AHA Basic Life Support (BLS) Course Curriculum & Logistics

The BLS curriculum is rigorously structured to equip healthcare professionals with the fundamental knowledge and critical skills necessary to recognize and respond to life-threatening emergencies. As an official provider of American Heart Association training, Remote Medical Training ensures that upon successful course completion, you will be issued an official AHA BLS provider card.

Curriculum Provider: American Heart Association

Certification Duration: 2 Years

Course Logistics:

Duration: 4 – 5 hours; for the BLS Recertification Course it is approximately 3 – 4 hours. Class size may impact duration.

Format: In-person lectures, hands-on skills stations, and testing. Non-residential; food and lodging are not included.

Certification: Official AHA BLS Provider Card (Valid for 2 years).

Prerequisites & Policy:

General Requirement: This course is designed for healthcare professionals and other personnel who need to know how to perform CPR and other basic cardiovascular life support skills in a wide variety of in-facility and prehospital settings.

Skills Evaluation: Your CPR, AED, and airway management skills will be reviewed and evaluated as a mandatory component of the BLS Provider Course.

Recommendation: Students should review the BLS algorithms prior to attending to ensure readiness for the written exam and skills testing.

Course Curriculum:

The BLS curriculum is comprehensive, covering the following core areas:

Foundational Resuscitation: The Chain of Survival (Adult & Pediatric), emphasizing the importance of early CPR and defibrillation.

Recognizing Cardiac Arrest: Assessing scene safety, checking responsiveness, assessing breathing/pulse, and activating emergency response.

High-Quality CPR: Fundamentals of Adult, Child, and Infant CPR, focusing on rate, depth, recoil, and minimal interruptions.

AED Operations: Turning on and operating the AED, electrode placement, safety during shock delivery, and resuming CPR immediately after shocks.

Airway Management: Effective ventilation techniques using bag-mask devices (1-rescuer vs. 2-rescuer) and avoiding excessive ventilation.

Pediatric Specifics: Key differences in recognition/response, age-specific compression-to-ventilation ratios, and pediatric AED considerations.

Choking Management: Techniques for relief of foreign body airway obstruction in responsive and unresponsive adults, children, and infants.

Team Dynamics: Roles, responsibilities, and effective communication (closed-loop) within a multi-rescuer team.

Special Considerations: Opioid-associated emergencies (use of naloxone), advanced airways, and CPR considerations for special situations like pregnancy or trauma.

Acquired Skills Overview

This is an interactive course designed to build confidence in critical emergency scenarios. You will practice and learn:

High-Quality CPR: Proficiency in Adult, Child, and Infant CPR skills (reviewed and evaluated).

AED Proficiency: Safe and effective use of an Automated External Defibrillator.

Effective Ventilation: Delivering effective breaths using barrier devices and bag-mask systems.

Algorithm Application: Integrating compressions, ventilation, and AED use based on the Adult and Pediatric BLS Algorithms.

Choking Relief: Back slaps, abdominal thrusts, and chest thrusts for airway obstructions.

Team Coordination: Coordinating tasks to improve outcomes in multi-rescuer scenarios.

Assessment Skills: Rapidly assessing breathing and pulse to determine immediate needs.

Decision Making: Critical thinking regarding when to start CPR and when to defibrillate.

Instructor Standards

Our courses are led by certified AHA Instructors who are experienced healthcare professionals. They are dedicated to providing a supportive learning environment to ensure you master the fundamental techniques and skills required for BLS certification.