The American Heart Association’s eLearning modules are designed for providers seeking additional content beyond the ACLS Provider Course and CE credit. The modules are presented as adaptive, self-directed learning content. Students follow an adapting learning path personalized by their own inputs: their performance and self-reported confidence level related to each probing question.

Key features of the AHA’s eLearning modules

The AHA’s eLearning courses allow students to learn at their own pace and on their schedule, anywhere and anytime an internet connection is available. They are entirely self-directed and do not require separate skills testing.

 • Engaging, True Adaptive™ learning experience, where students follow a learning path personalized by their inputs and self-reported confidence level.

• Responsive design that ensures compatibility on mobile devices and tablets

• All curriculum is contextualized for the in-hospital or prehospital student

• Students can select their level of competence as they begin the course and can change their selection at any time during the course

• All curriculum is web-accessible through inclusive design (WCAG 2.1 AA)

• Ease of use for more students – works on all common browsers (no more Flash)

Prerequisites

Before taking Advanced Life Support (ALS) Modules, students should master BLS and ACLS cognitive information. However, completing a BLS or ACLS Provider Course is not a prerequisite for an ALS Module. The content included in the ALS Modules is not part of the ACLS Provider Course. ALS Modules cover advanced content for advanced healthcare providers seeking additional content beyond ACLS.

Duration of learning modules and continuing education credits

Due to the adaptive technology used in these modules, the completion time varies based on the student’s self-assessment and knowledge of the cognitive material. The average time to complete is 15-45 minutes.

 Each module offers continuing education (CE) units. CE information for each module is located in the course listings on ShopCPR.Heart.org and eLearning.Heart.org.

ALS module topics: 

• Trauma - The Trauma Module describes the systematic evaluation of a trauma patient, including the initial lifesaving maneuvers. This course includes assessment, approaches, and treatment of systematic evaluation of a trauma patient, key concerns during an appraisal, adjuncts to the primary trauma survey, airway obstruction maneuvers and securing the airway, identifying shock and providing treatment, hemodynamic instability, and hemorrhage control, trauma resuscitation, permissive hypotension, massive transfusions, traumatic brain injury, burn injuries, and musculoskeletal injuries.

• Opioids – The module is designed to help clinical team members provide immediate treatment and care for adult opioid overdose victims. Course content covers the pathophysiology of opioid overdose, special considerations on how to care for overdose patients, including naloxone administration, recognizing the need for high-quality CPR and the use of a defibrillator as indicated, and information on the importance and types of resources available for individuals after an opioid overdose, including medication-assisted therapies.

• Advanced ECG – The Advanced ECG Module describes more complex arrhythmias, such as second and third-degree heart blocks, wide-complex tachycardia, and narrow-complex tachycardia.  

• Procedural Sedation—The procedural Sedation Module covers pre-procedural considerations for using procedural sedation, including identifying the levels of sedation and when sedation becomes general anesthesia. The course describes evaluating patients before, during, and after procedural sedation. It educates providers on the equipment needed for monitoring patients, common medications to use, and reversal agents to have on hand to safely perform procedural sedation. It also covers the criteria for a safe discharge after sedation.

• Advanced Airway Management—The ALS Advanced Airway Management Module is designed to teach providers how to evaluate and determine patients' need for an advanced airway. This course provides instructions on oxygen monitoring and delivery strategies before advanced airway placement. It also demonstrates the methods and goals of advanced airway insertion, troubleshoots issues, ensures proper placement, and monitors the patient. 

• Maternal Cardiac Arrest (MCA) - MCA is a life-threatening event that may occur in any healthcare setting, even outside the hospital. Cardiac arrest in this population poses unique challenges to a healthcare team since critical actions are affecting two patients. The ALS: Maternal Cardiac Arrest Module explores the why of MCA and how to treat pregnant cardiac arrest patients within a hospital. 

• High-Performance Teams—The Module covers the essential role of high-performance teams in improving cardiac arrest survival. It educates students on how high-performance teams carry out their roles effectively, resulting in superior performance and timing, which can improve cardiac arrest survival.

• Respiratory Emergencies—The Respiratory Emergencies Module covers several of the most common respiratory emergencies, including severe asthma, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, anaphylaxis, peri-intubation arrest, pulmonary embolism, and noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. It educates students on identifying signs and symptoms, descriptions of treatments, potential complications, and considerations. This module aims to teach students how to treat these respiratory emergencies before they lead to cardiac arrest.

• Post-cardiac Arrest Care: This module describes the pathophysiology of post-arrest syndrome, the initial management of post-cardiac arrest (the first 30 minutes), and 24—to 72-hour post-ROSC management.

• Mechanical Circulatory Systems—This module introduces mechanical circulatory support, covers general concepts of patient selection, and describes percutaneous mechanical circulatory support types.

All ALS Modules can be purchased on ShopCPR.org. Modules can be purchased individually or in bundles. Multiple modules can be purchased at a discount. A 5% discount is available for purchasing two modules, and a 10% discount is available for purchasing three or more modules. Once purchased or issued to a student, modules can be accessed on eLearning.Heart.org.  

ACLS Academy is an authorized American Heart Association (AHA)- Aligned Training Center. We have three convenient locations in Massachusetts—Quincy, Bridgewater, and Newton Center—and most of our classes include an online training component. We provide high-quality courses taught by instructors practicing in the medical profession for ACLS, BLS, TNCC, ENPC, NRP, PALS, PALS Plus, PEARS, ACLS- EP, ASLS, Bloodborne Pathogen, HeartSaver CPR/AED, First Aid, and Instructor Courses. Please browse our catalog of courses