The Advanced Trauma Life Support® (ATLS®) program offers a systematic, concise approach to the care of a trauma patient.

ATLS was developed by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) and was introduced in the U.S. and abroad in 1980. Its courses provide a safe and reliable method for immediate management of injured patients. This course teaches you how to assess a patient’s condition, resuscitate and stabilize the patient, and determine if the patient’s needs exceed a facility’s capacity. It also covers how to arrange for a patient’s inter-hospital transfer and assure that optimum care is provided throughout the process.

If you don’t treat trauma patients frequently, an ATLS course provides an easy method to remember for evaluation and treatment of a trauma victim. Objectives of the course:

• Assess the patient’s condition rapidly and accurately
• Resuscitate and stabilize the patient according to priority
• Determine if the patient’s needs exceed a facility’s capabilities
• Arrange appropriately for the patient’s definitive care
• Ensure that optimum care is provided

Benefits of the course:

• An organized approach for evaluation and management of seriously injured patients
• A foundation of common knowledge for all members of the trauma team
• Applicable in both large urban centers and small rural emergency departments
• One safe, reliable method for assessing and initially managing trauma patients
• Revised every four years to keep abreast of changes
• Different content versions available to meet the needs of each audience

Hybrid student course:

• Teaches medical core content in an interactive format
• Hands-on skills sessions offered in simulated trauma settings
• Successful completion status valid for four years from course date
• Content overview, triage scenarios, and written and practical tests included
• Required pre-course work assigned prior to attending in-person course
• Textbook provided for learners

Student refresher course:

• Provides doctors the opportunity to maintain current status
• Half-day or one-day course format
• Content overview, triage scenarios, and written and practical tests included
• Required pre-test and optional review of modules assigned prior to attending in-person course
• Textbook provided for learners

This is a CME-eligible program. Please visit the ATLS Program and Courses website for information on how to receive credit.

For more information about the course, visit the Advanced Trauma Life Support website.

For more information about courses offered at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, email [email protected].

Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS) equips healthcare professionals with the tools they need to provide bedside care for patients who are or may become critically ill.

The Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) FCCS course combines expert-developed learning with interactive skill stations to provide non-intensivists and healthcare professionals with the realistic training they need to manage critically ill patients for the first 24 hours or until an appropriate critical care consultation can be arranged. The course concentrates on adult critical care and includes separate sections on critical care for pregnant and pediatric patients.

At the completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• Prioritize assessment needs for critically ill patients
• Select appropriate diagnostic tests
• Identify and respond to significant changes in unstable patients
• Recognize and initiate management of acute life-threatening conditions
• Determine the need for expert consultation and/or patient transfer and prepare the practitioner for optimally accomplishing transfer

Course features:

• In-person and online learning formats
• Expert-developed presentations
• Interactive skill stations
• Online pre- and post-tests
• Companion eBook
• Certificate of successful course completion
• Participant evaluations during and after course completion
• Accredited continuing education credit for completion of online course materials (granted from SCCM, not host site)

Course details:

• Half-day in-person course format
• Required pre-course work assigned prior to attending in-person course
• All residents required to complete course prior to intensive care unit rotation at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital
• Select advanced practice professionals required to complete course within 90 days of hire
• $350 cost for anyone not employed by J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital

For additional information about the FCCS course, visit the Society of Critical Care Medicine website.

For more information about courses offered at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, email [email protected].

For more information about bringing a course to your hospital, email [email protected].

Thousands of critical care patients are treated every year at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital. The Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Management course was created out of the need for more specialized education.

This SCI course features interactive lectures and skill stations, including proper positioning/turning, equipment awareness, and ventilator management. Each discipline not only teaches and provides hands-on learning but is also responsible for the creation and maintenance of their content. This ensures the educators are up to date on current practices, which will continually enhance the overall care of SCI
patients.

Disciplines in this course:

• Care management
• Nursing
• Nutrition
• Pathophysiology
• Pharmacy
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Respiratory

This is a one-day, in-person course that takes place in the STEPS Simulation Center, located on the WVU Health Sciences Center campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, at no cost.

Upcoming course dates and times:

• Tuesday, July 29, 2025, 8 am – 4 pm
• Monday, December 8, 2025, 8 am – 4 pm

WVU Medicine employees can register via Workday; search for: Trauma – Spinal Cord Injury Management (2025-2028) – WVUH.

This course is approved for trauma credits and CEUs, but employees working outside of J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital will need to contact the Clinical Education Department at for credit information and payment.

For more information about courses offered at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, email [email protected].

The Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) is a comprehensive educational program developed by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) to provide registered nurses with the knowledge and skills necessary to care for trauma patients effectively.

The course focuses on the rapid assessment, intervention, and stabilization of injured patients using a systematic, evidence-based approach.

TNCC emphasizes the primary and secondary survey processes, trauma team roles, and critical thinking in high-stakes situations. It includes lectures, hands-on skills stations, and simulations to enhance learning and build confidence in managing diverse trauma scenarios. TNCC certification validates a nurse’s expertise in trauma care, supporting improved patient outcomes in emergency and acute care settings.

This is a one-and-a-half-day, in-person course that takes place in the STEPS Simulation Center, located on the WVU Health Sciences Center campus in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Cost:

• J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital staff, $300
• External, $350

WVU Medicine employees can register via Workday; search for ?. Non-WVU Medicine employees interested in the course can email [email protected].

After successful completion of the course, the verification card is valid for four years.

This course is approved for CEUs through the ENA and approved for WVU Medicine trauma credits.

For more information about courses offered at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, email [email protected].

Rural trauma has been termed the “neglected disease” of the 21st century. The Rural Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC™) has been developed to improve the quality of care in rural communities by developing a timely, organized, and systematic response to the care of the trauma patient.

The course emphasizes a team approach to address common problems in the initial assessment and stabilization of injured patients.

RTTDC is taught by surgeons, emergency physicians, family physicians, nurses, and paramedics who are experienced trauma care providers and trauma course instructors.

Objectives of the course:

• Organize a rural trauma team with defined roles and responsibilities for the members
• Prepare a rural facility for the appropriate care of injured patients
• Identify local resources and limitations
• Assess and resuscitate trauma patients
• Initiate the transfer process early
• Establish a performance improvement process
• Encourage effective communication
• Define the relationship between the rural trauma facility and the regional trauma system

For more information about the course or CME eligibility, please visit the RTTDC website.