HeartCode® PALS Online

Please refer to elearning.heart.org for specific course technical requirements.

HeartCode® PALS Online; Enduring Web Course

Original Release Date: 10/22/2025

Last Review Date: September 2025

Termination Date: 10/21/2028

Description
HeartCode PALS Online is the online portion of PALS blended learning that will prepare students for hands-on practice and testing of PALS skills. It uses a personalized adaptive algorithm that sets students on the most efficient path to PALS mastery. Students follow a continuously adapting learning path that is personalized by their own inputs: their performance, and their self-reported confidence level related to each probe. The course content is presented in the form of self-directed learning content, probes, and cognitive assessment activities.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion, participants should be able to:

1. Perform high-quality CPR per American Heart Association basic life support recommendations
2. Differentiate between patients who do and do not require immediate intervention
3. Perform your role as a high-performance team member
4. Differentiate between respiratory distress and failure
5. Perform early interventions for respiratory distress and failure
6. Differentiate between compensated and hypotensive (decompensated) shock
7. Perform early interventions for the treatment of shock
8. Differentiate between unstable and stable patients with arrhythmias
9. Demonstrate treatment of arrhythmias
10. Implement postarrest management

Accreditation Terms
Joint Accreditation: 10/22/2025 – 10/21/2028

CAPCE: 10/22/2025 – 10/21/2028

AARC: 10/22/2025 – 10/21/2026

Accreditation Statements

Joint Accreditation Statements
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by The American Heart Association. The American Heart Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

AMA Credit Designation Statement - Physicians
The American Heart Association designates this activity for a maximum of 2.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

AAPA Credit Acceptance Statement – Physician Associates
AAPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society. Physician associates may receive a maximum of 2.25 hours of Category I credit for completing this program.

AANP Credit Acceptance Statement – Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

ANCC Credit Designation Statement - Nurses
The maximum number of hours awarded for this CE activity is 7.25 contact hours.

ACPE Credit Designation Statement – Pharmacists
ACPE Credit: 5.25 Contact Hours. Universal Program Number: JA0000134-0000-25-044-H01-P

**ACPE Credit must be claimed within 30 days of participation. ACPE credit will no longer be available to claim after the 30-day period has elapsed.

Continuing Education Accreditation – Emergency Medical Services
This continuing education activity is approved by the American Heart Association, an organization accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE), for 4.00 Advanced CEHs, activity number 25-AMHA-F4-0040.

By claiming CAPCE credit, the claimant acknowledges the following: I understand that the American Heart Association as a requirement of CAPCE accreditation will submit a record of my course completions to the CAPCE AMS. I further understand that my course completion records may be accessed by or shared with such regulators as state EMS offices, training officers, and NREMT on a password-protected, need-to-know basis. In addition, I understand that I may review my record of CAPCE-accredited course completions by contacting CAPCE.

AARC Credit Statement - Respiratory Therapist
This non-traditional program has been approved for 5 contact hour(s) Continuing Respiratory Care Education (CRCE) credit by the American Association for Respiratory Care Course # 195151000

Participation and Successful Completion
Successful completion of this CE activity includes the following:

1. Complete all portions of the online activity
2. Complete the course evaluation
3. Receive the certificate/statement of credit

Disclosure Statement
All persons in a position to control educational content of a CE activity provided by the American Heart Association must disclose to the audience all financial relationships with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. The presence or absence of all financial relationships will be disclosed to the audience in activity materials. All unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices discussed will also be disclosed to the audience. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

The following authors/faculty have declared NO financial interest(s) and/or affiliations:

Mary McBride, MD, MEd
Sallie Johnson, PharmD
Reylon Meeks, RN, BSN, MS, MSN, EMT (ret), PhDc
Kelly Kadlec, MD, MEd
Mary Mackenburg-Mohn, PhD, NP, ACPNP, MSN, AGACNP
Carol Frazee, NRP
John Erbayri, MS, NRP, CHSE
George Wang, MD, FAAP, FAACT
Helio Penna Guimarães, MD, PhD, FAHA
Hector Aranibar, MD, FCCP
Fabián Gelpi, MD
Grace Bravo, MD
Brian Jackson, MD
Candace Mannarino, MD, MS
Amanda O’Halloran, MD
Georg M. Schmölzer, MD, PhD
Melissa Mahgoub, PhD
Jeremy Dymond, RN
Kerrie Zakaras, RN, MSN
Julie Mallory, MBA
Amy Thomas
Comilla Sasson, MD, PhD, FAHA, FACEP

This list represents the relationships that may be perceived as actual or reasonable conflicts of interest as reported on the Disclosure Questionnaire, which all AHA volunteers are required to complete and submit. The focus is on relevant financial relationships with commercial interests in the 24-month period preceding the time that the individual is being asked to assume a role controlling content:

Jennifer Hayes, RN – ZOLL Medical, RQI (Speaker)
Brian Walsh, PhD, RRT, RRT-NPS, RRT-ACCS, RPFT, FAARC – Sentec (Researcher), Medtronic (Consultant/Speaker), fluidIQ (Ownership interest)

Target Audiences
1. Physicians
2. Physician Associates
3. Nurse Practitioners
4. Nurses
5. Pharmacists
6. EMS
7. Respiratory Therapists

Accessibility Statement
The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association strive to make our websites accessible. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association are committed to diversity, inclusion, and meeting the needs of all our constituents, including those with disabilities. We are continually improving our digital assets to comply with the accessibility guidelines for levels A and AA in accordance with WCAG 2.1.

If the format of any material on our web pages interferes with your ability to access the information, please contact us to request assistance or if you have questions or comments about our web sites’ accessibility.

The HeartCode® PALS Course is for healthcare providers who either direct or participate in the management of respiratory and/or cardiovascular emergencies and cardiopulmonary arrest in pediatric patients. This includes personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care and critical care units such as physicians, nurses, paramedics and others who need a PALS Course Completion Card for job or other requirements.