PEDIATRIC EDUCATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

Because many aspects of emergency care are different for children than for adults, health care professionals with responsibility for children must have the specific knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to provide appropriate care. In addition, many healthcare practitioners have limited opportunities to apply their pediatric knowledge and skills. This emphasizes the need for ongoing education in order to refresh one's knowledge and skill base as well as to ensure clinical consistency with current practice guidelines. A statewide needs assessment conducted by Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) identified that many prehospital and hospital health care practitioners feel the need for greater preparedness when caring for the pediatric patient. Integration of pediatric focused educational curricula into healthcare provider primary and continuing education will assist in addressing this need. The educational needs of healthcare practitioners should be addressed through curricula that can focus on recognizing characteristic signs of serious illness or injury in children of all ages, timely pediatric assessment, stabilization and treatment modalities that favor improved outcomes. Pediatric focused education is emphasized for all practitioners whose duties bring them into contact with the pediatric population including first responders, EMT's at the basic, intermediate and paramedic levels, emergency physicians, emergency nurses, pediatric nurses, pediatricians, family practitioners, clinic or office based personnel, school nurses, mid-level practitioners, among others.  In addition, the development of instructors with a strong pediatric knowledge base will provide the most effective means of ensuring the longevity of pediatric emergency care education. The Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Advisory Board supports the inclusion of the following pediatric focused educational initiatives into healthcare practitioner primary and continuing education.  Additional pediatric education developed by Illinois EMSC can be found in the Education link on our website.

AAP - American Academy of Pediatrics Courses
Please use the methods listed below to receive more information on all AAP continuing medical education (CME) activities. 

APLS - Advanced Pediatric Life Support Course
This two-day course focuses on the initial management of illnesses and injuries that, if left untreated, could lead to life threatening pediatric conditions requiring resuscitation. The course content is primarily oriented toward emergency diagnosis and response. The course format combines lectures with small group sessions that allow for case presentations and hands-on experience. Sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians and American Academy of Pediatrics, this course is recommended for all physicians and other healthcare professionals who are responsible for the management of acutely ill or injured children.  Contact the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians (ICEP) at (888)495-ICEP for information on upcoming APLS courses.

ENPC - Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course
This 16-hour comprehensive pediatric course is sponsored by the Emergency Nurses Association and is tailored specifically to meet the educational needs of the nurse in an emergency setting. The focus of this course is to teach nurses the various aspects of pediatric emergency nursing care. Lectures and skill stations emphasize the appropriate triage, assessment and management of the ill or injured pediatric patient. The course is designed to provide core-level pediatric knowledge and psychomotor skills associated with the delivery of professional nursing care to the pediatric patient.  To find upcoming courses, visit the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) website.

ITLS Pediatric - International Trauma Life Support Pediatric Provider Course
This course builds upon a core knowledge base of trauma care. The course emphasizes the practical training needed to assure that the prehospital provider is confident and competent when faced with caring for the critically injured child. The course focuses specifically on prehospital care of the pediatric trauma patient. The Illinois College of Emergency Physicians sponsors the ITLS Pediatric Provider course which is approved by International Trauma Life Support.

NRP - Neonatal Resuscitation Program
This joint AAP- AHA developed course was designed to teach an evidence-based approach to resuscitation of the newborn. The causes, prevention, and management of mild to severe neonatal asphyxia are carefully explained so that health professionals may develop optimal knowledge and skill in resuscitation. You can find a course or instructor on this website.

PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support Course
This American Heart Association (AHA) and American Academy of Pediatrics sponsored course focuses primarily on pediatric resuscitation. It provides the information needed for recognizing the child at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest, strategies for preventing cardiopulmonary arrest in the pediatric population and reinforcement of the cognitive and psychomotor skills necessary for resuscitating and stabilizing the infant and child in respiratory failure, shock or cardiopulmonary arrest. This course is geared toward all healthcare professionals who provide care to children.  The AHA website contains a listing of all Community Training Centers.  Anyone searching for a PALS course within Illinois can go to http://www.cpr-ecc.americanheart.org to obtain a listing of PALS training sites.  This website identifies PALS, ACLS, BLS, CPR and AED training sites.

PEARS - Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization Course
This American Heart Association sponsored one-day course was designed for healthcare professionals who infrequently see critically ill children. It supports those who are not credentialed in advanced pediatric skills and who do not routinely provide pediatric advanced life support.  PEARS prepares students to assess, categorize, decide, and act early to stabilize the child. The main focus of PEARS is prevention, and specifically the assessment, recognition and stabilization of pediatric victims at risk of severe cardiopulmonary distress.  PEARS is a video-based course with instructor-led discussion.

PEPP - Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals
The American Academy of Pediatrics sponsors this course which aims to prepare prehospital professionals in the management of the pediatric patient. This highly interactive course combines lectures, videos, hands-on skill stations and small group scenarios. The course has a one day BLS format or a two day ALS format.  Find a PEPP course through a search function on the PEPP website.