The American Heart Association (AHA^®) Instructor Course is designed to prepare providers who would like to become instructors in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). 

Before beginning the Instructor training process, a candidate must have a current provider card for his/her chosen discipline, and must align with an AHA^® Training Center. 

As per the 2015 AHA^® guideline changes, the Instructor training now consists of three stages:

• Instructor Essentials (online)
  The Instructor Essentials is a self-directed online course that includes information needed to teach the chosen discipline. 
• Discipline Specific Module (classroom)
  The Discipline Specific Module uses a combination of various instructor-led and video-based lessons, providing the instructor candidate with opportunity to practice teaching the dynamics of responding to resuscitation as part of a team in simulated cases with the emphasis on effective communication and teamwork.
• Mentoring
  Within six months of completing the Instructor Course, a faculty member monitors the Instructor candidate as he/she teaches two classes in his/her chosen discipline.  (Please note, Training Center Coordinators may require additional monitoring.) 

IMPORTANT:
The American Heart Association requires that BLS instructors must be at least 16 years of age; and ACLS and PALS instructors must be at least 18 years of age and licensed or certified in a health care occupation where such skills are within the provider scope of practice.