Q: What is the AHA’s PALS ILT Course?
A: The PALS Course, updated to reflect the 2015 AHA Guidelines Update for CPR and ECC, is the AHA’s
advanced pediatric life support course. The goal of the PALS Course is to improve the quality of care
provided to seriously ill or injured children, resulting in improved outcomes.
This classroom, Instructor-led course teaches the important concepts of a systematic approach to
pediatric assessment, basic life support, PALS treatment algorithms, effective resuscitation, and team
dynamics.
Q: What is the format of the PALS ILT Course?
A: The PALS Course is conducted by an AHA PALS Instructor in a classroom setting, supported by video.
The course uses a series of simulated pediatric emergencies to reinforce the important concepts of a
systematic approach to pediatric assessment, basic life support, PALS treatment algorithms, effective
resuscitation and team dynamics. The course offers life-like skills animations, team dynamics role play,
and scenarios appropriate to different types of providers (prehospital and inhospital).
During the course, skills are taught in a combination of large-group sessions with videos and Instructor
direction, and in small-group learning and testing stations using case-based scenarios with a manikin
and Instructor feedback. During skills practice and testing, students are required to function as both a
team leader and a team member to learn team dynamics. The course is designed to include both the
cognitive portion of training and the psychomotor component of thorough skills practice and testing.
Q: Specifically, what content is taught in the PALS Classroom Course?
A: The new PALS Course contains key changes reflecting science from the 2015 AHA Guidelines Update
for CPR and ECC. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
· Perform high-quality Child CPR AED and Infant CPR per AHA BLS recommendations
· Differentiate between patients who do and do not require immediate intervention
· Recognize cardiopulmonary arrest early and begin CPR within 10 seconds
· Apply team dynamics
· Differentiate between respiratory distress and failure
· Perform early interventions for respiratory distress and failure
· Differentiate between compensated and decompensated (hypotensive) shock
· Perform early interventions for the treatment of shock
· Differentiate between unstable and stable patients with arrhythmias
· Describe clinical characteristics of instability in patients with arrhythmias
· Implement post–cardiac arrest management
Q: Who is the target audience for the PALS Course?
A: The PALS Course is for healthcare providers who respond to emergencies in infants and children. This
includes personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care and critical care units,
such as physicians, nurses, paramedics and others, who need a PALS course completion card for job or
other requirements.
Q: Does successful completion of the PALS Course result in an AHA course completion card?
A: Yes. Students who successfully complete the requirements of the PALS Course will receive an AHA
PALS Provider course completion card, valid for two years.
Preparing to Take the PALS Course
Q: Are there prerequisites for taking the PALS Course?
A: Before taking PALS, students should have a mastery of infant and child BLS skills. Students should also
· Be able to recognize a variety of heart rhythms
· Be familiar with different types of airway management tools and how they are used
· Have knowledge of the drugs commonly used in the PALS algorithms and flowcharts
· Understand the Systematic Approach Algorithm and the “evaluate-identify-intervene” sequence
Q: What resources are available to help prepare students for the PALS Course?
A: The AHA has created the PALS Student Website at www.heart.org/eccstudent. The site allows students
and Instructors access to the online, mandatory PALS Precourse Self-Assessment along with additional
resources and videos listed above. To access the AHA Student Website, students and Instructors will
need an access code, which is provided on page ii of the PALS Provider Manual and PALS Instructor
Manual. The PALS Student Website contains the following resources:
· Mandatory Precourse Self-Assessment
· Precourse Preparation Checklist
· Systematic Approach video
· Management of Respiratory Distress and Failure video
· Management of Arrhythmias video
· Management of Shock video
Q: What materials must a student have to take the PALS Course?
A: To take the PALS Course, each student must have access to his/her own PALS Provider Manual (print
or eBook formats available) before, during, and after the class.
PALS Precourse Self-Assessment
Q: What is the PALS Precourse Self-Assessment?
A: The Precourse Self-Assessment is an online tool that evaluates a student’s knowledge in 3 sections:
rhythm identification, pharmacology, and practical application. Students complete the assessment
before the course to help evaluate their proficiency and determine the need for additional review and
practice before the course. All students must complete the Precourse Self-Assessment and achieve a
score of at least 80% before taking the PALS Course. Students may attempt the Precourse Self-
Assessment as many times as they need to in order to achieve a minimum score of 80%. Upon
successful completion of the Precourse Self-Assessment, students must print their completion certificate
and bring it with them to class.
Continuing Education
Q: Are continuing education (CE/CME/CEH) credits offered for the PALS ILT Course?
ACCREDITATION STATEMENT – PALS Provider Course
Continuing Education Accreditation – Emergency Medical Services
This continuing education activity is approved by the American Heart Association, an organization accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE), for 12.75 Advanced CEHs, activity number 16-AMHA-F2-0338.
By claiming CAPCE credit, the claimant acknowledges the following: I understand that the American Heart Association as a requirement of CAPCE accreditation will submit a record of my course completions to the CAPCE AMS. I further understand that my course completion records may be accessed by or shared with such regulators as state EMS offices, training officers, and NREMT on a password-protected, need-to-know basis. In addition, I understand that I may review my record of CAPCE-accredited course completions by contacting CAPCE.
**CAPCE credit must be claimed within 6 months of participation. CME/CE credit will no longer be available once the six-month credit claiming period has elapsed.
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ACCREDITATION STATEMENT – PALS Update Course
Continuing Education Accreditation – Emergency Medical Services
This continuing education activity is approved by the American Heart Association, an organization accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE), for 7.00 Advanced CEHs, activity number 16-AMHA-F2-0337.
By claiming CAPCE credit, the claimant acknowledges the following: I understand that the American Heart Association as a requirement of CAPCE accreditation will submit a record of my course completions to the CAPCE AMS. I further understand that my course completion records may be accessed by or shared with such regulators as state EMS offices, training officers, and NREMT on a password-protected, need-to-know basis. In addition, I understand that I may review my record of CAPCE-accredited course completions by contacting CAPCE.
**CAPCE credit must be claimed within 6 months of participation. CME/CE credit will no longer be available once the six-month credit claiming period has elapsed.