There are a variety of healthcare jobs in the military. Whether you are fresh out of high school and considering military medical school or an experienced medic who is volunteering and serving your country, a basic life support certification is one of the first and most important certifications you can complete.Here are just 3 ways that a BLS certification can help improve your military career.
1. Sharpen Life-Saving Skills.
Military medical school can be an extremely hectic time. Because military physicians enter with the rank of an officer, they receive leadership instruction, military training, and medical education all at once.
A BLS certification course allows you to stay compliant and take time to make sure that you have the basics down.
In On Combat, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman describes the psychological and physiological responses the body has to stressful situations: the body’s heart rate increases, as does peripheral vasoconstriction, which causes a loss in fine motor movement. In such situations, our bodies rely on muscle memory to properly function. That means in life-threatening situations, our level of skill and regular practice can make the difference between life and death.
It takes time and diligent practice to build muscle memory, which is why regularly reviewing your BLS skills is crucial in the military. With an online BLS certification, you can have access to BLS materials long after you complete your courses.
2. Stay Up-To-Date With The Latest Techniques.
One of the best things about the medical field is that we are constantly learning and improving. As Phyllis Guze, MD, notes, “The explosion of medical knowledge no longer allows [healthcare providers] to keep in their mind all knowledge that is necessary to provide quality patient care. It is estimated that more than 600,000 articles are published in biomedical literature every year. If a student attempted to keep up with the literature by reading 2 articles per day, in 1 year this conscientious individual would be more than 800 years behind.”
By becoming certified in BLS and maintaining that certification throughout your military career, you will ensure that you are always trained in the most recent best practices and methods used for managing cardiopulmonary emergencies. At ACLS Certification Institute, we make it easy by offering online recertification and renewal courses that you can access anytime, anywhere. You can even access and review course materials after completing your certification, making it easier than ever for you to brush up on best practices.
3. Be Prepared To Save Lives In Any Situation.
Medical jobs in the military can result in high-stress situations compared to civilian medical jobs. During your service, you will find yourself in a wide variety of situations in which your training can save someone’s life. You could be applying CPR or using a defibrillator. You could be administering treatment alone while waiting for help to arrive or as part of a rescue team.
No matter the situation that you may find yourself in, a BLS certification will ensure that you are prepared and able to help by teaching you beyond the basics of CPR. Specifically, a BLS certification offered by ACLS Certification Institute will instruct you in the following:
- Basic steps of CPR for adults, children, and infants
- Rescue breathing for adults, children, and infants
- Use of a bag valve mask device and pocket face mask to administer breaths
- CPR as a lone rescuer or as a part of a two-rescuer team
- Appropriate procedure and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)
Don’t Stop There. Keep Learning!
After becoming certified in BLS, you can continue to sharpen your skills by obtaining other certifications and furthering your training. Choose from several online courses that cost less than in-person classes and are entirely digital. At ACLS Certification Institute, we are dedicated to helping make education more accessible by giving you the flexibility that you need so you can provide the best patient care. Explore online continuing medical educations options.
Sources:https://dev.calashock.acls.com/
- Grossman D, Christensen LW. On combat: the psychology and physiology of deadly conflict in war and in peace. Illinois: Warrior science publ. 2008.
- Guze PA. Using technology to meet the challenges of medical education. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2015;126:260‐270.
- Military medical school. MedicineandtheMilitary.com. Accessed Sept 25, 2020. https://www.medicineandthemilitary.com/joining-and-eligibility/military-medical-school.
- Officer + Medical Training. MedicineandtheMilitary.com. Accessed Sept 25, 2020. https://www.medicineandthemilitary.com/officer-and-medical-training.
