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PALS Course Options

There are two different training methods offered for the PALS course– blended learning and classroom training. All PALS course options teach the same AHA science-based skills and result in the same AHA PALS Course Completion Card.

Is AHA PALS the right course for me?

PALS is intended for healthcare professionals who respond to emergencies in infants and children and for personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care and critical care units that encounter pediatric patients on a regular basis. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a course completion eCard, valid for two years.

Compare PALS Course Options
Blended PALS 75x75 image
Blended Learning HeartCode® PALS
Classroom PALS 75x75 image
Instructor-led Training (ILT): PALS Classroom

Format

Complete the online portion + hands-on skills session with an AHA Instructor, or with a HeartCode compatible manikin

Contact an AHA Training Center in your area to sign up for an Instructor-led class

Course Completion

Blended Learning: HeartCode PALS Online is the American Heart Association’s blended learning delivery method for PALS. 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.

HeartCode PALS Online 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-guided learning content, probes, and Cognitive Assessment Activities. 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.

Instructor-led Training (ILT): This course option is led by a PALS Instructor in a classroom setting. The Training Center may choose for students to complete online video prework lessons before coming to class, or may choose to conduct a traditional PALS course, where all video lessons are conducted in class as interactive discussions with the students. Full Course and Update Course options remain available.

The PALS course uses precourse preparation, didactic instruction, and active participation in learning stations and simulated cases to enhance the recognition and intervention of respiratory emergencies, shock, and cardiopulmonary arrest.

Time

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 30 minutes (without Optional Lessons)

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 Emergencies stations require 1 Instructor and 2 manikins for 6 students per station). Using different ratios will result in increased course completion times.

  • PALS ILT Full Course: 12.5 hours with breaks; 11 hours and 40 minutes without breaks

  • PALS ILT Traditional Course: 17 hours and 30 minutes with breaks; 15 hours and 50 minutes without breaks

  • PALS ILT Update Course: 8 hours and 45 minutes with breaks; 8 hours and 5 minutes without breaks

Completion Card

PALS Provider Course Completion eCard, valid for two years

PALS Provider Course Completion eCard, valid for two years

Accessibility

This course meets accessibility requirements.
Contact your Training Center to inquire about their facility’s accommodations.

CE/CME

FAQ

Features

  • 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 probing question.
  • 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.
  • Includes realistic, clinical scenarios that encourage active participation – delivered through actual pediatric patient videos and lifelike simulations

  • Comprehensive and includes our systematic approach to assess and treat pediatric patients in emergency situations

  • Hands-on class format to reinforce skills proficiency

  • Co-branded with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Student Materials

Instructor Materials

Ready to take a PALS Course?

Please contact your employer and Training Center to ensure that you are selecting the correct course option. You can take a full classroom course, take a blended learning course (HeartCode PALS + a hands-on skills session training), or purchase additional course materials. Choose from the options below.

Related Training

doctor with stethoscope on infants chest

Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization (PEARS)

The AHA’s PEARS (Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization) Course has been updated to reflect science in the 2015 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC. In this classroom-based, Instructor-led course, students learn how to use a systematic approach to quickly assess, recognize the cause, and stabilize a pediatric patient in an emergency situation.