Course dates and locations

Due to current lockdown, no course dates will be posted until February / March

Courses at JBH and CMH will resume in March 2021 with restricted access.

Courses at McMaster will resume in March 2021 in conjunction with ACLS and are subject to location change. 

The BLS Renewal course is a fast-paced course that allows the experienced BLS provider (those who are confident in their BLS skills through regular use in their work in the ED, CCU, ICU on code team, or paramedics and first responders) the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge through written and skills assessment in a concentrated program.  

Students need to come prepared. The BLS Renewal course is fast-paced, assumes you have retained the cognitive knowledge learned in the Heart and Stroke BLS Provider course and can demonstrate skills mastery. 

There will be limited practice and limited opportunities for remedial coaching. All participants are expected to be highly proficient BLS providers. This is not an entry-level course, those students who are unsuccessful in the skills or knowledge test will have to take a full BLS Provider course.

Courses are subject to Heart and Stroke Registration fee + HST

Please check the Heart and Stroke Foundation website for their COVID-19 updates and safety protocol.

The instructor network has been requested to suspend classes for non-essential training, including all course types listed below:

• First Aid
• Instructor and Instructor Trainer Course
• Renewal of recently expired provider and instructor certifications
• For providers with certificates expiring soon, the Heart & Stroke provided a renewal grace period until September30,  2020. 
• Please note timelines may be extended based on the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. 

When you start your residency, you will need to be BLS competent.  If you are attending ACLS in the spring and your BLS expires soon after, you will need to attend a BLS course prior to July 1. Your time between May and July will be very busy and it may be difficult to attend a BLS course within that time interval or during the summer.

All registrants attending the ACLS course,  will be expected to leave with good skills learned and able to apply these skills in  a real cardiac arrest situation. We have attended  numerous arrests and have witnessed poor CPR.  High quality CPR and proper defibrilliation are the only 2 skills that help in resuscitation, therefore this is an important skill to maintain. 

We have provided the convenience of BLS being available the evening before ACLS.
 

Message to all students:

As of Jan. 1, 2013  it is now mandatory that BLS be a prerequisite to attend the ACLS course.  The Heart and Stroke council has made this guideline since CPR is one of the most important skills in managing a cardiac arrest.  Therefore, any registrant whether it be Dr. or nurse or other allied health professional, all need to have a current BLS card to attend an ACLS course.
The BLS must be obtained from a Heart and Stroke instructor. (Also see here)
A Red Cross, St. John's Ambulance or any other site is not a valid BLS card to attend an ACLS course.

ACLS course director: Donna Allerton
BLS course director: Antonie Mulder

Life Support Lear n Inc.

ACLS, ATLS and AMLS courses.

Beat2Beat training associates

ACLS and PALS courses

First Aid

Foundation for Airway & Craniofacial Education

Other Partners