N479 Professional Activity Evaluation Form

Your Name: Madelynn Buckman Date of Activity: 2/4/20 Faculty name: Rajni Parmar

Describe the community service/professional activity/s you attended or participated with

(be specific about the purpose and your role):

The professional activity I participated in was an Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support

(ALCS) certification class. The course is designed for healthcare providers who may be a part of

the resuscitation efforts of a cardiopulmonary arrest or any emergency encompassing the

cardiovascular system. The ACLS class uses foundational lifesaving skills and introduces

algorithms about different heart rhythm and how to appropriately respond with various

interventions, utilization of a bag-mask device, necessary medications, and how to ensure a

patent airway in the case of an emergency. As a student taking the course, I watched educational

videos, participated in skills training, completed a “mega code" scenario, and took a final

examination before receiving my certification.

Where was this held and what was was program/activity length?

The professional activity was held at the Eclipse CPR Training LLC facility, on February

4th, 2020. The ACLS class was six hours long and took place from 5 pm to 11 pm. However, in

addition to the course itself, we had a required pre-test, as well as required reading material,

which took approximately 2 hours to complete. With all of the combined, it was eight hours.

Discuss the value of this experience to you (be specific).

Being a registered nurse and being responsible for the safety and wellness of a patient is

rapidly approaching. Going from a student with someone watching over you to working

independently is overwhelming. However, knowing that I have the training and knowledge to act

accordingly in the case of a cardiovascular emergency brings me a sense of comfort in my ability

as a nurse. In the past, reading an electrocardiogram (EKG) and accurately determining the

rhythm is not something I have felt very comfortable with. A large portion of this class entailed

reading EKGs and being able to recognize the rhythm, and I am now much more confident.

How would you continue to use this experience throughout your nursing career?

ACLS training and certification can be applied to nearly every aspect of the nursing field,

even labor and delivery. As future L&D nurse (hopefully), one can hope their patients are

healthy and that everything goes smoothly; unfortunately, things happen. It is nearly inevitable

that some point in my career resuscitation will be required, and being ACLS certified will enable

me to respond aptly. This class was tailored to adults; however, neonatal resuscitation also

involves using a bag-mask device and an automated external defibrillator, which was covered in

the course. Also, in the event that the census on my unit is low, I may be floated to a unit where

these types of scenarios occur more frequently. I need to be able to help all my patients, even if it

a different population than I am familiar with.

Would you recommend this specific communnity/professional experience in the future;

why or why not? (Describe)

I would recommend this specific professional experience in the future. Not only is it very

informative, but it is also necessary. Almost every job I have looked at or applied for has

required ACLS certification upon hire or shortly after hire. Completing it before graduation

allows you to put it on your resume, and it is one less thing to worry about.

Brochure or proof of attendance obtained if applicable? See Below Signature on validation of

clinical hours form obtained? No