Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently introduced its newest stroke education course from the American Heart Association. The course, Advanced Stroke Life Support (ASLS), trains prehospital and in-hospital staff on best practices to identify and evaluate signs of stroke.
This ASLS class is one of the first of its kind being offered in the region that blends online learning with hands-on practical application for health care staff to employ best practices to reduce stroke mortality and morbidity.
In collaboration with the Center for Experiential Learning and Assessment (CELA), the first session led by Mike Moore, RN, SCRN, stroke transitional care coordinator, assessed and certified eight students in the Vanderbilt LifeFlight Critical Care Paramedic Course. The paramedic course was led by Dana Knueven, MPH, CCPM, Allied Health program director, and Tony L. Smith, DNP, ACNP, FNP, ENP, Critical Care Paramedic program director and flight nurse practitioner.
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, and identifying and addressing stroke symptoms is key to treatment and recovery.
“Introducing this class can change the lives of stroke patients in a much more meaningful way by providing hands-on practical application for stroke evaluation for all levels of proficiency,” said Kiersten Brown Espaillat, DNP, stroke program manager.
The two-part course is comprised of a self-guided online curriculum and an in-person evaluation with all aspects of the course customizable to accommodate individual skill level. Currently, in-person assessment occurs in CELA where individuals engage in simulated scenarios with patient actors to prove their competency with stroke scale demonstration, stroke syndrome evaluation and overall patient care.
“This class is unique in that it can meet every individual where they’re at,” said Moore. “We’ll assess the specific skills utilized in their area of practice and as they advance in their careers the course information and scenarios are modified to teach to that level.”
Successful completion of the course provides students with a card certification and contributes to VUMC employees’ requirements for annual stroke education.
“Whether it’s educating nursing students who are just learning about stroke recognition or EMS personnel who have advance training, as they progress in their careers and achieve higher clinical licenses, this class continues teaching them how to operate at the top of that license,” said Brown Espaillat.
Brown Espaillat leads the team that includes Mike Moore and Hannah Rohrs introducing the ASLS course to prehospital Vanderbilt staff beginning with monthly sessions. Their vision for the course is to expand offerings to in-hospital staff and eventually to external community healthcare workers interested in learning about stroke education.
“This is an opportunity to infiltrate the community with this specific stroke education at every level and make impactful change,” said Brown Espaillat.
For more information about the course email Mike Moore at michael.a.moore@vumc.org.
