ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)

The Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Course is designed to teach the skills needed to assess and administer care within the first 10 minutes of an adult cardiac arrest.

Providers learn the skills needed to manage advanced cardiac life support scenarios: respiratory emergency, various types of cardiac arrest (simple VT/VF, complex VT/VF, PEA (Pulseless Electrical Activity) and asystole), pre-arrest emergencies: stable and unstable bradycardia and tachycardia, acute coronary syndromes and stroke.

To obtain your ACLS certificate, the Heart & Stroke Foundation requires a valid Heart & Stroke BLS course completion card taken within the past 12 months.If you do not have a current Heart & Stroke BLS card, please register for our same day BLS+ ACLS combination course.

Course Location

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Bayview Campus)

In addition to our traditional in-classroom format, ACLS Provider is now available in a blended learning format. Blended learning provides students with the opportunity to combine self-paced, online learning with in-class, hands-on skills training.

Students with less clinical experience and less familiarity with ECG’s are encouraged to take full 2-day provider course

ACLS Blended Learning has 2 components:

• Online Learning

Complete the online modules prior to the course, at your own time and pace. Includes the ACLS Provider manual (eBook) as well as the ACLS blended content. Modules could take between 2-6 hours. Students will have access to the content until the next course renewal.

• In-person Skills Training

Upon completion of the online modules, attend a 1-day instructor-led in-class for hands-on skills training and practice.

Course Overview And Design

ACLS Provider Course emphasizes 3 major concepts:

• The crucial importance of high quality CPR to patient survival
• The integration of effective basic life support (BLS) with ACLS interventions
• The importance of effective team interaction and communication during resuscitation

• The course is designed to give students the opportunity to practice and demonstrate proficiency in the following skills used in resuscitation:

• Systematic approach
• High-quality BLS
• Airway management
• Rhythm recognition
• Defibrillation
• Intravenous (IV)/intraosseous (IO) access (information only)
• Use of medications
• Cardioversion
• Transcutaneous pacing
• Team dynamics

• Students will practice the application of these and other skills in simulated cases and will practice both Team Leader and team member roles.