Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

  • The PALS Provider Course is designed to prepare participants to identify and treat cardiopulmonary arrest and common conditions that may lead to cardiopulmonary arrest in infants and children.

    The goals of the PALS Course are that the participant will:

    1. Have the skills and knowledge to reduce the risk of the most common causes of cardiac arrest and death in infants and children.
    2. Be able to identify and treat pediatric patients in a pre-arrest condition.
    3. Be able to perform resuscitation and provide immediate post resuscitation care based on his or her expected level of care.

    Participants should leave the PALS course with a reasonable expectation that they can recognize an infant or a child with respiratory or circulatory compromise that requires an emergency intervention and that they can perform CPR, use adjuncts for breathing, provide effective ventilation, use an AED and manual defibrillator, obtain rapid vascular access, and provide appropriate drug therapy in pediatric victims.

    A PALS course consists of a series of lectures, videos, and practice sessions, which are designed to help consolidate the skills and techniques necessary to effectively treat pediatric emergencies. To successfully complete this course, the student must be able to demonstrate proficiency in certain skills as well as pass a written exam. Therefore, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with the information in the textbook before class. It is expected that the participant will be proficient in BLS before participating in the Pediatric Life Support Course. Your BLS skills will be evaluated during the PALS Skill stations. Please be familiar with the American Heart Association's Guidelines. If excessive remediation is required, or basic skills and EKG recognition is not proficient, you may be required to repeat the course.

  • Initial PALS Provider Course - 2 days
    This course if for providers that have never been through a PALS course, or have expired PALS >30 days.

    Renewal PALS Provider Course - 1 day
    This course if for providers that have previously completed a PALS course, and have a current PALS card.

  • Registration
     
    Please click here to go to the calendar and register for your class.

    What to Bring to Class

    1. UTMB ID
    2. Current PALS Card
    3. Textbooks and algorhythm cards
    4. Pre-course work certificate of completion.

    To get ready for PALS pre-course work: 

    https://elearning.heart.org/course/426
    1. Read the PALS Provider manual before attending the course,
    2. Complete the pre-course work before the start of the course; and
    3. Demonstrate mastery of BLS and PALS skills during the course.
    4. Review and understand the information in your PALS Provider Manual.
    5. Review, understand, and pass the mandatory pre-course self-assessment.
    6. Review, understand and complete the mandatory pre-course work(video sessions)   You must pass the pre-course self-assessment before gaining access to the video lessons.  Once you have passed the PALS pre-course Self-assessment and completed the video lessons, print your certificate and bring it with you to class. 

    To successfully complete this course, the student must be able to demonstrate proficiency in certain skills as well as pass a written exam. Therefore, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with the information in the textbook before class.

    It is expected that the participant will be proficient in BLS before participating in the Pediatric Advanced Life Support Course. Your BLS skills will be evaluated during the PALS skill stations.

    Please be familiar with the American Heart Association's Guidelines.

    If excessive remediation is required, or basic skills and EKG recognition is not proficient, you may be required to repeat the course.