Q: What is the Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Course?
Q: Who is the target audience for this product and course?
Q: Specifically, what content is taught in ACLS?
Q: What is the format of the ACLS classroom course?
Q: Which skills are practiced during the ACLS Course?
Q: What are the course completion requirements for ACLS?
Q: Does successful completion of the ACLS Course result in an AHA course completion card?
Q: Are there prerequisites for taking the ACLS Course?
Q: Are continuing education (CE/CME) credits offered for the ACLS classroom-based course?
Q: Approximately how long does the ACLS Course take to complete?
Course Materials
Q:What new materials are available for the ACLS Course?
Q:What materials must a student have to take the ACLS classroom course?
Course Information
Q: What is the Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Course?
A: The AHA’s ACLS Course has been updated to reflect new science in the 2020 American Heart
Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR & ECC). This classroom, video-based, Instructor-led course builds on the foundation of lifesaving BLS for Healthcare Providers skills, emphasizing the importance of continuous, high-quality CPR.
This advanced course highlights the importance of team dynamics and communication, systems of care and immediate post-cardiac arrest care. ACLS also covers airway management and related pharmacology.
Q: What is different about the 2011 ACLS versus the 2006 version?
A: The 2011 course includes key changes in advanced cardiovascular life support, reflecting the 2020 AHA.
Guidelines for CPR & ECC. Other key changes include:
· Immediate post-cardiac arrest algorithm now included
· Advanced airway adjuncts section now has four options including laryngeal mask airway, esophageal-tracheal tube, endotracheal tube; course content includes information on the laryngeal tube
· Provides ad ditional in- and out-of-hospital scenarios, including six new “putting it all together” scenarios, with a debriefing tool for each.
· Bag-mask ventilation now a required skills test for all ACLS students
· Enforces team dynamics and effective communication.
Q: Who is the target audience for this product and course?
A: ACLS is designed for 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, as well as others who need an ACLS course completion card for job or other requirements.
Q: Specifically, what content is taught in ACLS?
A: Specific ACLS content is listed below:
· 1-Rescuer CPR and AED use
· Science Overview (Update Course)
· Team Dynamics
· BLS and ACLS Surveys
· Immediate Post-Cardiac Arrest Care
· Airway Management/Respiratory Arrest
· Peri-arrest Rhythms (Tachycardia, Bradycardia)
· Arrest Rhythms (VF, PVT, PEA, Asystole)
· Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS)
· Stroke
· Megacode treatment.
Q: What is the format of the ACLS classroom course?
A: ACLS is a classroom-based, Instructor-led course. In the course, skills are taught in large-group sessions and small-group learning and testing stations where case-based scenarios are presented in the course video. The course includes skills practice and testing.
This course uses a recommended ratio of 6 students to 1 instructor to 1 manikin or station. The CPR and AED and Management of Respiratory Arrest stations require 1 instructor and 2 manikins for 6 students per station.
Q: Which skills are practiced during the ACLS Course?
A: Skills to be practiced during the course include:
· BLS and ACLS Surveys
· Airway Management
· Rhythm Recognition
· Defibrillation
· IV Access (information only)
· Use of Medications
· Cardioversion
· Transcutaneous Pacing
· 1-rescuer CPR and AED
· Team Resuscitation Concept (Team Leader and Team Member)
· Immediate Post-Cardiac Arrest Care.
Q: What are the course completion requirements for ACLS?
A: For successful course completion, students must demonstrate skills competency in all learning
stations, pass the CPR-AED skills test, bag-mask ventilation skills test, megacode test and pass the
written test with a score of 84% or higher.
Q: Does successful completion of the ACLS Course result in an AHA course completion card?
A: Yes. Students who successfully complete the requirements of the ACLS course will receive an AHA ACLS Provider course completion card, valid for two years.
Q: Are there prerequisites for taking the ACLS Course?
A: Before taking ACLS, students should have a mastery of BLS skills. They should also be able to recognize various heart rhythms, be familiar with different types of airway management tools and their use and have knowledge of the drugs commonly used to treat cardiovascular irregularities.
To help students adequately prepare for the ACLS Course, the AHA highly recommends that each student complete the online ACLS Precourse Assessment, available through the AHA Student Website (www.heart.org/eccstudent). To access the AHA Student Website, students and Instructors will need an access code, which is included on page 2 of each ACLS Provider Manual and ACLS Instructor Manual.
Q: Are continuing education (CE/CME) credits offered for the ACLS classroom-based course?
A: The AHA is currently in the process of completing requirements to be able to provide CECBEMS CEH credit for classroom-based ACLS provider courses. We will announce this when available.
Because the continuing education approval process for nurses and physicians is much more involved, CME/CE credit for these professions will not be available through the AHA at this time.
Continuing education credit will continue to be offered for multiple professions for completion of the HeartCode® ACLS Part 1 program.
Q: Approximately how long does the ACLS Course take to complete?
A: Approximate course completion times are listed below. Times are based on a recommended ratio of 6 students to 1 instructor to 1 manikin or station (NOTE: the CPR and AED and Management of Respiratory Arrest stations require 1 instructor and 2 manikins for 6 students per station). Using different ratios will result in increased course completion times.
· Full course: 10-12 hours depending on amount of break time
· Update (renewal) course: 5-6 hours depending on amount of break time.
Course Materials
Q:What new materials are available for the ACLS Course?
A: Materials for the classroom course, updated to reflect the 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR & ECC, include:
Student/Provider Materials:
· 90-1014 ACLS Provider Manual, includes ACLS Pocket Reference Card Set (90-1012)
Q: What materials must a student have to take the ACLS classroom course?
A:To take the ACLS Course, each student must have access to his/her own ACLS Provider Manual before, during and after class.
Q: Is there a student CD included in the ACLS Provider Manual?
A: No, the 2011 provider manual does not include a student CD. Information for students is covered in the provider manual and on the ACLS student website.
Q: Is there a student website for this course?
A: Yes, AHA has created the AHA Student Website at www.heart.org/eccstudent, which allows students and Instructors access to the online ACLS Precourse Assessment tool and many additional reference materials to help them successfully prepare for and complete the ACLS Course. To access the AHA Student Website,
students and Instructors will need an access code, which is included on page ii of each ACLS Provider
Manual and ACLS Instructor Manual.
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DISCLAIMER: The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and proficiency in all AHA courses and has developed instructional materials for this purpose.
Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsorship by the AHA.
Any fees charged for such a course, except for a portion of fees needed for AHA course materials; do not represent income to the AHA.
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