Essentials of
Critical Care Orientation
Link to the ECCO website

Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO) quickly trains nurses interested in working in the critical care areas of your organization.

Created by the American Association of Critical-Care Nursing (AACN), this online program provides nurses with consistent, reliable training. AACN is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, representing more than 400,000 nurses charged with caring for the most Link to AACN’s websitecritically ill patients. The association is dedicated to providing members with the knowledge and resources necessary to provide optimal care to critically ill patients.

The ECCO program offers 64 contact hours of critical care nursing education and is divided into nine modules, organized using a body systems approach.

Download the ECCO Overview PDFGet Acrobat Reader

Modules in the ECCO program include:

  1. Introduction to Critical Care Nursing
  2. Care of the Patient with Cardiovascular Disorders
  3. Care of the Patient with Pulmonary Disorders
  4. Care of the Patient with Neurologic Disorders of the Brain
  5. Care of the Patient with Renal Disorders
  6. Care of the Patient with Gastrointestinal Disorders
  7. Care of the Patient with Endocrine Disorders
  8. Care of the Patient with Hematologic Disorders
  9. Care of the Patient with Multisystem Disorders

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the ECCO program is the ability to hire and orient critical care nurses at any time instead of during a fixed schedule used with traditional orientation programs. With a more responsive, timely training program, your facility can avoid the need to hire contract labor or pay existing staff overtime. The online format provides your nurses with greater flexibility while reducing training time.