Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

Course Overview (HeartCode PALS)

HeartCode PALS FAQs (PDF)

What is HeartCode PALS?

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.

Features:

  • Web-based, self-paced eSimulation instructional program for PALS cognitive training
  • Students apply knowledge to real-time decision-making and skills development
  • Debriefings and coaching are provided immediately after each simulation to facilitate learning
  • Access to the PALS Provider Manual, the 2015 Handbook of ECC, and 2015 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC
  • Access to all information in course for two years following activation of course

Format:

Course Completion:

  • 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.

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)

Completion Card

  • PALS Provider Course Completion eCard, valid for two years

Student Materials

The UMBC issued access code for the course is included with the fee.

Pre-course Preparation:

As per the AHA guidelines all students MUST complete the following BEFORE attending the PALS provider/renewal class.

  • Complete the PALS Precourse Self-Assessment
  • Understand and pass the 12 in-hospital patient cases and a team dynamics lesson
  • Understand the PALS algorithms for the core cases in the electronic version of the PALS student manual.
  • Complete the PALS written exam and pass with an 84%.
  • Print out the completion certificate and bring it with you to the on site portion of the PALS course. Without this certificate you will not be allowed to participate in the on site PALS portion of the course.

Course Completion Card or Certificate

Successful completion of the full PALS course (using HeartCode PALS) includes:

  • HeartCode PALS Online Portion. Upon successful completion of the online portion, including the written exam, students receive a certificate of completion, which must be presented for the hands-on session with an AHA PALS Instructor or a voice-assisted manikin (VAM).
  • Hands-on session with an AHA PALS Instructor.

Students will receive an AHA PALS course completion card, valid for two years, upon successful completion of course components.

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.

Course Policies

A copy of the general course policies can be viewed by clicking here.

Authorized Provider of CPR and ECC Courses, by American Heart Association

The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and proficiency in BLS, ACLS, and PALS and has developed instructional materials for this purpose. Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsorship by the American Heart Association. Any fees charged for such a course, except for a portion of fees needed for AHA course materials, do not represent income to the Association.

PALS General Information⇒