American Heart Association Instructor Courses | Click here to return to the AHA Programs Menu. |
Already an instructor? Wanting to renew or join our center? Call our office for transfer/renewal forms. About: This page gives you a general overview of becoming an American Heart Association BLS, ACLS, or PALS instructor. Becoming an AHA instructor is, by far, a noteworthy achievement. It demonstrates that you know the content and have shown the ability to deliver vital course material to your students. We know, however, that becoming an instructor could be daunting to some, but our team of faculty is well-known for dispelling concerns; in other words, we mentor and support you every step of the way! The support we provide is so that you're able to "find your voice" when teaching a course and watch your students succeed. Becoming an instructor is one of the most satisfying aspects of healthcare education, "watching your students' get it'" and hearing stories of how the people you have taught have contributed significantly to saving a life. We foster an environment that nurtures our students, instructor candidates, and faculty. Also, many become instructors, so they don't forget the material- especially if your exposure to 'codes' is "far and few between," or it has been a while since your last provider course. The first question to ask is... Do you want to be an ACLS Instructor, a PALS Instructor, or a BLS instructor? (any combination is ok with us, but we have to ensure that you have the pre-requisites for the instructor course. To enroll in an instructor course (whether ACLS, BLS, or PALS), you will need to ensure you have the following:
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What's involved in the instructor process?
1. Complete an instructor candidate application
Once you register for your instructor course, we will email you a packet to complete. The Instructor Candidate Application is located in this packet. We encourage you to complete this packet in its entirety and
bring it with you to your Instructor Course.
2. Hold a current AHA PROVIDER card in the discipline you wish to teach
This is the card you were issued when you took your ACLS, BLS, or PALS course; upon registering for the course, we will email you a confirmation; please reply to this email with a copy of the front and back your provider card. Please bring a
copy (front & back) of your provider card to your Instructor's Course.
3. Complete the AHA's Instructor Essentials Course.
Upon receiving your registration, this will be provided, and how to access it will be emailed to you, either at or before your instructor course (usually at your course along with your instructor manual).
4. Attend an Instructor Course for
either ACLS, BLS, or PALS,
See below for the Instructor Course Schedule. Upon arrival at the instructor course, you will be tested on your BLS provider skills (or mega code for ACLS or PALS instructor candidates) and written exam(s). You must pass the test (in your discipline) to continue in the instructor program. It's a good idea to review the provider course and/or maybe take a renewal course before your instructor
course.
5. Be successfully monitored, teaching your first course within six months of attending the instructor course.
6. Take the Instructor Course Exam and pass with 84%.
Tip: the content will be found during the Instructor Course, the Online Instructor Essentials Course, and both the Instructor Manual & the Provider
Manual. The provider manual is not included in the tuition for this course, as this was issued to you during your provider course (if you took an online program, you might need to access that program to access the provider course content).
How can I teach after I complete the Instructor Process?
- Upon completing the instructor program, completing your monitoring requirement(s), and being recommended for instructor status by our faculty, you will be permitted to teach the programs in the discipline you have completed (ACLS, BLS, or PALS). See below.
- BLS Instructors: you're permitted to teach courses at our location (or yours). As a BLS Instructor, you may maintain your clients and teach your clients; however, we do not permit you to teach clients who belong to our Training Center or another instructor in our organization.
- Advanced Instructors (ACLS and PALS): you will be invited to teach our programs at our location, as needed, or as your schedule. ACLS and PALS instructors are not permitted to teach the ACLS or the PALS program independently. ACLS and PALS instructors must have the Course Director (and/or Training Center Faculty) rank to teach one of our programs independently. As an ACLS or PALS instructor, you may also teach for another US AHA Training Center; provide them with your ACLS/PALS instructor card, and most Training Centers will permit you to teach at their center.
Audience: RNs, APNs, PAs, LPNs, MDs, DOs, EMTs, Paramedics, Techs, and more. If you are willing to teach and have a positive attitude, maybe an instructor program is right for you! |
Upon completing this course, you will be issued an American Heart Association (AHA) Instructor Card in the discipline you wish to teach (ACLS Instructor, BLS Instructor, PALS Instructor). These are all outstanding credentials to obtain and look great on your resume! |
How much is the course tuition, and what's included:
To complete this course, you must:
* Occasionally, some instructor candidates may need more monitoring sessions than the above number. |
Bring with you to the course:
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Contact hours (nursing): The number of contact hours varies per course:
*Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (Provider #CEP17561) and Florida Board of Nursing (Provider #50-24286) for the above Contact Hours. | |
General Agenda: (sample) order is subject to change.
*Please note: The instructor course provides the information on how to instruct an AHA course (whether it be ACLS, BLS, or PALS). The instructor course is NOT a review of the content from the provider course. Therefore, it is HIGHLY recommended that you review, at the very least, your course provider textbook BEFORE attending the Instructor Program. You may feel more comfortable taking a renewal course close to your instructor course in some cases. Upon arrival at the Instructor Course, you will be tested on your BLS provider skills (and mega-code for ACLS & PALS) and the provider's written exam. You will be expected to demonstrate superior skills and pass the exam (84% or greater) to continue the course. Please ensure that you are prepared for this mandatory testing session; you can order an updated (2020) provider manual on the following pages. |
Faculty: Our faculty members are outstanding! They are non-intimidating, knowledgeable, and genuinely interested in helping you succeed in completing this program.
Note: Upon registering, please allow up to 24 business hours to receive a confirmation email; please check your Junk/Spam folder (or email us to resend: ). Your instructor manual would be issued directly to you at the course if you selected pick-up at our office during checkout.