PALS is geared towards healthcare providers who respond to emergencies in infants and children and for personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care and critical care units. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a course completion card, valid for two years. Please contact your employer to ensure that you are selecting the correct course.

After successfully completing this course, students will be able to

• Perform high‐quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) per American Heart Association (AHA) basic life support (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

CONTINUING EDUCATION

PALS ILT Traditional Update Course with Prework
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 6.50 Educator CEHs, activity number 20-AMHA-F2-0090.

PALS ILT Full and Update Precourse Work

AMA Credit Designation Statement - Physicians
The American Heart Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

AAPA Credit Acceptance Statement – Physician Assistants
AAPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society. Physician assistants may receive a maximum of 2.50 hours of Category I credit for completing this program.

AANP Credit Acceptance Statement – Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

ANCC Credit Designation Statement - Nurses
The maximum number of hours awarded for this CE activity is 2.50 contact hours.

ACPE Credit Designation Statement – Pharmacists
ACPE Credit: 2.50 Contact Hours. Universal Program Number: JA0000134-0000-20-043-H04-P

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 2.75 Advanced CEHs, activity number 20-AMHA-F3-0091.

Here's a link to our calendar: https://www.keepandshare.com/calendar/show.php?i=2091851&vw=month&ign=y

and to our Refund Policy: https://savingamericanhearts.com/refund-policy/

American Heart Association (AHA) Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) — Complete Overview

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is an advanced resuscitation course developed by the American Heart Association (AHA) for healthcare professionals who manage critically ill or injured infants and children. PALS focuses on early recognition, high-quality CPR, team-based resuscitation, and evidence-based treatment algorithms to improve outcomes in pediatric emergencies.

Purpose & Goals

PALS trains providers to:

• Rapidly recognize and treat pediatric respiratory failure, shock, and cardiac arrest

• Apply systematic assessment (Primary & Secondary) to pediatric patients

• Perform high-quality pediatric CPR

• Use pediatric advanced airway, vascular access, and pharmacology

• Lead and function effectively within a resuscitation team

• Follow AHA pediatric algorithms accurately under pressure

Who Should Take PALS

PALS is designed for clinicians who directly care for pediatric patients, including:

• Paramedics & Advanced EMTs

• Emergency & ICU Nurses

• Pediatric & Emergency Physicians

• Respiratory Therapists

• Physician Assistants & Nurse Practitioners

• Hospital-based code team members

• Flight & critical care transport providers

(PALS is not intended for lay rescuers.)

Prerequisites

• Current AHA BLS Provider certification (required)

• Ability to interpret pediatric ECG rhythms

• Familiarity with pediatric medications and weight-based dosing

• Strong foundational knowledge of airway management and CPR

Course Structure

PALS courses are offered in several formats depending on the training site:

1. Initial PALS Provider Course

• Classroom or blended learning

• Full review of pediatric assessment, algorithms, and skills

• Written exam + skills testing

2. PALS Renewal Course

• For providers with a current or recently expired PALS

• Focused on updates, skills refresh, and testing

3. HeartCode® PALS (Blended Learning)

• Online cognitive portion via AHA

• Mandatory in-person hands-on skills session with an AHA Training Center

Core Curriculum Topics

Pediatric Assessment

• Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT)

• Primary Assessment (ABCDE)

• Secondary Assessment (SAMPLE, focused history)

• Recognition of deterioration before arrest

High-Quality Pediatric CPR

• Age-specific compression depth & rates

• Infant vs child differences

• Two-rescuer CPR

• Minimizing interruptions

• Ventilation with advanced airway

Airway & Respiratory Management

• Bag-mask ventilation

• Oxygen delivery devices

• Advanced airway placement

• Respiratory failure vs respiratory arrest

• Capnography use

Vascular Access

• Peripheral IV

• Intraosseous (IO) access

• Fluid resuscitation

• Pediatric shock management

Cardiac Rhythms & Electrical Therapy

• Pediatric bradycardia

• SVT & tachyarrhythmias

• Ventricular fibrillation (VF)

• Pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT)

• Synchronized cardioversion

• Defibrillation (joules/kg)

Pediatric Pharmacology

• Weight-based dosing (kg only)

• Epinephrine

• Amiodarone

• Adenosine

• Atropine

• Magnesium

• Fluid boluses

• Glucose management

PALS Algorithms You Must Master

• Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Algorithm

• Bradycardia with a Pulse

• Tachycardia with a Pulse

• Respiratory Distress & Failure

• Post-Cardiac Arrest Care

• Shock Management

• ROSC (Return of Spontaneous Circulation)

Team Dynamics & Communication

PALS strongly emphasizes Crisis Resource Management (CRM):

• Clear team roles

• Closed-loop communication

• Effective leadership

• Mutual respect & situational awareness

• Post-event debriefing

Skills Testing (Hands-On)

Participants are evaluated on:

• Pediatric CPR (infant & child)

• Bag-mask ventilation

• Airway management

• Rhythm recognition

• Medication selection & dosing

• Defibrillation & cardioversion

• Megacode (team-based scenario)

Written Exam

• Multiple-choice exam

• Based on AHA guidelines

• Passing score required for certification

Certification Details

• Certification valid for 2 years

• Issued by the American Heart Association

• Digital eCard provided after successful completion

• Accepted nationwide and internationally

Evidence-Based Guidelines

PALS content follows the most current AHA Guidelines for CPR & ECC, which are updated every five years with interim science updates as needed.

Why PALS Matters

Pediatric arrests are rare but high-risk, and outcomes depend heavily on:

• Early recognition

• Rapid intervention

• Accurate dosing

• Strong team performance

PALS gives providers the confidence, structure, and skills to act decisively when seconds matter.