Wilderness Advanced Life Support

Not offered this year by Crested Butte Outdoors

Contact Wilderness Medical Associates for a listing of current courses

Thirty-six hours of Category 1 CME credit is available for physicians and physician assistants.

Wilderness Advanced Life Support is an intensive four-day course designed for paramedics, RN’s, PA’s, and physicians whose professional responsibilities may require the use of advanced techniques in the backcountry setting. We focus on the procedures and technologies that are the most appropriate for extreme environments and the extended-care context. Significant time is also devoted to the general principles of wilderness medicine, and hands-on training in both basic and ALS techniques in backcountry rescue. For the experienced practitioner, this course will serve as a well-rounded exposure to the realities and challenges of providing advanced care in a difficult environment. It is especially valuable for medical advisors and medical team leaders for SAR teams, wilderness outfitters, and outdoor education organizations.

This course will include the core concepts of wilderness medicine such as long-term patient care, environmental emergencies, backcountry medicine, and exercises in improvised treatments and equipment. Topics cover: Personal preparation, patient assessment, ALS equipment in the backcountry, trauma management, musculoskeletal injuries, toxins, anaphylaxis, thermoregulation, altitude, drowning, lightning, spine injury assessment and treatment, improvised splints and stretchers, basic and advanced medical and rescue kits, wound care, litter packaging, and more.

Participants should expect to spend a significant amount of time outdoors and be prepared to deal with mountain weather. It will most likely be dry and beautiful, but it can also snow and rain. While you can be sure that Wilderness Advanced Life Support will be intense and interesting, it will not be dangerous or overly strenuous. Technical rock and rescue skills are not required. Anyone with some hiking and camping experience will do fine with the outdoor portions of this course. Please bring sturdy footwear and the appropriate outdoor clothing.

The WALS program is relatively new, and we plan to keep it that way. There are no plans for this course to become a “canned” certification. WALS is where the most seasoned WMA instructors are encouraged to discuss new and sometimes controversial material, perspectives, and techniques. Students are encouraged to contribute their knowledge and experience to instructors and colleagues. As a result, this course has more the information and idea-sharing flavor of a conference than a packaged program. We have drawn on the experience of dozens of seasoned practitioners, and solicited the latest in equipment and technology from suppliers. You can look forward to a fun and stimulating four days.

CME: Thirty-six hours of Category I CME credit are available for physicians and physician assistants.

Prerequisites: Current certification/licensure as an EMT-I, Paramedic, RN, NP, PA, MD, or DO. Other medical providers will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Wilderness Medical Associates

Emergency Training for Outdoor Professionals™

Wilderness Advanced Life Support

36 Hours

Course Fact Sheet

PREREQUISITE
Participants must be ALS trained, i.e.: a Paramedic (EMT-P), Physicians Assistant (PA), Registered Nurse (RN) or Physician (MD)
CERTIFICATIONS AVAILABLE
All participants who successfully complete the WALS course will receive a certification card from Wilderness Medical Associates. This certification remains valid for three years. Physicians and Physician Assistants will receive 36 Category I CME hours.
CREDENTIALS
Wilderness Medical Associates’ courses are widely considered the most complete medical training for outdoor professionals. Our courses are preferred by such organizations as Outward Bound, The National Park Service, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, many colleges and universities, and the FBI. As Canoe Magazine stated, “Wilderness Medical Associates has become the de facto standard in wilderness medical training.”
CLASS FORMAT
36 hours over 4 days and one evening session. Each participant must complete a pretest and give it to the instructor prior to the beginning of the course. Generally the mornings are devoted to lectures and quizzes while the afternoons are devoted to skill stations and patient scenarios. Skill labs may include basic and advanced airway techniques and equipment, cardiovascular emergencies, and wound management.
CONTENT
Topics include patient assessment, body systems, environmental medicine, toxins, backcountry medicine, and equipment improvisation. The emphasis in the WALS course that differs from our basic WMA curriculum is the idea of “what ALS interventions and/or equipment are reasonable and helpful to include in specific wilderness medical scenarios.”
TEXTS
The cost of the course includes a book of lecture handouts, a workbook, SOAP notes, The Wilderness Medical Associates WEMT Textbook and The Wilderness Medical Associates Field Guide.
BRING
Appropriate clothing and boots for the location and time of year. Rain or shine, much of our time is spent outside. Bring your personal first aid kit if you would like to review the contents and organization with the instructors and other participants.
COMPLETION
Successful completion of the course is based on attendance (100% required) and performance on both written and practical final exams.

Wilderness Medical Associates

WALS Course Syllabus

Day 1......... 3 hours
Evening Session
Introduction/Registration/Test review if needed
General Concepts
Patient Assessment System

Day 2......... 8.5 hours
Morning Session	Afternoon Session
Review	ALS Skills Airway Management Cardiovascular Management Wound Management
Medical / Legal Issues	Small group simulations
ALS /BLS (w/ Pt. drills)
Respiratory System (w/ drills)
Circulatory System (w/ drills)
Nervous System (w/ drills)

Day 3......... 9.0 hours
Morning Session	Afternoon Session
Homework Review	Spine Management
Wound Care	Lifting / Moving / Extrication
Trauma Management	Allergies and Anaphylaxis
Musculoskeletal injuries	Backcountry Medicine

Day 4......... 8.25 hours
Morning Session	Afternoon Session
Quiz / Homework Review	Improvised litters and Hypothermia wrap
Thermoregulation and frostbite	Backcountry rescue
Packaging	Small group simulations
Litters and carries

Day 5......... 7.25 hours
Morning Session	Afternoon Session
Near Drowning	Final simulation and debrief
Altitude	Review Exam
Written exam	Wrap up
Skills check off