The objective of this instructor course is to train healthcare professionals to teach the following advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) courses which include skills they will be familiar with due to practicing them regularly in their own scope of practice.
They are as follows:
The ACLS instructor course is one day in length and includes a mixture of lecture style presentations and small group rotations during which the instructor candidate is expected to act both as an instructor and participate as a provider during different scenarios. Candidates are continually assessed by faculty throughout the day therefore nominated instructor candidates should have the appropriate skills and attributes to become an ACLS instructor.
Pre Course Considerations:
The Irish Heart Foundation conducts ACLS Instructor Courses on an annual basis and places on the course are by nomination from an organisation that conducts ACLS courses through the Foundation’s training programme. Instructor candidates must hold current ACLS provider certification at the time of attending the instructor course. Candidates will also be required to complete an online course prior to attending the instructor course and access to this will be provided with their pre-course materials issued upon successful registration.
Instructor Competencies
ACLS Instructors need to be proficient in all ACLS skills and be able to teach IHF / AHA courses correctly and as they were intended with a high standard of ethics and professionalism. Instructors need to be able to test candidates effectively. Instructors also need to be able to manage space, time, materials and paperwork in compliance with IHF and AHA and their own training site’s guidelines.
Post Course Certification Requirements
Following the classroom portion of the course the candidate must attend at least one standard 2-day ACLS provider course as a supernumerary instructor candidate to gain experience and confidence prior to being monitored and may then be monitored instructing on a second ACLS provider course. Monitoring must be completed within 180 days (6 months) of completing the instructor course.
Maintaining Instructor Certification
ACLS instructor certification is valid for 2 years and to be eligible to recertify instructors must teach on a minimum of 4 ACLS Provider Courses. Recertification should be conducted before the current instructor card expires. To recertify the instructor must successfully demonstrate all ACLS provider skills, complete any relevant updates as required (e.g. guidelines updates) and the instructor should be monitored by a faculty member or medical director while teaching on any of the ACLS provider courses (standard ACLS provider, ACLS recertification or Heartcode ACLS courses). Please refer to instructor recertification for further details.
The Irish Heart Foundation notifies the affiliated organisations who offer ACLS training through its programme asking them to put forward nominated candidates for the course
