations where medical personnel performed emergency procedures that saved the lives of people who were adversely affected by the earthquake. We did not have state-of-the-art medical equipment or an abundance of supplies, but we did have highly skilled medical staff that was able to provide the necessary medical attention in a timely fashion and in Maxwell’s case, it made all the difference!