AHA PALS Provider

The AHA groups PALS with its other healthcare professional courses, so it targets providers who already hold a clinical scope of practice and may need to resuscitate infants and children - physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, and similar advanced providers. If you only need basic CPR and AED skills for a job requirement, the AHA positions BLS or Heartsaver courses for that instead.

Expect two parts: a multiple-choice written examination and hands-on evaluation at skills stations, including a case-based megacode. The AHA's authorized Training Centers and Instructors deliver in-person classroom training and skills sessions, so plan on physically demonstrating airway skills, rhythm recognition, electrical therapy, and team leadership rather than answering questions only.

The American Heart Association does not publish PALS course or exam duration on the page cited here, so any number you see quoted online may be outdated or site-specific. Duration varies with format (classroom versus blended learning) and your prior preparation. Ask your chosen AHA Training Center directly when you schedule.

No passing score is stated in the source material available here, so treat third-party claims with caution. The AHA does not list a PALS passing percentage on the page we cite. Confirm the current requirement with your Training Center before your course date, since written-exam and skills-checklist criteria are set in the course materials.

The AHA does offer blended learning and eLearning options, but PALS assessment includes skills stations and a case-based megacode, which are performance-based. Online study is best used to prepare knowledge before your hands-on session. Ask your Training Center which blended format they offer and what must be completed in person.

The AHA does not publish a retake interval or fee on the source page available here, so this is set by the individual Training Center rather than by a single national rule. Contact the center where you tested to learn their remediation and retest process, and ask whether a repeat skills session is included.

Validity periods are not stated in the material available here, and the AHA maintains separate course card information and eCard resources for current details. Check the AHA course card page or ask your Training Center rather than relying on an older figure, since card policies are periodically revised.

Follow the clinical sequence rather than the syllabus order: first pediatric assessment and recognition of respiratory and circulatory emergencies, then airway management and ventilation, then rhythm recognition and electrical therapy, then pharmacology and dosing, and finally post-arrest care with team dynamics. Rehearse the megacode aloud, because the final station tests flow, not isolated facts.

Candidates most often lose points on drug dosing errors, failing to reassess the child after an intervention, and weak team communication - unclear role assignment or nobody closing the loop. Unrecognized respiratory causes of deterioration are another frequent miss. Practice saying your findings and orders out loud so your megacode performance matches your knowledge.

No. BLS and PALS are separate AHA healthcare professional courses; BLS covers basic life support, while PALS extends into advanced pediatric assessment, airway and ventilation, rhythm disturbances, electrical therapy, and pharmacology. Many providers hold both. Check which credential your employer or licensing body requires before registering.