ECMO Certifications Around the World!

As I’ve been looking to get credentialed in ECMO, I was curious about the different certifications available. I plan to start with ELSO’s Adult ECMO Practitioner Certification (E-AEC) and eventually pursue pediatric certification. What I found in my search was quite eye-opening—there are so many different opportunities for ECMO professionals across the globe. It reminded me that the ECMO journey is precisely that: a journey. There’s no “graduation” from learning, which makes this field both challenging and rewarding.

1. ELSO Adult ECMO Practitioner Certification (E-AEC)

• Issuer: Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO)

• Prerequisites: ELSO-endorsed ECMO course and 56 hours of clinical experience

• Exam: 3-hour clinical scenario-based exam

• Cost: $300

• Validity: 3 years

• Global Recognition: ELSO certifications are accepted worldwide, and their international branches—ELSO Europe (EURO ELSO), Asia-Pacific ELSO (AP ELSO), South West Asia and Africa (SWAAC ELSO), and Latin American ELSO (LA ELSO)—promote the same standards globally. They offer regional training courses and workshops to prepare candidates for ELSO certification.

2. AmSECT Certified ECMO Specialist (CES-A & CES-P)

• Issuer: American Society of Extracorporeal Technology (AmSECT)

• Prerequisites:

• Exam: Clinical scenario and multiple-choice questions

• Cost: $350

• Validity: 3 years

• Specialization: AmSECT offers separate certifications for adult and pediatric ECMO specialists: CES-A (Certified ECMO Specialist - Adult) and CES-P (Certified ECMO Specialist - Pediatric).

3. AACN ECMO Micro-Credential

• Issuer: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)

• Prerequisites: Must have a current, unencumbered U.S. healthcare professional license

• Exam: 38 multiple-choice questions

• Cost: $50

• Validity: Ongoing micro-credential

• Ideal for Nurses: This ECMO Micro-Credential is perfect for critical care nurses looking to validate their ECMO knowledge.

4. European Certified Clinical Perfusionist (ECCP)

• Issuer: European Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (EBCP)

• Prerequisites: Graduation from an accredited perfusion program and passing the ECCP exam

• Exam: Written and oral exams with clinical scenarios

• Cost: Varies by country

• Validity: 5 years

• European Standards: This certification is key for perfusionists working with ECMO in Europe.

5. UK NHS ECMO Specialist Training

• Issuer: NHS England

• Prerequisites: Employed in an NHS ECMO center

• Certification: Competency-based certifications (hospital-specific)

• Validity: Hospital or center-specific programs

• Regional Impact: The U.K. is home to several ECMO centers of excellence, including Glenfield Hospital and Royal Papworth Hospital, which offer training programs based on international standards.

6. ECMO Training in China

While China does not have a specific national ECMO certification, many Chinese hospitals offer

• Global Certification: Chinese ECMO specialists can achieve recognition through the E-AEC certification or regional training by ELSO.Asia-Pacific ELSO (AP ELSO)

7. Australia and New Zealand ECMO Training

• Issuer: Various hospitals in Australia and New Zealand

• Certification: Competency-based training (hospital-specific)

• Regional Centers: Hospitals like The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne provide ECMO training that follows ELSO guidelines but does not issue a separate national ECMO certification.The Alfred Hospital ECMO Training

SWAAC ELSO ECMO Training Course in Kuwait 2024

My ECMO Journey, Your ECMO Journey

I’m starting with the ELSO certification, but that doesn’t mean I’m done learning once I get certified. The world of ECMO is constantly evolving, and staying current is key to providing the best patient care. But what if you’ve been doing ECMO for 10 or 15 years? You’ve been through some of the most challenging times, like managing ECMO during COVID—should you still pursue certification? And what happens if hospitals start requiring ECMO specialists to be certified? These are some of the questions I’ll dive into next week, so stay tuned for an honest take on the value of ECMO certification!

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Note: This article reflects my learning journey in ECMO and is intended for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice or guidance. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals for clinical decisions and patient care.

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Acknowledgments:

I developed three custom GPTs, “AI ECMO Expert,” “ECMO Specialist Handover Practice,” and “Micro Definitions (MD-GPT),” for specialized research. These tools draw primarily from the ELSO Redbook (6th Edition), the ELSO Specialist Training Manual (4th Edition), various research papers, and articles. Additional research was supported by GPT-4o/o1, Claude 3.5 Sonnet/Opus, and Perplexity. Editing was performed with Grammarly. A.I. images and charts were created using Leonardo AI, DALL-E3 AI Image Generator, Microsoft Designer, and Adobe Express. Content for all articles sourced from Extracorporeal Life Support: The ELSO Red Book, 6th Edition, and ECMO Specialist Training Manual, 4th Edition.