Advanced Stroke

Life Support (ASLS)

An EMT examining a patient inside of an ambulance.

With a shared goal of reducing deaths and disabilities for stroke victims, the American Heart Association, in partnership with The University of Miami’s Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education, has released the new Advanced Stroke Life Support Blended Learning course. This course, now offered as the AHA’s newest card-credentialing course discipline, educates healthcare professionals to identify, evaluate, and manage patients with stroke.

Developed by experts in stroke, emergency medicine, prehospital care, and nursing education, the ASLS curriculum is now widely used by hundreds of hospitals, fire rescue, ambulance and EMS systems, and educational institutions throughout the country and around the globe. The course is also designed to meet the staff education requirements for the premier certifications for stroke systems of care from the Joint Commission’s Advanced Certifications.

  • ASLS is appropriate for healthcare professionals in both prehospital and in-hospital settings involved in the management of acute stroke patients. This advanced course is ideal for:

    • Stroke Coordinators

    • Nursing Students and Nurses

    • Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

    • Paramedics and Emergency Medical Personnel

    • Physicians

    • Physician Assistants

    • Residents and Fellows

    • Medical Students

    • Respiratory Therapists

Course Content and Format

The ASLS course is offered in a Blended Learning format, consisting of both an online, self-directed portion, followed by an in-person skills testing session with an ASLS Instructor. 

There are THREE tracks available for students to learn how to assess and manage stroke emergencies: prehospital, in-hospital, and a third track that covers both settings. Learning objectives for these tracks include:

Prehospital Provider Course:

  • Highlights the principles of prehospital stroke management that make up the current standard of care, such as determining when to call a stroke alert and quickly transport the patient to the nearest appropriate facility

  • Explains how to communicate the patient’s symptoms, time of onset, and neurologic exam clearly and succinctly with hospital personnel

In-Hospital Provider Course:

  • Focuses on the importance of an organized approach to treating stroke patients for improved outcomes

  • Discusses the etiologic evaluation and secondary stroke prevention for stroke patients

  • Describes the management of goals for acute ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage

  • Outlines post-acute care management including supportive medical care, rehabilitation, and discharge planning for stroke patients

Prehospital & In-Hospital Provider Course:

  • Combines all of the components of the Prehospital and In-Hospital courses and is best suited for healthcare providers who work in both environments, as well as ASLS instructor candidates who will be conducting the in-person skills testing for learners from both audiences

COMING SOON: Registration for the AHA online course.