Nurses with PALS certification: Health Issues you Need to Know

Employment regulations vary from state to state for healthcare trainings like PALS and ACLS certification (Illinois may have different requirements from Pennsylvania, for example). As a pediatric nurse, the types of medical situations that you encounter on a day-to-day basis will also vary based on your location. It is crucial to be aware of current health trends in order to be prepared to use your PALS certification. Pennsylvania, like every state, has its own unique challenges – here are four health issues that healthcare providers are likely to face in this area.

1. Asthma attacks
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the prevalence of lifetime asthma among Pennsylvania children is approximately 12 percent (nearly 343,000 children). In 2009 alone, more than 23,744 inpatient hospitalizations (patients ages 1 to 18) were due to asthma. The highest asthma hospitalization rates were in Philadelphia, which was nearly three times more than the rate for the entire state. This may be due to the fact that asthma can be triggered by environmental factors, such as air pollution, which is more prominent in urban areas.

2. Obesity issues
As the childhood obesity rate continues to rise, more children will need to be treated for conditions related to obesity by pediatric nurses with PALS certification. Pennsylvania’s childhood obesity rate is comparable to the national rate – approximately 30 percent of Pennsylvania children are currently overweight or obese. Overweight and obese children are at a much higher risk for developing other serious health problems.

3. Motor vehicle accidents

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children in the United States. According to a 2008 mortality report from the PA Department of Health, nearly half of all child and adolescent deaths caused by unintentional injury in PA were motor-vehicle-related accidents.

4. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

In 2007, there were 1,206 infant deaths in Pennsylvania, which was the 18th highest infant death rate in the U.S. for that year, according to StateHealthFacts.org. SIDS remains the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 12 months. The cause of SIDS is unknown, but research has identified risk factors (e.g. allowing a baby to sleep on its stomach, exposing a baby to second-hand cigarette smoke) and the overall number of SIDS cases has decreased.

Health Ed Solutions and PALS Certification/PALS Recertification: Pennsylvania

Health Ed Solutions provides online courses for ACLS and PALS certification, and ACLS and PALS recertification (Pennsylvania healthcare establishments may require medical employees to maintain these certifications). Learn more about PALS and ACLS certification.

Disclaimer: These data were provided by the Bureau of Health Statistics and Research, Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Department specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations or conclusions.