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AHA PALS

AHA Pediatric Advanced Life Support

For healthcare providers who respond to emergencies in infants and children and for personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care, and critical care units.

Who should take this course?

For healthcare professionals who either direct or participate in the management of cardiopulmonary arrest or other cardiovascular emergencies and for personnel in pediatric emergency response.

What does this course teach?

The PALS Provider Course aims to improve outcomes for pediatric patients by preparing healthcare providers to effectively recognize and intervene in patients with respiratory emergencies, shock, and cardiopulmonary arrest by using high‐performance team dynamics and high‐quality individual skills. The course includes a series of case scenario practices with simulations that reinforce important concepts.

 

Upon successful completion of all the patient cases, students must pass the multiple-choice exam with a minimum score of 84%. Topics include:

  • After successfully completing this course, students will be able to

  • Perform high‐quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) per American Heart Association (AHA) basic life support (BLS) recommendations

  • Differentiate between patients who do and do not require immediate intervention

  • Recognize cardiopulmonary arrest early and begin CPR within 10 seconds

  • Apply team dynamics

  • Differentiate between respiratory distress and failure

  • Perform early interventions for respiratory distress and failure

  • Differentiate between compensated and decompensated (hypotensive) shock

  • Perform early interventions for the treatment of shock

  • Differentiate between unstable and stable patients with arrhythmias

  • Describe clinical characteristics of instability in patients with arrhythmias

  • Implement post–cardiac arrest management

Course Options

AHA Pediatric Advanced Life Support course
AHA PALS classroom course

Blended Learning
Pediatric Advanced Life Support

Classroom 
Pediatric Advanced Life Support

Blended Learning (online portion, followed by hands-on skills session)

HeartCode PALS uses a personalized adaptive algorithm that sets students on the most efficient path to PALS mastery.

 

Students follow a continuously adapting learning path that is personalized by their own inputs: their performance and their self-reported confidence level related to each probe. The course content is presented in the form of self-directed learning content, probes, and Cognitive Assessment Activities. The student has a choice of completing a pre-hospital or in-hospital contextualized track. After completing the online portion, students will attend a structured, Instructor-led hands-on session that focuses on meaningful skills practice, debriefing, team scenarios, discussions of local protocols, and skills testing. Where available, students may also complete the hands-on session with a HeartCode compatible manikin.

HeartCode PALS is the AHA’s PALS blended learning delivery method. Blended learning is a combination of eLearning, in which a student completes part of the course in a self-directed manner, followed by a hands-on skills session.

The PALS Provider Course aims to improve outcomes for pediatric patients by preparing healthcare providers to effectively recognize and intervene in patients with respiratory emergencies, shock, and cardiopulmonary arrest by using high‐performance team dynamics and high‐quality individual skills.

 

The course includes a series of case scenario practices with simulations that reinforce important concepts.

Additional Information:

  • Course time:

    • Blended: ​

      • With the new adaptive learning format, the timing for completing the online portion of HeartCode PALS can vary depending on the student’s level of experience.

      • The hands-on session for HeartCode PALS will take approximately 5 hours with breaks, or 4 hours and 50 minutes without breaks

      • *Skills session needs to be scheduled once the online course is completed. Completion Certificate required to schedule.

      • *Individual learner times will vary; run times will vary based on course path and/or optional topics selected. Breaks are not included in skills session timing.​

    • Classroom:

      • Initial Course: Approximately 12-16 hours. (Usually 2 day course)

      • Renewal Course: Approximately 8-12 hours.

  • Course Completion card issued electronically within 24-48 hours of course completion.

  • Course Completion Card is valid for two years.

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