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. Acquiring ALS provider status is not necessarily a licence to practice and individual hospital policy determines which skills these nurses can then perform without direct medical supervision. This postal survey aimed to determine which 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 to the Resuscitation Officer or Nursing Director of all acute hospital groups in the UK. Almost 261 (87%) of the questionnaires were completed and returned. Nurse ALS providers in 99% of coronary care units, 89% of intensive care units, and 88% of accident and emergency departments undertook manual defibrillation. The majority of hospitals ran compulsory in-house training sessions for intravenous cannulation. Laryngeal mask insertion by nurse ALS providers was permitted in 19% of coronary care units and in the wards of 16% of the responding hospitals. Tracheal intubation by nurse ALS providers working in coronary care units, intensive care units and emergency departments was permitted by 11% of the responding hospitals. This survey has demonstrated 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-based nurse ALS providers, in particular, are restricted in the ALS skills, they 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 standard, nurse ALS providers should be permitted to use it in clinical practice.