Fifty Mercy Hospital nurses take PALS course

Mardi Suhs | Cadillac News Mercy Hospital RNs Mike Mongar and Ann Ashbay simulate an emergency situation to work on effective resuscitation team dynamics during their Pediatric Advanced Life Support Course at Baker College.

CADILLAC — Two years ago Beth Oberhaus, an emergency room nurse at Mercy Hospital, took a course called Pediatric Advanced Life Support.

The course helped her better discern when a child’s symptoms are life-threatening.

“I was able to distinguish a really sick child from one who can wait for treatment,” she said. The course also taught her how to take immediate action. Taking the PALS class, she added, gave her more confidence in her decision-making and helped eliminate second-guessing.

Now, as the Night Supervisor for Mercy Hospital, Oberhaus is pleased that 50 nurses from every area of the hospital are taking the advanced training.

“Lately, we’ve had a lot of sick kids on the pediatrics floor,” she explained. “This winter we had a lot of respiratory viruses where children needed to be hospitalized. We also have a lot of babies. Although we’ve always had excellent pediatric nurses, now that they will be certified they will be more confident in their skills.”

On Wednesday and Thursday, the nurses met at Baker College for the course, which will conclude with a written test.

Course work included overviews of pediatric assessment, management of respiratory emergencies, and skill stations with simulations in working cardiac and respiratory cases, cases of shock and effective resuscitation team dynamics.

“This is advanced work,” Oberhaus explained. “It’s two full days of classes and learning with a test. The Emergency Room director secured a grant to help pay for this education.”

Phyllis Runyan works with children every day as a nurse in the recovery room. She was eager to take the advanced training.

“If anything comes up,” she said, “any emergencies, with this training I have a better grasp of things.”

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Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is the result of collaboration between the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The goal of the course is to aid the pediatric healthcare provider in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage critically ill infants and children, resulting in improved outcomes. Included in this course are skills needed to recognize children at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest and effective resuscitation team dynamics.

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