AHA ACLS Advanced Cardiac Life Support Renewal / Update Course at Saving American Hearts, INC. *** NEW ADDRESS *** 1301 S. 8th Street Suite 116, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80905.  

2025 Guidelines released October 22, 2025

*ACTION REQUIRED*

The precourse work is now required and is in two parts. Part 1 is an hour long pretest and Part 2 you will watch the course videos online before attending the class. Here's a link to the Pre-Course work. Be sure to create an account, or log in before you start. https://elearning.heart.org/course/1551 (2025)

Take a picture of your certificate or bring it with you to class. Class will focus on the hands on teaching and testing portion of the class. The precourse work takes hours. Once you begin the pretest, you must complete it in one sitting. The second portion includes all the course videos and can be broken up if necessary. If you have any questions, please email Catherine Brinkley at admin@savingamericanhearts.com

Classes are held at

This course is required of most registered nurses, nurses working in the Emergency Dept, Cardiac Unit, or Critical Care unit, telemetry or heart monitored unit, paramedics, EMTs and Emergency Personnel as well as physicians, nurse practitioners, those who work electrophysiology departments or urgent care centers. This a 6 hour classroom course.

The American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support Renewal class includes watching the ACLS Update video and hands on learning stations for CPR, AED, respiratory and cardiac arrest, ACLS algorithms, drugs, rhythm recognition, and using advanced airway devices.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support is designed for healthcare providers who conduct or participates in resuscitation of patients in hospital, medical offices, or in settings where conscious sedation is administered and have previously taken this course in the last two years.

It covers identification and treatment of patients with medical conditions who are at risk for cardiac arrest, primary and secondary assessment survey and actions needed, algorithms for treatment of emergency situations and effective resuscitation team dynamics.

Although arrhythmia recognition will be reviewed, it is expected that the participant will have a working knowledge of EKG rhythms. Practice with defibrillators and external pacemaker is included.

Assessment and care for the patient experiencing an Acute Coronary Syndrome or Stroke will be included in this course. We structure this class to meet all of the AHA guidelines and requirements.

All scenarios are designed for the work place of the individual participant. Our goal is that each participant will feel comfortable in handling life threatening emergencies in their own setting. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) also teaches management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and stroke, the management of respiratory and cardiac arrest, CPR, effective chest compressions and ventilation with a bag mask device (BVM) and the use of an AED. We will review the steps to cardiovert, defibrilate and perform external pacing. You will practice hands on techniques and participate in the learning stations before taking the written exam and the hands on skills testing portion of the class. In this course, skills are taught in large, group sessions and small, group learning and testing stations where case-based scenarios are presented. At the end of the class you will take a written test of 50 questions and successfully perform as a team leader in a case scenario.

Be sure to download the confirmation letter, study guide, agenda, ebook and more after your purchase!

*ACTION REQUIRED*

The precourse work is now required and is in two parts. Part 1 is an hour long pretest and Part 2 you will watch the course videos online before attending the class. Here's a link to the Pre-Course work. Be sure to create an account, or log in before you start. https://elearning.heart.org/course/1551 Take a picture of your certificate and email it to me before your class. Class will focus on the hands on teaching and testing portion of the class.

The precourse work takes hours. Once you begin the pretest, you must complete it in one sitting. The second portion includes all the course videos and can be broken up if necessary. If you have any questions, please email Catherine Brinkley at admin@savingamericanhearts.com

AHA ACLS Advanced Cardiac Life Support Renewal class is an advanced, instructor-led classroom course that highlights the importance of team dynamics and communication, systems of care and immediate post-cardiac-arrest care. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) builds on the foundation of Basic Life Support (BLS), emphasizing the importance of continuous, high-quality CPR.

The hands-on instruction and simulated cases in this advanced course are designed to help enhance their skills in the recognition and intervention of cardiopulmonary arrest immediate post-cardiac arrest, acute arrhythmia, stroke, and acute coronary syndromes. We will teach you all the information you need to successfully manage emergencies such as cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, heart attack and stroke.

This ACLS Advanced Cardiac Life Support course is designed for healthcare providers who participate in resuscitation of patients in hospital, medical offices, or in settings where conscious sedation is administered and has not previously taken this course or one who has not taken it for over two years.

It covers identification and treatment of patients with medical conditions who are at risk for cardiac arrest, primary and secondary assessment survey and actions needed, algorithms for treatment of emergency situations and effective resuscitation team dynamics.

Advanced cardiac life support or advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) refers to a set of clinical interventions for the urgent treatment of cardiac arrest, stroke and other life-threatening medical emergencies, as well as the knowledge and skills to deploy those interventions. Although arrhythmia recognition will be reviewed, it is expected that the participant will have a working knowledge of EKG rhythms.

Practice with defibrillators and external pacemaker is included.

Assessment and care for the patient experiencing an Acute Coronary Syndrome or Stroke will also be included in this course.  Upon successful completion of the ACLS Provider course, students will be issued their AHA ACLS Provider Card via email shortly after class. We structure this class to meet all of the AHA guidelines and requirements.

All scenarios are designed for the work place of the individual participant. Our goal is that each participant will feel comfortable in handling life threatening emergencies in their own setting.

You'll learn the 2025 ACLS Algorithms, drug dosages and usage, how to successfully perform cardioversion, defibrillate and perform external pacing as well as basic CPR, using a bag mask device and an AED. The course includes watching the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) full course video, learning stations for Basic Life Support (BLS), CPR and the use of an AED.

You will actively participate in the learning stations for the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) algorithms, review of medications used in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, how to manage respiratory emergencies and insert and manage advanced airway devices. You will practice hands on techniques before taking the written exam and the hands on skills testing portion of the class.

At the end of the class you will take a written test of 50 questions and successfully perform as a team leader in a case scenario. As the team leader, you may use your book, or your notes for referrence as the "megacode" is also open book and open resource.

Skills to be practiced during the course include:

CPR Coach

Airway Management

Rhythm Recognition

Defibrillation

IV and Intraosseous Access

Use of Medications

Cardioversion

Transcutaneous Pacing

1-rescuer CPR and AED

Team Resuscitation Concept (Team Leader and Team Member)

Immediate Post-Cardiac Arrest Care

1-Rescuer CPR and AED use

Respiratory Arrest

Peri-arrest Rhythms (Tachycardia, Bradycardia)

Arrest Rhythms (VF, PVT, PEA, Asystole)

Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS)

Stroke

You must obtain a passing score of 70% or greater. The pretest is free and can be taken as many times as needed to pass. Print your scores for the Pre-course Self-Assessment and bring them with you to class. You may also text a picture of your certificate to Catherine Brinkley at (719) 551-1222.

What to Wear

Please wear loose, comfortable clothing to class. You will be practicing skills that require you to work on your hands and knees, and the course requires 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.

The course is taught in a STRESS FREE, FUN environment. I want you to leave class feeling like you're glad you came, you learned a lot and you ACTUALLY HAD FUN !!! You will MASTER all the skills you need to run a code and learn all the rhythms and drugs to treat them. IT'S A PIECE OF CAKE !!! STRESS FREE ! FUN !! If you have any questions about the course, please call Catherine Brinkley RN at (719) 551-1222.

Your ebook, agenda and confirmation letter is set up for immediate download once your purchase has been made.

New 2025 Guidelines for ACLS

New Chain of Survival

Foreign-Body Airway Obstruction: Adults, Children and Infants
New 2025: For adults with severe foreign-body airway obstruction (FBAO), repeated
cycles of back blows followed by 5 abdominal thrusts should be performed until the
object is expelled or the person becomes unresponsive.

AED Pad Placement
Anterolateral (High right, low left) or Anteroposterior (AP) Placement - 2 options
1). Center of the chest and center of the back
2) Place one on the upper left chest above the nipple and the other on the left side of
the back near the spine.
It is reasonable to adjust the position of a patient's bra instead of removing it when
placing pads

Rigid cervical collars are no longer recommended for neck or spinal injuries as the
can make it more difficult to maintain a patent airway.

Mouth-to-nose ventilation may be necessary if ventilation through the person’s
mouth is impossible because of trauma, positioning, or difficulty obtaining a seal. A
case series suggests that mouth-to-nose ventilation in adults is feasible, safe, and
effective.

After identifying an adult in cardiac arrest, a lone responder should activate the
emergency response system first, then immediately begin CPR.
In adult cardiac arrest, rescuers should perform chest compressions with the
patient’s torso at approximately the level of the rescuer’s knees.

CPR for adult cardiac arrest patients with obesity should be provided by using the
same techniques as for the average weight patient.

Higher first-shock energy settings (≥200 J) are preferable to lower settings for
cardioversion of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter.

Updated termination of resuscitation (TOR) guidelines emphasize rule application
based on emergency medical services (EMS) scope of practice (basic life support
[BLS], ALS, or universal TOR rule [UTOR]), and that end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2)
should not be used in isolation to end resuscitative efforts.

Administration of intra-arrest medications via an in-place endotracheal tube) have
been removed.

Use of point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) by experienced professionals during
cardiac arrest may be considered to diagnose reversible causes if it can be done
without interrupting resuscitative efforts (ie, CPR).

Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is always unstable and should be treated
immediately with defibrillation, because delays in shock delivery worsen outcomes.

Intravenous (IV) access remains the first-line choice for drug administration during
cardiac arrest; however, intraosseous (IO) access is a reasonable alternative if IV
access is not feasible or delayed.

Post Cardiac Arrest Care - Maintain MAP >65 and target SPO2 90%-98%. Maintain
100% FIO2 until reliable SPO2 can be measured.

Unstable Tachycardia is now defined as SBP below 80 and should be synchronized
cardioverted.

Stable Tachycardia Cardiovert / Adenosine 6 mg, 12 mg then start a Procainamide OR
Amiodarone drip.

(For synchronized cardioversion of atrial flutter in adults, an initial energy setting of
200 J may be reasonable and incremented in the event of shock failure, depending
on the biphasic defibrillator used.)

Review New Adult and Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device Algorithm

Therapeutic Hypothermia has been extended to a minimum of 36 hours.

Adults and Children with Life Threatening Asthma Exacerbations refractory to
standard therapy may benefit from EMCO.

Hyperthermia: Adults and children with life-threatening hyperthermia from
environmental causes, cocaine poisoning, or sympathomimetic poisoning should be
rapidly cooled, ideally at a rate of at least 0.15 °C/min (0.27 °F/min). This is best
achieved with immersion in ice water.

It is recommended that health care professionals first attempt establishing IV access
for drug administration in adult patients in cardiac arrest. Intraosseous (IO) access is
reasonable if initial attempts at IV access are unsuccessful or not feasible for adult
patients in cardiac arrest.

This concludes the NEW 2025 Changes for ACLS

The course is taught in a STRESS FREE, FUN environment. I want you to leave class feeling like you're glad you came, you learned a lot and you ACTUALLY HAD FUN !!! You will MASTER all the skills you need to run a code and learn all the rhythms and drugs to treat them. IT'S A PIECE OF CAKE !!! STRESS FREE ! FUN !!

AHA 2025 ACLS Update Course Continuing Education Accreditation Emergency Medical Services. This continuing education activity is approved by the American Heart Association, an organization accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CPACE), for 5.25 Advanced CEHs, activity number 14-AMHA-F2-0224. If you have any questions about the course please call, text or email Catherine Brinkley at (719) 551-1222 or admin@savingamericanhearts.com

See our live calendar of classes here:

https://www.keepandshare.com/calendar/show.php?i=2091851&vw=month&ign=y

What it is:

• An advanced course building on Basic Life Support (BLS) for experienced healthcare professionals.
• A renewal/recertification for those with a current AHA ACLS card, typically valid for two years, to maintain certification.
• Updated content reflecting the latest American Heart Association Guidelines (e.g., 2025 guidelines). 

• Recognition and early management of cardiac arrest, stroke, and other emergencies.
• Airway management, pharmacology, and rhythm recognition.
• Effective resuscitation team dynamics and leadership.
• Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and post-cardiac arrest care. 

• Often uses a blended learning approach: online self-paced learning followed by a hands-on skills session.
• Includes simulated patient cases and team-based scenarios for practical application. 

• Healthcare professionals like physicians, nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, and others involved in critical care. 

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)