The AHA’s ACLS course builds on the foundation of lifesaving BLS skills, emphasizing the importance of continuous, high-quality CPR. Reflects science and education from the American Heart Association Guidelines Update for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC).
Full ACLS Provider Course takes approximately 15 hours and 20 minutes with breaks and 12 hours and 20 minutes without breaks. ACLS Renewal Course takes approximately 8 hours and 25 minutes with breaks and approximately 6 hours and 35 minutes without breaks, including skills practice and testing.
As such, it’s entirely possible to study and prepare for your ACLS while on your lunch break, after hours or on the weekends. The more you make yourself available for studying, the faster you’ll move through the required material and the sooner you’ll be ready to take the exam.
Ready to take a Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) class? The AHA offers options for how you can purchase ACLS. You can take a full classroom course, take a blended learning course (HeartCode ACLS + a hands-on skills session training), or purchase additional course materials. Choose from the options below.
8.0 hoursCredits for NursesProgramContact HoursACLS Certification8.0 hoursACLS Recertification4.0 hoursBLS Certification4.0 hoursBLS Recertification2.0 hours2 more rows
ACLS ClassroomTime4 hours classroom, 4 hours of precourse workCardAmerican Heart Association©Course settingClassroom with up to 16 othersCities OfferedSF, San Jose, Concord, Redwood City4 more rows
Once you have passed an initial ACLS Certification course, there is rarely a need to obtain your ACLS Certification again – you merely need to renew it every 2 years. This is where the option to take a recertification course comes into play, as it will allow you to reactivate your expired certification.
How many CEUs do you get for ACLS renewal? Our online ACLS renewal courses, as well as our PALs and NRP recertification courses, are approved for 4 CEUs/CMEs (original certification courses are approved for 8 CEUs/CMEs).
Our ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) online certification course is designed specifically for healthcare professionals, so you can learn or refresh your training on the most up-to-date life-saving techniques, allowing you to manage and respond to nearly all cardiopulmonary emergencies.
Q: Is BLS included in the ACLS Course? A: No, BLS is not included in AHA's ACLS courses. However, it is expected that healthcare providers taking an ACLS course come to class already proficient in BLS skills.
Aside from my own experience, I often ask nurses what is was that made ACLS so difficult. Reasons why nurses find the ACLS course difficult include: The EKG Interpretation portion of Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support. Testing for a class that is hardly utilized in a specific field.
Practice, Practice, Practice Just like the rest of your medical training, there is no substitute for practice. Your ACLS certification course should include access to several practice exams. You can also find free practice tests online. The more practice tests you can take before the real thing, the better.
During the skills session test an ACLS certified examiner will guide the student through a series of life-threatening cardiopulmonary scenarios commonly referred to as megacodes. During each megacode the student will be required to demonstrates a solid grasp of ACLS concepts and mechanics.
Basic CPR for healthcare professionals does not count for continuing education credit even if the provider issues certificates.
4.0 credits4.0 credits/contact hours.
Namely: ACLS certification course is approved for 8 CEU/CME contact hours; ACLS recertification course is approved for 4 CEU/CME contact hours.
The time it takes to pass and receive your ACLS certification, however, can range anywhere from a couple of hours to multiple days. It ultimately depends on the method and how prepared and motivated you are. To give you a realistic idea of how much time it takes to get ready for your ACLS exam, here’s what you need to know.
As such, it’s entirely possible to study and prepare for your ACLS while on your lunch break, after hours or on the weekends. The more you make yourself available for studying, the faster you’ll move through the required material and the sooner you’ll be ready to take the exam. Conversely, if your availability to study and prepare is limited, ...
The good news is, you can take an ACLS practice test at any time to assess your proficiency. Another factor that can impact how long it can take to prepare for ACLS certification is your own personal drive. Because online ACLS courses are self-driven, you can move through the material and test at your own pace.
You can choose to take your ACLS course in-person or you have the option to take your course online. One of the nicest things about online ACLS certification is that it can be tackled at any time and from anywhere there is an internet connection.
Generally speaking, if you already have a solid understanding of ACLS certification coursework and want to tackle it as quickly as possible, you could potentially become certified in a span of 1-2 hours. If you’re not as familiar, it could take closer to 4 or 5 hours.
For those required by their employer to obtain an ACLS certification, there is no longer a need to plan weeks in advance or modify your entire schedule to accommodate an in-person ACLS course.
At ProMed Certifications, exams are not timed, so you don’t have to worry about feeling pressured to finish quickly. If it takes you longer to go through and really feel confident about your answers, the total test time will be extended. (And don’t worry if you don’t do well the first time around.
Since these courses are self-guided, the more dedicated and disciplined you are, the faster you can expect to complete the required coursework and take your test. The flexibility of online certification also allows students to spend as much or as little time as desired.
The AHA offers options for how you can purchase ACLS. You can take a full classroom course, take a blended learning course (HeartCode ACLS + a hands-on skills session training), or purchase additional course materials. Choose from the options below.
Upon completion of all course requirements, participants receive a Provider Course Completion Card which is valid for two years.
Depending on which ACLS course option you choose, CE/CME may be available for your profession.
One benefit of getting your online ACLS Certification is the added value of receiving continuing medical education (CME) (sometimes referred to as continuing education (CE)) credits. These days, most reputable online ACLS providers offer CME ...
These days, most reputable online ACLS providers offer CME credits upon successfully completing an ACLS Certification or Recertification course, which leaves little reason to choose a program that does not award any CME credits.
For some fields, ACLS is a CE (continuing education) requirement set by the state or a healthcare institution. Nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals typically decide to obtain their ACLS certification or recertification either because it is their current or future job requirement.
The number of CEU or CME contact hours awarded depends on the type of ACLS course. Namely: ACLS certification course is approved for 8 CEU/CME contact hours; ACLS recertification course is approved for 4 CEU/CME contact hours. The same applies to PALS and NRP courses.
In case of Florida, the requirement for nurses is 20 contact hours. The number of CEU or CME contact hours awarded depends on the type of ACLS course.
San Diego, home to the Civic Center, is also home to Advanced Healthcare Education, where nurses can learn without the stress! We always follow the current guidelines of AHA so as to give all course participants a worthwhile, in-depth learning experience. We go all out to provide high-quality instruction to Miami learners.
If that option is not available at checkout please call our Customer Support Center at (877) 277-6778 for more information. The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and proficiency in BLS, ACLS, and PALS and has developed instructional materials for this purpose.
Per current AHA program administration guidelines, A BLS CPR card is NOT required for this course, but you must be proficient in Adult BLS for healthcare provider skills and your skills will be reviewed and evaluated as part of the ACLS Provider Course. BLS certification is not included with ACLS course registration.