Instructor Courses - AHA

The AHA Instructor course is designed to prepare you to teach AHA provider courses (for example, BLS – Basic Life Support, ACLS – Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, PALS – Pediatric Advanced Life Support) in accordance with AHA guidelines.
It is more than just passing another certification yourself — it’s about learning to teach the standards and skills to others, coach them, evaluate them, and maintain training quality.

Who should attend

  • You must already hold a current AHA provider card in the discipline you intend to instruct (for example, you are a current BLS, ACLS or PALS provider).

  • You should be proficient in the skills of that discipline and be aligned with an AHA Training Center that will host or support your instructor candidacy.

  • The course typically expects instructor-candidates to demonstrate good communication, teaching skills, professionalism, and a commitment to quality training.

What you’ll learn

The Instructor Essentials class generally covers:

  • The prerequisites and requirements for becoming an instructor (how to register, align with a Training Center, the steps to instructor status).

  • The AHA Instruction Cycle (prepare → teach → test/remediate → close → keep current).

  • How to use instructor teaching materials: manuals, lesson plans, videos, skills testing checklists.

  • Skills of teaching: how to coach students, give feedback, identify weak skills, remediate learners who are struggling.

  • Administrative and program-delivery considerations: preparing the room, equipment, materials, following course policies, issuing completion cards, staying current with science and updates.

Format & Requirements

  • The course is delivered in a blended format: an online portion plus a hands-on (in-person) session.

  • After that, you will need to be monitored teaching real courses (or being observed) within a specified timeframe (often within 6 months) to finalize your instructor status.

  • Once you become an instructor, you’ll enter the AHA Instructor Network and have access to instructor-specific resources, updates, and community engagement.

Why it matters

  • As an AHA Instructor, you enable others — both healthcare professionals and lay rescuers — to learn life-saving skills such as CPR, AED use, and first aid, according to the latest evidence and guidelines.

  • You help ensure training quality, consistency, and correct instructional delivery — which ultimately supports better outcomes in cardiac emergencies and first-aid situations.

  • You gain access to professional development, networks, and resources specific to AHA training.

Key take-aways

  • It’s not just a “take a class and you’re certified” — you become part of the instructor system: trained, aligned to an approved Training Center, taught how to teach, then monitored.

  • You’ll be expected to uphold the AHA’s standards for training, skills, testing, remediation, and staying current with updates.

  • Instructor status carries responsibility: managing materials, skill-stations, checking competence, providing feedback, and maintaining your instructor credentials.