Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

Course Description

The American Heart Association's PALS course uses a series of simulated pediatric emergencies to reinforce the important concepts of a systematic approach to pediatric assessment, basic life support, PALS treatment algorighms, effective resuscitation and team dynamics.  This course is intended for healthcare providers who respond to emergencies in infants and children, such as physicians, nurses and paramedics.

Visit the American Heart Association's website for more details.

Prerequisites 

You must have a current American Heart Association BLS card to take this course. It is recommended that you also complete a cardiac monitoring course before taking PALS.

In addition to reading the course manual, there is an online pre-test for this course. You must complete the test through the American Heart Association's website and score at least 80 percent before coming to class. About the pre-test:

  • You will need to follow the login information in your manual to the American Heart Association's webpage and score  80 percent or better on the pre-test to take the class. This ensures that you are prepared and can demonstrate your knowledge of these important life saving skills. 
  • Once you have completed your assessment, you must print the auto-generated answer sheet and bring with you to class for admittance.
  • If you have not successfully completed your online pre-test before the start of class, you will not be admitted to the class and will be counted as a no-show if you have not previously withdrawn. Please log onto CSOD and withdraw from the class if you know in advance that you will not be attending your scheduled training.

Course Preparation

  • In addition to the course manual requirements, you may download and study the PALS Algorithms (.pdf).
  • Carilion employees: If you do not have time to prepare during your regular work schedule, you should get approval from your manager to be paid to prepare outside of work hours, which will be deducted from your unit/department’s operational cost center. For PALS, you can be reimbursed for up to two hours of work. This time is not automatic since everyone learns and prepares differently.