The ACLS Course will teach you the lifesaving skills required to be both a team member and a Team Leader in either an in-hospital or out-of-hospital setting. Because the ACLS Course covers extensive material in a short time, you will need to prepare for the course beforehand.
You should prepare for class by doing the following:
- Review and understand the information in your ACLS Provider Manual.
- Review, understand, and pass the mandatory precourse self-assessment.This test will assess your knowledge of EKG rhythms, pharmacology, and practical application. The Precourse self assessment webite can be found on page ii of the AHA 2020 ACLS Provider Manaul. You must complete this exercise with a score of 70% or better. You can take it as many times as you want. Print your completion certificate and bring it with you to class. If you do not bring the precourse self assesessment completion certificate with you when you arrive for class, you will not be allowed to enter the class, no exceptions.
- Study the pharmacology in your book to review your drugs, indications, doses and contraindications. You must know this material before coming to class.
Ensure that your BLS skills and knowledge are current for the resuscitation scenarios. At the beginning of the ACLS Course, you will be tested on adult high-quality BLS skills, using a feedback manikin. You must know these skills in advance because the ACLS Course will not teach you how to do CPR or use an AED.
What This Course Does Not Cover:
The ACLS Provider Course does not teach ECG or pharmacology. If you do not learn and understand the ECG and pharmacology information in the pre-course assessment, it is unlikely that you can successfully complete the ACLS Provider Course.
What to Bring and What to Wear
Bring your ACLS Provider Manual to class. You will need it during each lesson in the course.
Please wear loose, comfortable clothing to class. You will be practicing skills that require working on your hands and knees, bending, standing, and lifting. If you have any physical condition that might prevent you from engaging in these activities, please tell an instructor. The instructor may be able to adjust the equipment if you have back, knee, or hip problems.
Note: The course is done in a hands on format. The AHA requires you to do vigorous, real time CPR during the course. If you have any conditions that would limit your ability to do CPR, please notify the instructor.
***If you are taking this course for the first time, please begin studying the materials at least two weeks in advance. You MUST have a general understanding of the material prior to class. Do not wait until the night before class to do your pre-course work!
We look forward to having you in class! If you have any questions about the course, or are having difficulty accessing the precourse self assessment, please call the Training Center at 973-989-3213.