FCCS Instructor Guidelines

Thank you very much for your interest in becoming an instructor in the Society of Critical Care's Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS) Program. The FCCS Steering Committee members appreciate your commitment to improving patient care through this course. 

REVISED! The U.S. criteria necessary to apply as an FCCS Instructor candidate are as follows:

•The Instructor must have either post-baccalaureate education (physician/nurse or other healthcare professional) with a 50% practice ratio in critical care and/or critical care licensure or certification or eligibility of such.  

•Clinical care practice is considered either a didactic or education based role focused on the critically ill or injured patient.  

•The practice requirement ensures that the instructor will be comfortable with the majority of the lecture components and skill stations and may then answer questions with credibility. 

• This requirement will provide a method for special consideration of individuals that apply for instructor status.   Proof of practice will consist of a request form for instructorship signed by the Course Director.   In addition, two brief letters from active critical care clinicians should be attached stating the percentage of time spent in the area of critical care.   Instructors can initiate their accreditation in regular courses provided the Course Director makes provisions to cover the material pertaining to the teaching guidelines recommended by the FCCS Course.   Critical care practitioners will be accredited as Instructors upon successful completion of the Instructor Course.   All other Instructor applicants will complete their accreditation once they have had the opportunity to teach on two occasions with evaluation and approval by the Course Director.   The first opportunity may be taken during the Instructor Course.   

If you do not meet the above criteria for traditional FCCS instructorship but have significant experience in critical care, you may qualify for the FCCS Associate Instructor designation. The criteria for Associate Instructors are as follows:

•Successful completion of an FCCS provider course.

•Significant clinical activity in critical care.

•Review of the FCCS instructor curriculum reading with an FCCS instructor.

•Recommendation for instructor status after two teaching experiences in FCCS provider courses under the supervision of an FCCS Director/Instructor. These experiences may occur on subsequent days of the same course.

• All FCCS Instructors must be members in good standing of the SCCM. Instructor and Associate Instructor candidates must complete an FCCS instructor/provider course, and to maintain instructor status, must teach in an instructor/provider course at least once every 2 years (as of May 1, 2000) or take a refresher course.
  
  

The SCCM office issues instructor certificates, maintains records on each instructor, and tracks faculty participation. FCCS Instructors should ideally represent 50% of the FCCS faculty.   A required minimum of two FCCS Instructors must be present for each course. Minimum faculty requirements for an FCCS course can also be met with 1 FCCS Instructor (the course director) and 2 FCCS Associate Instructors.

Special qualifications may apply for physicians located outside the USA.  Please contact the FCCS office at (847) 827-6869 or info@sccm.org for more information.