Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BLS Manual New
BLS Manual New
Educational Design 1
Role of Faculty 1
Room Requirements 2
Ordering Materials 4
March 2017
© 2017 American Heart Association
Preparing for
the Course
Instructor Essentials Welcome to the American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS)
Overview Instructor Essentials Course. The Instructor Essentials Course is designed to prepare
instructor candidates to teach AHA instructor-led and blended-learning course formats.
The course educates participants on how to adequately use instructor teaching materi-
als, ensure that students meet learning objectives, offer student coaching skills, provide
an objective skills performance evaluation, and follow AHA Instructor and course poli-
cies. The course covers core content and discipline-specific content required to teach
AHA courses.
Educational Design The BLS Instructor Essentials Course is taught in a blended-learning format. To
become an AHA BLS Instructor, candidates must complete the online portion, followed
by the hands-on session, which is classroom based. The online portion of the course
contains both core content and discipline-specific modules to prepare the instructor
candidates for the hands-on session. In the classroom, Faculty will continue prepar-
ing instructor candidates to become AHA Instructors by focusing on in-depth material
about the Heartsaver® and BLS disciplines that candidates will be teaching. The hands-
on session includes instruction, practice, and an exam, allowing instructor candidates
to successfully use their instructor materials and skills. As a BLS Instructor, candidates
will also be able to teach any course within the Heartsaver portfolio.
Steps to Become There are 4 steps to become a BLS Instructor. For successful completion, instructor
an Instructor candidates must
1. Be accepted by an AHA Training Center (TC) before enrolling in an Instructor
Essentials Course and have a completed Instructor Candidate Application on file
with that TC
2. Have current AHA Provider status in the discipline for that Instructor Essentials
Course and be proficient in all the skills of that discipline
• Even though instructor candidates will be able to teach both BLS Provider and
Heartsaver courses after completing the BLS Instructor Essentials Course, they
need only a BLS Provider card to take BLS Instructor Essentials.
3. Successfully complete the Instructor Essentials Course, including both the online
and hands-on session
4. Successfully be monitored teaching within 6 months of completing the hands-on
session of the Instructor Essentials Course (Training Center Coordinators [TCCs]
may require additional monitoring, if needed)
Role of Faculty This guide, including the Lesson Plans, is for BLS Faculty—Regional or TC—who will
be teaching the hands-on session of the BLS Instructor Essentials Course. The purpose
of this Faculty Guide and the Lesson Plans is to provide Faculty with materials that
contain new information and educational practices that are incorporated into the 2015
product development cycle. These materials are to be used as a guide for teaching and
preparing instructor candidates to become AHA Instructors. We thank you for your con-
tinuous efforts in conducting the hands-on session of Instructor Essentials.
1
As Faculty, your role is critical to successful instructor candidate outcomes. During the
course, the Faculty should
• Facilitate discussions with a focus on desired outcome
• Listen to students’ responses and provide feedback to ensure understanding of
learning concepts
• Observe students’ actions and coach as needed
• Give positive and corrective feedback
• Keep discussions and activities on track for optimal learning and use of time in the
classroom
Find or List a Course Use the AHA’s My Courses online tool on the Instructor Network to list your
TC profile, the courses your TC offers, and your scheduled Instructor Essentials
Courses. Instructor candidates will then be able to access this information through
the AHA’s online Find a Course tool (www.heart.org/findacourse) or by phone at
1-877-AHA-4CPR (1-877-242-4277). This tool is for US TCs only.
TC profile information is entered in the Instructor Network by the TCC. The AHA
encourages TCs to post scheduled courses on the Instructor Network. With permission
from the TCC, TC Faculty may also post scheduled courses.
Many TCs also have websites where they post information about AHA courses.
Faculty-to-Instructor Keep track of how many people are enrolled in the course. Determine how many
Candidate Ratio Faculty members are needed to teach and who will be Lead Faculty. The size for each
BLS Instructor Essentials Course is flexible, but it is ideal that 1 Faculty member con-
duct an Instructor Essentials Course with up to 7 instructor candidates, so as not to
exceed a 1:7 ratio. This ratio is ideal because throughout the course, there are group
activities where 1 instructor candidate would play the role of instructor and the other
candidates would play the role of students. Two manikin stations would be needed for
an instructor course of 7 candidates.
Room Requirements When selecting a location for the BLS Instructor Essentials Course, make sure the
room has
• Good acoustics
• A clean and well-maintained environment
• Bright lighting that can be adjusted for video presentations
• An instructor-controlled video player and a monitor or screen large enough to be
viewed by all instructor candidates
• A chair for each instructor candidate
• Ideally, a firm surface with adequate padding or protection for skills practice (eg,
carpeted floors, sturdy table top, padded mats)
• A table for completing the exam
2
Preparing for the Course
Course Equipment Once the course has been scheduled, contact your TCC for all equipment needed for
and Materials this course. Make sure you have any additional support materials needed, such as
posters, pocket reference cards, or emergency crash cart cards.
Equipment required for each class held is listed in the table below. All equipment used
must be in proper working order and good repair.
Materials
Quantity
and Equipment
1 per Faculty BLS Instructor Essentials Faculty Guide with Lesson
Plans
(continued)
3
(continued)
Materials
Quantity
and Equipment
1 per set of 3 instructor AED trainer with adult pads
candidates
Manikins with shirts
(3:1 ratio) • Adult
• Child (optional)
• Infant
Stopwatch
1 per course TV with DVD player or computer with video player and
projection screen
Course roster
*Instructor candidates can use either the Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED or Pediatric First
Aid CPR AED Course materials for the BLS Instructor Essentials Course, depending on
the course they will be teaching.
Ordering Materials If you need to order manikins or support materials, check with your TCC or contact
an AHA distributor. The distributors are listed on the Instructor Network. The TCC is
responsible for ordering all course completion cards.
Who Can The BLS Instructor Essentials Course is an intensive course for instructor candidates
Take the Course who have already successfully completed the BLS Provider Course. The role and scope
of practice of healthcare providers can vary greatly, so there are no profession-specific
guidelines for becoming an AHA Instructor in a specific discipline. Instructor candidates
should exemplify integrity, demonstrate strong ethics, communicate clearly, and model
a dedication to quality of training.
BLS instructor candidates must meet certain requirements before taking the Instructor
Essentials Course. Before attending the hands-on session (facilitated by Faculty), all
instructor candidates must
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be aligned with an AHA TC
– Instructor candidates must have a TC that has agreed to accept them as an
instructor once they have completed Instructor Essentials and their monitoring is
completed.
• Have a current AHA BLS Provider course completion card
• Be proficient in the skills of BLS
– To measure the proficiency of the skills of BLS, be sure to observe instruc-
tor candidates during the course. If you feel that instructor candidates need to
be retested in their skills of BLS, you can include this as part of the Instructor
Essentials Course.
• Complete an Instructor Candidate
If you have any questions about prerequisites, please consult your TCC and/or refer to
the Program Administration Manual.
4
Preparing for the Course
Sample Precourse The letter below is a sample you may modify and send to instructor candidates attend-
Letter to Instructor ing the hands-on session of the BLS Instructor Essentials Course.
Candidates
(Date)
Date:
Time:
Location:
Please wear loose, comfortable clothing. You will be practicing skills that require
working on your hands and knees, bending, standing, and lifting. If you have
physical conditions that might prevent you from participating in the course, please
tell one of the instructors when you arrive for the course. The instructor will work to
accommodate your needs within the stated course completion requirements. In the
event that you are ill, please notify your instructor to reschedule your training.
We look forward to welcoming you on (day and date of class). If you have any
questions about the course, please call (name) at (telephone number).
Sincerely,
(Name), Faculty
5
Teaching
the Course
Understanding The icons used in the Lesson Plans are there to remind you to take certain actions
Icons during the course. The Lesson Plans contain the following icons:
Icon Action
Discussion
Play video
Pause video
Exam
7
Using Lesson Plans Use Lesson Plans before and during the course.
During the course • Follow each Lesson Plan as you conduct the course.
• Make sure you have all the resources, equipment, and
supplies ready for each lesson.
• Help the instructor candidates achieve the objectives
identified for each lesson.
8
Teaching the Course
2 AHA Introduction
Part I: American Heart Association Mission
Part II: Instructor Core Competencies
15
9
Lesson Plan Actions and
Lesson Course Event
Time Estimate (in Minutes)
9 BLS Testing and Remediation
Part I: BLS Skills Testing
Part II: BLS Exam
Part III: Remediation
40
10 HeartCode® BLS
Part I: HeartCode BLS Overview
Part II: HeartCode BLS Online Portion
Part III: HeartCode BLS Hands-on Session
15
11 BLS Conclusion
13 Heartsaver Portfolio
Part I: Adult CPR AED
Part II: Child CPR AED
Part III: Infant CPR 20
Part IV: First Aid
14 Heartsaver Testing
Part I: Heartsaver Skills Testing
Part II: Heartsaver Exam
15
10
Teaching the Course
9:15-9:25 Break
11:00-11:30 Lunch
11
11:50-12:05 Lesson 12: Heartsaver Course Overview (Instructor-Led)
Part I: Course Formats
Part II: Instructor Materials
Part III: Learning Objectives and Course Completion Requirements
12:25-12:35 Break
12
Lesson Plans
• Have the video ready to play before students arrive and make sure it is working properly with sound.
• Distribute supplies to the instructor candidates or set up supplies for instructor candidates to collect
when they arrive, with clear instructions on what they need.
• Greet instructor candidates as they arrive to put them at ease, and direct them where to go..
• Make sure the course roster is completed by all instructor candidates as they arrive for the course.
Next
Course Introduction
Faculty Tips
• Be familiar with the learning objectives and the BLS Instructor Essentials Course content. Knowing
what you want to communicate, why it’s important, and what you want to happen as a result is critical
to the success of the course.
• Think about how you want to manage breaks during the course. Making yourself available allows you
to answer questions people might feel too embarrassed to ask in front of everyone. It also gives you
time to establish rapport and get feedback.
Discussion
• Introduce yourself and additional Faculty, if present.
• Invite instructor candidates to introduce themselves.
• Explain that the course is interactive. Refer to the following points for discussion with
instructor candidates:
– Your role
– Video-based and hands-on learning with practice
▪ Explain to instructor candidates that during the course, they will have the opportuni-
ty to go through the overall flow of the BLS Provider Course, with extensive practice
demonstrating instructor skills.
– Use and reference of the Instructor Manual, Lesson Plans, and skills testing checklists
– Exam
• Ask that any instructor candidate who anticipates difficulties because of personal limita-
tions, such as a medical concern or knee or back problems, speak with one of the Faculty.
• Explain the layout of the building, including bathrooms and emergency exits.
• Remind instructor candidates of where the nearest AED is located and what their emer-
gency response number is.
• Describe the course agenda:
– Inform instructor candidates of breaks you have scheduled during the class.
– Tell the instructor candidates, “We are scheduled to end at _____.”
• Remind students what they will learn during the course. At the end of the BLS Instructor
Essentials Course, instructor candidates will be able to
– Identify the prerequisites to becoming an AHA Instructor
– Describe the usability of the PAM
– Describe the core competencies of an AHA Instructor
– Describe the 5 steps of the AHA Instruction Cycle; prepare, teach, test and remediate,
close, and keep current
– Identify resources available to an AHA Instructor
– Describe how to use discipline-specific AHA instructor materials; the Instructor Manual,
Lesson Plans, course videos, and skills testing checklists
– Identify discipline-specific course formats available to students for completion of the
course
Next
AHA Introduction
Learning Objective
Tell instructor candidates that at the end of this lesson, they will be able to
• Describe the core competencies of an AHA Instructor
Faculty Tips
• Become familiar with the AHA Mission, Global Mission, and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC)
Mission and the instructor core competencies before teaching this lesson.
AHA Mission
Our mission is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. That single
purpose drives all we do. The need for our work is beyond question.
The AHA is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to saving
people from heart disease and stroke, America’s number 1 and number 5 killers, respective-
ly. The AHA is the trusted leader in ECC and trains people around the world in how to save
lives with CPR and first aid.
ECC Mission
The ECC Programs department is responsible for implementing program initiatives and pro-
viding guidance and support to the ECC Training Network. The ECC mission supports this
responsibility.
Next
Faculty Tips
•
Be familiar with all up-to-date course paperwork and your TC protocols to provide instructor candi-
dates specific information on where to obtain all the forms they will need for teaching.
• Review the Preparing Your Materials section of the Instructor Candidate Workbook and “Part 1: Pre-
paring for the Course” in the BLS Instructor Manual, including the equipment list before teaching this
lesson.
Student Preparation
• Be sure to know your course audience, including professions and the size of your class.
• Send students all course materials, including a precourse letter and agenda, at least 3
weeks before the course. A sample precourse letter can be found in “Part 1: Preparing for
the Course” in the BLS Instructor Manual.
Classroom Preparation
• Reserve a room per the room requirements found in “Part 1: Preparing for the Course” in
the BLS Instructor Manual 30 to 60 days before the course.
• Review all course materials, including Lesson Plans and the course videos, at least 3
weeks before the course.
• Depending on the size of your course audience, be sure to schedule any needed addition-
al AHA Instructors for appropriate instructor-to-student ratios.
Equipment Preparation
• Reserve all needed equipment to teach the course found on the equipment list in “Part 1:
Preparing for the Course” in the BLS Instructor Manual at least 30 to 60 days before the
course.
• Ensure that course equipment is in good working order and is properly set up before stu-
dents arrive to class.
Learning Objectives
Tell instructor candidates that at the end of this lesson, they will be able to
• Identify discipline-specific course formats available to students for completion of the course
• Describe discipline-specific course completion requirements
• Describe discipline-specific flexibility options available to an AHA instructor within the course
• Describe how to use discipline-specific AHA instructor materials, the Instructor Manual, Lesson Plans,
course videos, and skills testing checklists
Faculty Tips
• Inform instructor candidates that they can continue to reference their Instructor Candidate Workbooks
during and after the course, but now they will transition into using and becoming familiar with the In-
structor Manual.
• Before teaching this lesson, become familiar with how the instructor materials are aligned within the
BLS Provider course, including the Lesson Plans and the BLS Provider course video.
– Have the BLS Provider course video ready for this lesson to show instructor candidates the
menu options.
• Review the Course Goal, Learning Objectives, and Educational Design sections of “Part 1: Preparing
for the Course” in the BLS Instructor Manual.
• Remind students that, for this portion of the BLS Instructor Essentials Course, they will move through
the elements of the BLS Provider Course, and it is important to keep in mind the perspective of their
future students as they learn how to instruct the BLS Provider Course.
Next
Faculty Tips
• Before teaching this lesson, complete the Life Is Why activity in the BLS Instructor Manual to share
your Why with instructor candidates.
• Have the BLS Provider course video set to the Life Is Why menu option on the main menu screen and
play the video if instructor candidates did not complete the Life Is Why activity in their BLS Provider
Course.
Next
Next
Learning Objective
Tell instructor candidates that at the end of this lesson, they will be able to
• Demonstrate structured debriefing skills
Faculty Tips
• Before teaching this lesson, thoroughly review Lessons 5 through 6A in “Part 5: BLS Lesson Plans”
and the Positions for 6-Person High-Performance Teams diagram found in “Part 2: Teaching the
Course” in the BLS Instructor Manual, along with the corresponding video lessons.
• Inform instructor candidates about the use of a feedback device and that, based on the 2015 AHA
Guidelines Update for CPR and ECC, use of a CPR feedback device is recommended to learn the psy-
chomotor skill of CPR. Use of feedback devices can be effective in improving CPR performance during
training.
Next
Faculty Tips
• Before teaching this lesson, thoroughly review Lessons 7 through 11 in “Part 5: BLS Lesson Plans” in
the BLS Instructor Manual and the corresponding BLS Provider course video lessons.
• Make sure you have downloaded and reviewed the new Lesson 9: Special Considerations from the
Instructor Network before teaching this lesson.
– Consider having extra copies for instructor candidates to replace the current Lesson 9 in their Les-
son Plans. There are replacement Lesson Plans on the Instructor Network for both instructor-led BLS
and HeartCode BLS Lesson Plans.
Next
Learning Objectives
Tell instructor candidates that at the end of this lesson, they will be able to
• Demonstrate the administration of skills testing with the use of the skills testing checklists
• Demonstrate effective AHA Instructor feedback and remediation techniques
Faculty Tips
• Before teaching this lesson, thoroughly review
– Adult CPR and AED Skills Testing Checklist and Infant CPR Skills Testing Checklist, along with criti-
cal skills descriptors
– Lesson 14: Adult CPR and AED Skills Test and Lesson 15: Infant CPR Skills Test
– BLS exam and the exam content in “Part 3: Testing and Remediation” of the BLS Instructor Manual
– Lesson 16: Remediation
• Have at least 2 copies of each skills testing checklist for students to practice with for this lesson.
• This lesson requires the use of the BLS and Heartsaver Instructor Essentials Course videos.
Discussion: Remediation
Have instructor candidates turn to Lesson 16, and discuss the following key points:
• Informal vs formal remediation
– Let instructor candidates know they can reference the Remediation section in “Part 3:
Testing and Remediation” in the BLS Instructor Manual for further detail.
• Students receive formal remediation after a BLS exam or skills test if they did not pass.
Remediation is not provided during an exam or skills test.
• Instructors can use the BLS Provider course video to provide remediation and additional
practice to students with the use of the Lessons, Instruction, and Practice While
Watching Menus.
• After exam remediation, the student will take the alternate version of the current BLS
exam.
• After skills remediation, the student will complete a second skills testing session.
Next
HeartCode BLS
Faculty Tips
• Before teaching this lesson, thoroughly review
– Benefits of Blended Learning and Preparing to Teach Blended-Learning Courses in “Part 1: Prepar-
ing for the Course” in the BLS Instructor Manual
– HeartCode BLS online portion
– HeartCode BLS Lesson Plans, course agendas, and outlines
– HeartCode BLS course video
• This lesson requires the use of the BLS and Heartsaver Instructor Essentials Course videos.
Next
BLS Conclusion
Faculty Tips
• When summarizing what the BLS Provider Course portion has covered, allow instructor candidates
to lead this discussion at times by asking 1 or 2 instructor candidates what they observed or learned
during the course.
Next
Heartsaver Course
Overview (Instructor-Led)
Faculty Tips
• Before teaching this lesson, become familiar with how the instructor materials are aligned within the
Heartsaver portfolio, including the Lesson Plans and the course videos.
• Review the Course Goal, Learning Objectives, and Educational Design sections of “Part 1: Preparing
for the Course” in the Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Instructor Manual.
• Remind students that for this portion of the BLS Instructor Essentials Course, they will move through
the elements of the Heartsaver portfolio. It is important to keep in mind the perspective of their future
students as they learn how to instruct Heartsaver Courses.
Next
Heartsaver Portfolio
Faculty Tips
• Before teaching this lesson, make sure that you are familiar with Lesson 7: Naloxone of Adult CPR AED
in “Part 5: Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Lesson Plans.”
• Remind instructor candidates that this course directly addresses the Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED
courses, but the same educational design and principles apply to the Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid
CPR AED courses as well.
Next
Heartsaver Testing
Faculty Tips
• Before teaching this lesson, thoroughly review
– First Aid Skills Testing Checklist, with the critical skills descriptors
– Removing Protective Gloves and Finding the Problem Skills Testing in Lesson 2: First Aid Basics: Du-
ties and Key Steps, Using an Epinephrine Pen Skills Testing in Lesson 4: Medical Emergencies, and
Controlling Bleeding and Bandaging Skills Test in Lesson 6: Injury Emergencies
– Heartsaver exams
• Have at least 2 copies of the First Aid Skills Testing Checklist for students to practice with for this lesson.
• This lesson requires the use of the BLS and Heartsaver Instructor Essentials course videos.
Next
Heartsaver Blended
Course
Faculty Tips
• Before teaching this lesson, thoroughly review
– Heartsaver online portion
– Heartsaver Blended Lesson Plans, course agenda, and outline
• This lesson requires the use of the BLS and Heartsaver Instructor Essentials course videos.
Next
AHA Instructor
Resources
Learning Objectives
Tell instructor candidates that at the end of this lesson, they will be able to
• Describe the usability of the Program Administration Manual (PAM)
• Identify resources available to an AHA Instructor
Faculty Tips
• This lesson requires knowledge of the PAM. To access the PAM, visit the Instructor Network and make
sure you are familiar with the content in the PAM before teaching this lesson.
• Become familiar with the Instructor Network and your Training Center–specific policies to lead a dis-
cussion with instructor candidates and to answer any question they may have.
• If the Internet is accessible in the classroom, you can navigate to the PAM and the Instructor Network
during this lesson to show instructor candidates.
Next
Faculty Tips
• Make sure to have a copy of the BLS Instructor Essentials Exam for each instructor candidate.
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