Course Offerings

This course trains participants to promptly recognize several life-threatening emergencies and provide high-quality resuscitation and early use of an AED.  It is designed for healthcare professionals and students whose careers and educational programs require proficiency with performing basic cardiovascular life support skills in a wide variety of in-facility and prehospital settings.  Suggested participants include: physicians; nurses; paramedics; emergency medical technicians; respiratory therapists; physical, occupational and speech therapists; physician assistants; medical or nursing students; aids; medical or nursing assistants; and other allied health personnel. 

This course will teach:

• High-quality CPR for adults, children, and infants
• The AHA Chain of Survival, specifically the BLS components
• Importance of the early use of an AED
• Effective ventilations using a bag-mask device
• Importance of teams in multirescuer resuscitations
• Relief of foreign-body airway obstruction (choking) for adults and infants

To successfully complete this course, one must complete all 3 of the following components. Part 1, an online cognitive portion and written exam; Part 2, a hands-on skills practice session where students have the opportunity for one-on-one practice time with an AHA BLS Instructor; and Part 3, a skills testing session. Upon successful completion of all three parts, participants receive their healthcare provider course completion card. Parts 2 and 3 will be completed on your registered date and time at the Tidewater Center for Life Support. Part 1 must be completed prior to your registered date and time.

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This course builds on the foundation of lifesaving basic life support skills, emphasizing the importance of preventing cardiac arrest, early and continuous high-quality life support, and high-performing teams.  It is designed for healthcare professionals and emergency responders who participate in the management of cardiopulmonary arrest or other cardiac emergencies.  Suggested participants include: physicians; nurses; paramedics; emergency medical technicians; respiratory therapists; physician assistants; medical or nursing students; and other allied health personnel.

This course will teach:

• The sequence for a systematic evaluation of adult patients
• Early recognition and management of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and stroke
• Early recognition and management of bradycardias and tachycardias that may result in cardiac arrest or complicate resuscitation outcome
• Effective communication as a member or leader of a high-performance team
• Recognition and early management of respiratory arrest
• Recognition of cardiac arrest
• Prompt, high-quality BLS including prioritizing early chest compressions and integrating early AED use
• Early management of cardiac arrest until termination of resuscitation or transfer of care, including immediate post-cardiac arrest care
• Evaluation of resuscitative efforts during a cardiac arrest through continuous assessment of CPR quality, monitoring the patient’s physiologic response, and delivering real-time feedback to the team

To successfully complete this course, one must complete all 3 of the following components. Part 1, an online cognitive portion and written exam; Part 2, a hands-on skills practice session where students have the opportunity for one-on-one practice time with an AHA ACLS Instructor; and Part 3, a skills testing session.  Upon successful completion of all three parts, participants receive their healthcare provider course completion card.  Parts 2 and 3 will be completed on your registered date and time at the Tidewater Center for Life Support.  Part 1 must be completed prior to your registered date and time.

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This course aims to improve outcomes for pediatric patients by preparing healthcare providers to effectively recognize and manage patients with respiratory emergencies, shock, and cardiopulmonary arrest.  It is designed for healthcare professionals and emergency responders who participate in the management of pediatric emergencies.  Suggested participants include: physicians; nurses; paramedics; emergency medical technicians; respiratory therapists; physician assistants; medical or nursing students; and other allied health personnel.

This course will teach:

• Recognition of cardiopulmonary arrest and importance of high‐quality CPR
• Recognition and early interventions for respiratory distress and failure
• Recognition and early interventions for the treatment of shock
• Recognition of clinical characteristics of instability in patients with arrhythmias
• Management of post-cardiac arrest care

To successfully complete this course, one must complete all 3 of the following components. Part 1, an online cognitive portion and written exam; Part 2, a hands-on skills practice session where students have the opportunity for one-on-one practice time with an AHA PALS Instructor; and Part 3, a skills testing session.  Upon successful completion of all three parts, participants receive their healthcare provider course completion eCard.  Parts 2 and 3 will be completed on your registered date and time at the Tidewater Center for Life Support.  Part 1 must be completed prior to your registered date and time.

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This course trains participants to provide first aid, CPR, and use an AED in a safe, timely, and effective manner.  This course is for anyone with limited or no medical training.

This course will teach:

• First aid basics
• Medical, injury, and environmental emergencies
• Preventing illness and injury
• Adult, child, and infant CPR and AED use
• Opioid-associated life-threatening emergencies

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ATLS Provider Course

The American College of Surgeon's two-day ATLS student course for physicians and physician extenders combines lecture, laboratory and skill stations to teach established standards of trauma care and practical, life-saving skills.

Upon completion, the participant will be able to:

• Demonstrate concepts and principles of primary and secondary patient assessment.
• Establish management priorities in a trauma situation including mass casualty incidents.
• Initiate primary and secondary management necessary in the early hours of emergency care.
• Demonstrate skills used in the initial assessment and management of patients with multiple injuries.

Attending MD: $875 (lunch included)

Resident, Physician Extender, or Audit: $650 (lunch included)

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ATLS Renewal Course

The one full day student refresher course is included in the second day afternoon of each course and includes an update lecture, triage scenario discussion plus initial assessment skills and written testing. Refresher students must have a current ATLS card or have expired status within 6 months of the refresher course.

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The ASLS Blended Learning Course educates healthcare professionals to identify, evaluate, and manage patients with stroke. It was co-developed by the American Heart Association and The University of Miami’s Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education and is appropriate for all healthcare providers involved in the management of acute stroke patients. There are 3 tracks available for students to learn how to assess and manage stroke emergencies: prehospital, in-hospital, and a third track that covers both settings.

The blended learning course includes two components: adaptive eLearning and in-person skills component. Both need to be completed successfully to achieve certification and eCard. An informational ASLS flyer for the course and its products is available to view from the AHA.

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BLS Instructor Essentials teaches Candidates the methods required to effectively instruct others in AHA BLS and Heartsaver provider courses. The BLS Instructor Essentials Course is delivered in a blended learning format. AHA BLS Instructor candidates must first complete the online portion, followed by the hands-on session conducted by BLS Training Faculty. BLS instructor candidates must then be successfully monitored by BLS Training Faculty within six months to receive their AHA BLS Instructor card. 

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ACLS Instructor Essentials teaches Candidates the methods required to effectively instruct others in AHA ACLS provider courses. The ACLS Instructor Essentials Course is delivered in a blended learning format. Candidates must first complete the online portion, followed by the hands-on session conducted by ACLS Training Faculty. Candidates must then be successfully monitored by ACLS Training Faculty within six months to receive their AHA ACLS Instructor card. 

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The goal of the instructor course is to prepare doctors as instructors to teach the ATLS student course.  This course is a team-teaching interactive learning experience with the course director, an ATLS educator, and experienced ATLS instructors. In this experience, the course participants will acquire an understanding of the adult education principles that are used in the design and delivery of ATLS learning and teaching. Course participants are then provided an opportunity to put them into practice using the principles during practice training sessions. This structured team-teaching experience employs the newest concepts of adult education to optimally prepare new instructors for their roles as teacher, facilitator, instructor, and mentor of an ATLS student course.

Instructor candidates are student course participants identified as having instructor potential by ATLS faculty.

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