AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION OFFERINGS
LiST OF AVAILABLE COURSES.
For a full listing of course types, descriptions, length, and audiences click here.
BASIC LIFE SUPPORT
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers - This course covers core materials such as adult and pediatric CPR (including two rescuer scenarios and use of bag mask), foreign body airway obstruction, and automated external defibrillation.
The course is designed for healthcare providers such as EMS personnel, physicians assistants, doctors, dentists, nurses, and respiratory therapists who must have a credential (card) documenting successful completion of a CPR course. The course lasts approximately 4.5 hours. There is a written exam and skills test.
COMMUNITY AND FIRST RESPONDER
Heartsaver CPR- This course teaches CPR and relief of choking in adults and children and infant CPR and relief of choking, and use of barrier devices for all ages. It is designed for those who have a duty to respond to a cardiac emergency because of job responsibilities or regulatory requirements. The course lasts approximately 3 hours with infant CPR and 2 hours without. There is a skills test with this program.
Heartsaver AED - This course teaches CPR, AED use, relief of choking in adults and children, infant CPR and relief of choking, and use of barrier devices for all ages. It is designed for those who have to respond to a cardiac emergency because of job responsibility or regulatory requirements. The course lasts approximately 3.5 hours and 2.5 hours without infant CPR. There is a skills test for this program.
Heartsaver First Aid- This course teaches how to manage illness and injuries in the first few minutes until professional help arrives. Course content includes General Principles, Medical Emergencies, and Injury Emergencies. Optional topics include CPR and AED, and Environmental Emergencies. The course is designed for those who have a duty to respond to a first aid or cardiac emergency because of job responsibilities or regulatory requirements. The course lasts approximately 7.5 hours for all modules and 6.5 hours without infant CPR. For first aid only the course is approximately 3.5 hours. There is a written test for the first aid portion and skill test for the CPR and AED.
ADVANCE LIFE SUPPORT
Advanced Cardiac Life Support Refresher-
PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROGRAM MUST HOLD A CURRENT ACLS PROVIDER CARD. The ACLS course is totally redesigned to incorporate new science evidence from the 2005 Guidelines and a new teaching methodology. Through the ACLS course healthcare providers will enhance their skills in the treatment of the adult victim of cardiac arrest or other cardiopulmonary emergencies. ACLS emphasizes the importance of basic life support CPR to patient survival; the integration of effective basic life support with advanced life support interventions; and the importance of effective team interaction and communication during resuscitation. The course is designed for emergency, intensive care, or critical care healthcare providers such as physicians, nurses, paramedics, and respiratory therapists. The course requires a completed pre-course checklist to be handed in at the beginning of the course. There is a required written exam and skill test.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support
PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROGRAM MUST HOLD A CURRENT PALS PROVIDER CARD. The PALS course is totally redesigned to incorporate new science evidence from the 2005 Guidelines and a new teaching methodology. The goal of the PALS course is to aid the pediatric healthcare provider in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to efficiently and effectively manage critically ill infants and children, resulting in improved outcomes. Skills taught include recognition and treatment of infants and children at risk for cardiopulmonary arrest; the systematic approach to pediatric assessment, effective respiratory management; defibrillation and synchronized cardioversion; intraosseous access and fluid bolus administration; and effective resuscitation team dynamics. The course is designed for pediatricians, family physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, paramedics, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare providers who initiate and direct advanced life support in pediatric emergencies. The course requires a completed pre-course checklist to be handed in at the beginning of the course. There is a required written exam and skill test.
The American Heart Association strongly promotes proficiency in BLS, ACLS, And PALS and has
developed instructional materials for this purpose.
Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsorship by the American Heart Association, and any fees charged for such a course do not represent income to the Association.
