Advanced life support skills undertaken by nurses - UK survey

Many nurses successfully complete the Resuscitation Council (UK), European Resuscitation Council, advanced life support (ALS) Provider Course. Acquiri ng ALS provider status is not necessarily a licence to practice and individ ual hospital policy determines which skills these nurses can then perform w ithout direct medical supervision. This postal survey aimed to determine wh ich ALS skills are utilised by nurse ALS providers working in a variety of clinical areas within acute hospitals in the UK. A questionnaire was sent t o the Resuscitation Officer or Nursing Director of all acute hospital group s in the UK. Almost 261 (87%) of the questionnaires were completed and retu rned. Nurse ALS providers in 99% of coronary care units, 89% of intensive c are units, and 88% of accident and emergency departments undertook manual d efibrillation. The majority of hospitals ran compulsory in-house training s essions for intravenous cannulation. Laryngeal mask insertion by nurse ALS providers was permitted in 19% of coronary care units and in the wards of 1 6% of the responding hospitals. Tracheal intubation by nurse ALS providers working in coronary care units, intensive care units and emergency departme nts was permitted by 11% of the responding hospitals. This survey has demon strated that many acute hospitals do not permit nurse ALS providers to use a number of the skills taught on the ALS provider course. General ward-base d nurse ALS providers, in particular, are restricted in the ALS skills, the y are permitted to use. It would be more efficient for nurses to be trained and assessed specifically in skills they are then permitted to use. Having been assessed in a given skill and achieved a nationally recognised standa rd, nurse ALS providers should be permitted to use it in clinical practice. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.