AHA’s ACLS Course has been updated to reflect new science in the 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines Update for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (2020 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC).

This course builds on the foundation of lifesaving BLS skills, emphasizing the importance of continuous, high-quality CPR. This advanced course highlights the importance of high-performance team dynamics and communication, systems of care, recognition and intervention of cardiopulmonary arrest, immediate post-cardiac arrest, acute dysrhythmia, stroke, and acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

WHO SHOULD TAKE THE COURSE?

Healthcare professionals who either direct or participate in the management of cardiopulmonary arrest or other cardiovascular emergencies. This includes personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care, and critical care units such as physicians, nurses, and paramedics.

COURSE COVERS

• Basic life support skills, including effective chest compressions, use of a bag-mask device, and use of an AED • Recognition and early management of respiratory and cardiac arrest • Recognition and early management of peri-arrest conditions such as symptomatic bradycardia • Airway management • Related pharmacology • Management of ACS and stroke • Effective communication as a member and leader of a resuscitation team 

Course Prerequisites

Student Resources:

· Visit elearning.heart.org/courses.

· Find the course name: ACLS Precourse Self-Assessment and Precourse Work

· Also look at the IO and Coping with Death videos on the upper right corner of the site.

· Once you find your course, select Launch Course to begin.

Note: If you haven't already logged in, the system will ask you to do so. If you haven't visited the site before, you'll be prompted to set up an account.

When doing the precourse work make sure you minimize the video so you can click on the forward button to answer questions after each video.

​

​

·  Review and understand the information in your ACLS Provider Manual.

· Review, understand, and pass the mandatory precourse self-assessment and Precourse work. Print your certificate and bring it with you to class. Please also see the Death and dying video and Intraosseous IV videos.

· Ensure that your BLS skills and knowledge are current for the resuscitation scenarios.

 

·  You will be tested on Adult CPR with AED, Respiratory arrest and Megacode skills. You will then have a 50-question written test in which you can use your student manual to find answers.

 

· You will receive your ACLS ecard on the day of class and also be able to access it on your smart phone by texting ecard to 51736.