ACLS Frequently Asked Questions
about the new kinder, gentler approach.

All statements are taken from the AHA ACLS Instructor Manual.

Why isn't ACLS still being taught like the "good ole days"?
  ● "Before 1994 many people attending an ACLS course described the event as an 
     intimidating, inflexible, and negative learning experience". "Patterns of instructor
     behavior that could create such experiences have always been condemned by the
     AHA and the ECC Programs". "There is no excuse for intimidation and negative  
     reinforcement in adult professional education and training". Page 15; AHA ACLS
       Instructors Manual 2001

My first ACLS course was 3 days long, why has that changed?
  ● "There is no single [ACLS Course]. Course directors and instructors can tailor courses
     to a variety of specific groups..." "Because these groups differ in educational
     background, professional training, and duration and intensity of clinical experience,
     course designed specifically for them will differ". "ACLS courses can be organized as
     1 or 2 day courses, depending on local resources and the background and job settings
     of the provider candidate". Page 37; AHA ACLS Instructor's Manual 2001

What is the confusion about "Certification" as related to ACLS?
  ● "In ACLS training the term certified is equivalent to successful completion of the
     educational program, indicating [satisfactory completion according to cognitive and
     performance testing at the time of testing]." "ACLS training has never been intended
     to guarantee or warrant future performance or to indicate or suggest a form of
     licensing." Page 25-26; AHA ACLS Instructor's Manual 2001
  ● "Occasionally old vocabulary will creep back into ECC and ACLS courses, and the
     phrase [ACLS Certification] or [certified in ACLS] will be heard". "All they mean, and
     all they can mean, is that [this card certifies that someone attended and successfully
     completed an ACLS provider course on such and such a date]". Page 141; AHA ACLS
       Instructor's Manual 2001

Is obtaining an ACLS card proof of competency for JCAHO?
  ● "The ACLS Provider Course was never designed to test whether a healthcare provider
     performs a skill to some uniform national standard". "By design, the ACLS course brings
     together diverse participants from diverse backgrounds". "Performance in an ACLS course
     represents performance at only one point in time. Skills may be lost between the time of
     course completion and the need for their use". Page 26; AHA ACLS Instructor's Manual 2001

What does "Course Completion" really mean?
  ● "The AHA has stated clearly that successful completion of the course implies nothing
     other than successful completion of the course". "Course completion [in no way warrants
     performance, guarantees future actions, qualifies or authorizes a person to perform any
     procedures, and is unrelated to licensure, which is a function of the appropriate legislative,
     health and educational authorities]". Page 26; AHA ACLS Instructor's Manual 2001

Why don't we PASS or FAIL participants anymore?
  ● "The role of evaluation in ACLS courses is to determine what the participant has learned,
     to inform individual participants of specific problem areas that need further work, to
     guide instructors in areas which specific participants need help, and to provide course
     directors and instructors with an assessment of the educational success of the course".
     "Make the role of the participant evaluation (formerly testing) consistent with the
     purpose of the course: EDUCATION". Page 29; AHA ACLS Instructor's Manual 2001

  ● "The use of the ACLS program to test for competency and [fail] some participants
     clearly distorts the educational mission of the program. From the perspective of the
     AHA the goal has been and should be to help all learners, regardless of their level
     of skill and knowledge, improve their understanding of resuscitation science and skills.
     Providers need to learn to respond in an arrest to the best of their ability". Page 140;
      AHA ACLS Instructor's Manual 2001

What is the goal of ACLS?
  ● "Successful knowledge and skills acquisition by each participant". "Every participant
     succeeds in acquiring the skills and knowledge that he or she requires for his or her
     particular healthcare position". "More value follows from improving the ability of 1
     novice than from confirming the performance of 10 accomplished participants". Page 28;
      AHA ACLS Instructor's Manual 2001

Do I have to be able to "run a code" after my first ACLS course?
  ● Although "running a code" is a future goal for all ACLS providers, the initial ACLS
     provider course does not require this knowledge and skill as a core objective". Page 40;
      AHA ACLS Instructor's Manual 2001

What actions are being taken to insure these new guidelines?
  All ACLS Instructors have been directed to do the following:
  ● "View the evaluation process as a triage system that assists faculty in early identification
     of participants who need additional help".
  ● "Teach until the participant achieves the level of success he or she seeks, even if it
     takes added effort by both the learner and the instructor. Make every effort to
     remediate participants with a poor performance evaluation. Use a remediation station
     that operates concurrently with other evaluation stations".
  ● "Use the written examination as an educational instrument. This is now possible
     because an annotated written examination has been developed. All participants can
     now review the rationale behind the questions missed. In addition, expert instructors
     can review the exam in an interactive small group session". Page 30; AHA ACLS Instructor's
      Manual 2001