- AHA BLS
- Instructor
AHA BLS Instructor Course in Pasadena
The AHA BLS Instructor course qualifies you to teach the American Heart Association BLS Provider course. You need a current AHA BLS Provider card and must be at least 18. You are accepted by an AHA Training Center, complete the blended instructor course (online, then in person with AHA faculty), and are monitored teaching your first class. AHA BLS instructors can also teach Heartsaver courses.
Before you start
Prerequisites
- A current AHA BLS Provider card (the provider course in the discipline you will teach)
- At least 18 years of age, the AHA minimum to teach BLS courses
- Acceptance by an AHA Training Center that offers BLS and is taking new instructor candidates, with its application on file
Who takes it: Nurses, EMTs, paramedics, dental teams, clinical educators and anyone with a current BLS Provider card who wants to teach BLS to healthcare workers and students.
The course
Format and certification
- Blended learning: the online portion first, then an in-person classroom session led by AHA faculty
- A monitoring portion: you teach your first course while you are monitored
- The AHA Instructor eCard is issued by the Training Center, and you align with that Training Center in AHA Atlas
Step by step
How to become an AHA BLS Instructor
Hold a current provider card
The AHA requires a current AHA provider card in the discipline you want to teach, so you have completed the provider course and hold its eCard.
Be accepted by a Training Center
Every AHA instructor works through an AHA Training Center. The Training Center must be accepting new instructor candidates, and it tells you the steps and paperwork it requires.
Complete the instructor course
The instructor course has three parts: an online portion, an in-person portion led by AHA faculty, and a monitoring portion.
Teach a monitored class
You are monitored teaching your first course. AHA materials set this within six months of the classroom instructor course, and the Training Center can ask for more monitoring.
Get your eCard and align
The Training Center issues your AHA Instructor eCard. You then request alignment with that Training Center in AHA Atlas, and once it accepts, you are an approved instructor with it.
What a BLS instructor can teach
The AHA says BLS Instructors are authorized to teach all Heartsaver-level courses, including Heartsaver First Aid, Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED and Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED, with the instructor manual for each course.
FAQ
AHA BLS Instructor: your questions
What do I need before the AHA BLS Instructor course?
A current AHA BLS Provider card, proficiency in the BLS skills, an age of at least 18, and acceptance by an AHA Training Center that is taking new BLS instructor candidates.
Source: American Heart Association, Course FAQs: Instructor Courses
Do I have to align with an AHA Training Center?
Yes. AHA instructors teach through an AHA Training Center. You are accepted by one before the instructor course, it issues your Instructor eCard, and you then request alignment with it in AHA Atlas.
Source: American Heart Association, How Do I Become an AHA Instructor? (step-by-step guide, PDF)
What is the monitoring requirement?
After the instructor course you are monitored teaching your first course. AHA Instructor Essentials materials set this within six months of the classroom instructor course, and the Training Center can require additional monitoring.
Source: American Heart Association, Instructor Essentials Blended Learning Courses FAQ (PDF)
Can a BLS instructor teach first aid?
Yes. The AHA says BLS Instructors can teach all Heartsaver-level courses, including Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED, as long as they have the instructor manual for the course.
Source: American Heart Association, Course FAQs: Instructor Courses
How much does it cost and when is the next course?
Send the inquiry form and we reply with what is available, the dates and the cost. We do not publish instructor course prices or dates online.
Inquire
Ask about this instructor course
Tell us which instructor course you want and when. We reply by email or text with what is available, the dates and the cost.
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