ENLS Certification: Overview and FAQ

Do you know what to do for a patient in the first hour after a stroke? What about after a spinal cord injury? If you take Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) training, you will. Here’s what to know about this course, why to pursue it, and how to get started.

Created and maintained by the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS), this training is offered online worldwide to individuals and live to groups. It emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to care management and delivery, aiming to improve and standardize neurological care across disciplines. It’s targeted at the following healthcare professionals:

• Nurses
• Critical care and emergency nurse practitioners
• Paramedics
• Emergency department and critical care physicians
• Neurosurgeons
• Pharmacists
• Medical students
• Residents and fellows

What Is Emergency Neurological Life Support Training?

This course helps improve care and set protocols for patients with a range of neurological issues. It covers the following patient problems:

• Acute ischemic stroke
• Acute, non-traumatic weakness
• Coma
• Intracerebral hemorrhage
• Intracranial hypertension and herniation
• Managed airway, ventilation, and sedation
• Meningitis and encephalitis
• Post-cardiac arrest resuscitation
• Spinal cord compression
• Status epilepticus (prolonged seizure)
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Traumatic brain injury
• Traumatic spinal cord injury

In addition to these topics, the course also covers pharmacotherapy and caring for the brain after injury. It’s broken up into 15 ENLS protocols, written by ER physicians and neuro-intensive care physicians.

Why Pursue Emergency Neurological Life Support Training?

There are many reasons you might want to enroll in this course. If you work in critical care, ER nursing, or neuro nursing and you haven’t been sure how to manage a stroke patient’s care, consider this training. It can help improve your confidence while giving your patients better outcomes. It’s also a great option if you’re coming up on your licensure renewal and need to complete continuing education credits.

How to Complete the ENLS Certification Course: 4 Steps

Step 1: Purchase the Course

First, you’ll need to make an account with the Neurocritical Care Society. Once you do so, you can enter your credentials and purchase the course. Pricing for this training depends on your license and country. Here’s the pricing for professionals in the United States:

• Physicians: $330
• RNs, PAs, EMTs, and other non-physicians: $165
• Students, residents, or fellows: $110

Step 2: Complete Each Module and Pass Each Assessment

Next, you’ll go through the 15 course modules to complete the training. Here’s what’s included in each module:

• Learning objectives and a summary of the protocol
• A published article on the topic
• Lecture slides and video
• A resource-limited algorithm
• Module assessment
• Post-module survey

There is no ENLS test — rather, you’ll need to complete the assessment at the end of each module with a passing grade of at least 70%.

Step 3: Receive Your Certificate

Once you’ve gone through all the course modules, you’ll receive a certificate page that will be downloadable. Keep this page for your records, and remember to update your nursing resume with this training.

Step 4: Maintain Your Credential Through Recertification

To stay updated on this credential, you’ll need to pursue ENLS recertification every two years. This involves completing the updated training so your knowledge is current. You’ll go through the 15 modules and complete the post-module assessments again.

View the following recertification costs for health professionals in the U.S.:

• Physicians: $231
• RNs, PAs, EMTs, and other non-physicians: $115
• Students, residents, or fellows: $77

FAQs About Emergency Neurological Life Support

How long does the course take?

When taken live, the course typically lasts for two full days, but the self-directed course may take more or less time depending on how you pace yourself.

Can I get CE credit for emergency neurological training?

Yes, the initial course is worth 15 ANCC credits, and recertification is worth 8 credits.

Can I take Emergency Neurological Life Support training for free?

You may be able to access this course for free or at a reduced cost. NCS offers group discounts, and some employers with educational budgets may be able to cover the fees. Organize a group of 25 or more professionals who are interested in this training, and show this group fee structure to your supervisor or unit manager:

Emergency Neurological Life Support vs. NIH Stroke Scale: What’s the difference?

Both of these trainings are offered for a range of healthcare professionals who care for patients directly after neurological injury, but they differ greatly in scope and purpose.

The NIHSS creates a standardized way to assess how severe a patient’s stroke is immediately after it happens. It uses 11 assessment categories to create a final score, and it’s valuable for professionals who work in units such as med-surg, post-acute care, and more.

Emergency Neurological Life Support is a much more comprehensive program that provides detailed algorithms for treating patients during and after neurological emergencies. It covers many more issues, such as comas and ventilation in the neurological patient, and it’s meant to standardize more elements of care, not just the initial assessment.

Related Certifications and Training

• Advanced Stroke Life Support (ASLS)
• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• NIH Stroke Scale
• Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN)
• Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
• Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)

Looking for Nursing Jobs in Critical Care and Beyond?

Whether you’re looking to expand your skills with ENLS or you’re seeking a job change, IntelyCare can help. Our nursing job notifications will alert you to roles in your specialty and location. Learn more now.