Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is an American Heart Association (AHA) instructional course for healthcare providers who respond to or treat infant or child-related emergencies. The PALS course simulates pediatric emergencies in order to help train and better prepare participants for real life scenarios. Treating a child can be quite different from treating an adult, and the PALS course will help participants know how to react appropriately during pediatric emergencies.
Who Needs a PALS certification?
Anyone in a position that might need to handle emergency treatment of children should undergo this course. Completion of the PALS course is a requirement for many physicians, nurses, and paramedics, but any number of others involved in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care, or critical care may be required by their employer to obtain this certification. Pediatric treatment is very different than the treatment of adults, so it’s important that all personal responsible for treating children understand those differences.
What Does the PALS Course Include?
PALS instructors use a scenario-based training approach to encourage participants to learn how to work as a team to save infants and children. The full course takes just over 14 hours to complete, and those who successfully complete the PALS course receive a certification card that is valid for two years.
PALS Course Content Includes:
Child CPR and AED use- Infant CPR
- Cardiac, respiratory and shock case discussions and simulations
- Key changes in pediatric advanced life support
- Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
- Management of respiratory emergencies
- Rhythm disturbances and electrical therapy
- Systematic Approach to Pediatric Assessment
- Infant or Child Transport Scenarios
Where Can I Take the PALS Course?
The PALS course can be taken at an AHA authorized training center, like the Response Institute & CPR Consultants. We have a variety of upcoming PALS courses that are open to initial participants, as well as BLS/PALS combo courses that provide participants with both certifications. If your two-year certification will be expiring soon, we also offer PALS renewal certifications.
When a child’s life is at stake, it’s vital that everyone on your emergency response team is prepared to handle the situation and that they all know how to work as a team to save that child’s life. PALS training prepares medical professionals for just this type of scenario. Contact us if you’d like to learn more about PALS, BLS, or other certifications required for healthcare providers.
