American Heart Association · Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
AHA ACLS Provider (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support)
ACLS is the course that decides whether you can actually run a code — not just recite the algorithm. Our instructors run codes for a living, and the megacode is where this class earns its keep.
- Course Length
- Initial course runs a full day; renewal is shorter
- Credential
- AHA ACLS Provider eCard, valid two years from the month of issue.
- Format
- In person, hands-on. On-site available.
- Issuing Body
- American Heart Association
Who this course is for
- Emergency department, ICU, and cath lab nurses
- Physicians, PAs, and nurse practitioners in acute care
- Paramedics and critical care transport crews
- Respiratory therapists
- Anyone on a facility's code team or rapid response team
What you will learn
- Systematic BLS and ACLS assessment approach
- Rhythm recognition and the shockable / non-shockable decision
- Cardiac arrest, bradycardia, tachycardia, and ACS algorithms
- Acute stroke recognition and the time-critical pathway
- Airway management and effective ventilation
- Pharmacology, dosing, and route selection under pressure
- Team dynamics, closed-loop communication, and code leadership
Prerequisites
A current BLS Provider card and working ECG rhythm recognition. Review the precourse self-assessment before class — this is the single biggest predictor of who has a good day.
Need this for your whole team?
On-site training is our primary service. We bring instructors, manikins, AED trainers, and all course materials to your facility anywhere in Lee, Collier, or Charlotte County — and we can contract a recurring schedule so nobody's card ever lapses.
Request On-Site TrainingQuestions people actually ask
Do I need BLS before ACLS?
Yes. A current BLS Provider card is a prerequisite. If yours is expired or expiring, take BLS first — we can often schedule both.
What is HeartCode ACLS?
HeartCode ACLS is the AHA blended path: you complete the cognitive coursework and simulations online, then complete an in-person skills session and megacode with an instructor. Care Chain CPR runs ACLS HeartCode skills checks.
Is there a written exam?
Yes. There is a multiple-choice exam and a megacode skills test. Working through the AHA precourse self-assessment beforehand is the difference between comfortable and scrambling.
Why Care Chain CPR
Care Chain CPR is an American Heart Association Authorized Training Site and an American Red Cross Authorized Provider. Classes are taught by active firefighter-paramedics and credentialed healthcare providers — people who do this work on shift, not classroom-only educators. We serve Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Lehigh Acres, Port Charlotte, and Punta Gorda.