About This Program
RIEC operates as a licensed American Heart Association (AHA) Training Center, offering the full suite of AHA life support certifications for healthcare providers and the general public. All courses are delivered in-person per AHA requirements and are instructed by AHA-certified instructors. BLS certification is required for enrollment in all RIEC Allied Health and EMS programs. AHA courses are open to the entire community and are not restricted by grant eligibility requirements; contact RIEC directly for current class schedules and community pricing.
What You'll Learn
- High-quality chest compressions: correct depth (≥2 inches for adults, ~1.5 inches for infants), rate of 100–120/min, complete chest recoil, and minimizing interruptions to less than 10 seconds
- Infant and child CPR: two-finger (single rescuer) and two-thumb encircling (two-rescuer) techniques for infants; adapted compression depth for children
- AED operation: device setup and power-on, correct adult and pediatric pad placement, hands-clear shock delivery protocol, and immediate post-shock CPR resumption
- Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation: proper face mask seal technique, appropriate tidal volume to produce visible chest rise, and correct ventilation rate to avoid over-ventilation
- Foreign-body airway obstruction management: abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) for conscious adults and children; back blows and chest thrusts for infants
- ACLS megacode execution: cardiac arrest algorithm (shockable: VF/pulseless VT; non-shockable: PEA/asystole), shock energy selection, antiarrhythmic use, team leader and team member roles, and closed-loop communication
- PALS systematic approach: pediatric assessment triangle (appearance, work of breathing, circulation to skin), recognition of respiratory arrest vs. failure vs. upper/lower airway obstruction, and compensated vs. decompensated shock
- Heartsaver first aid and lay responder skills: scene safety assessment, recognition of life-threatening vs. non-life-threatening emergencies, and hands-only CPR for untrained bystanders
Program Outcomes
- AHA BLS Provider card (2-year validity) — required for enrollment in all RIEC Allied Health and EMS programs; recognized by every RI healthcare employer
- AHA ACLS Provider card (2-year validity) — American Heart Association; required for nurses, RTs, PAs, NPs, and physicians working in critical care, the OR, or the ED
- AHA PALS Provider card (2-year validity) — American Heart Association; required for providers working with pediatric patients in acute care settings
- Heartsaver CPR/AED card — for community members, teachers, coaches, parents, and lay rescuers; not a healthcare provider credential, but a life-saving skill
- Note: AHA courses are open to the entire community without income-based eligibility requirements. These courses are not grant-funded. Contact RIEC for current schedule and pricing.