ATNC-I - Advanced Trauma Nursing Course Instructor

The Advanced Trauma Nursing Course Instructor (ATNC-I) certification is offered through the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England). This is an immersive training experience for trainers of the ATNC program in the United Kingdom (UK). The instructor certificate requires an online pre-course and a two-day, in-person session.

In the UK, the ATNC course is recommended for trauma nurses and other professionals regularly working as a part of a hospital-based trauma team to care for seriously injured patients and their families. The curriculum is a specialty of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) which teaches Registered Nurses (RNs), paramedics, and other healthcare providers the knowledge and skills required to care for trauma patients through advanced life support with a team approach. Individuals who successfully complete the ATLS ATNC course must be nominated to enroll in the ATNC-I course. Instructor training focuses on the methods, standards, and processes of teaching the ATNC material.

Cost: £730

The ATNC-I course is highly interactive. It combines discussions, tutorials, skills modules, and patient management simulations. Email instructions for the online portion and pre-course materials are available on the RCS web account 6-8 weeks before the scheduled live training.

Candidates who do not pass the course cannot attend another RCS instructor course for two years.

The ATNC-I certification requirements include:

• Current license as a Registered Nurse (RN) with the Healthcare Professionals Council (HCPC)

• Current experience working in a hospital-based trauma team

• Completion of the ATNC Provider course

• Nomination of having ATNC Instructor Potential (IP) in the past two years

Candidates interested in the ATNC-I training can register their interest on the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) website. Currently, there are no open dates for this course.

Instructor certification for the RCS course lasts four years from the instructor course completion date or the last recertification date.

For renewal, instructors must successfully:

• teach a course observed by a course director

• complete a written test skills test

All ATLS Instructors must teach at least four courses during their four-year certification. Six courses are recommended. Instructors must not leave more than two years between classes.

Advanced trauma life support training in the UK is similar to the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) training in the US.

• Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC)

• Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN)

• Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) 

• Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) 

• Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN) 

• Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN)