AHA BLS Instructor Essentials

The BLS Instructor Essentials Course is taught in a blended learning format. AHA BLS Instructor candidates must complete the online portion, followed by the hands-on session conducted by BLS Training Faculty.

BREMSS AHA Training Center Application Required

About the Course

The American Heart Association (AHA) Instructor Essentials Course will prepare instructor candidates to teach AHA instructor-led and blended-learning course formats. This Instructor Essentials course educates participants on how to adequately use instructor teaching materials, ensure that students meet learning objectives, offer student coaching skills, provide an objective skills performance evaluation, and follow AHA Instructor and course policies. The course covers core content and discipline-specific content required to teach AHA courses.

Educational Design

The Instructor Essentials Course is taught in a blended-learning format. To become an AHA 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 preparing instructor candidates to become AHA Instructors by focusing on in-depth material about the 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.

Steps to Become an Instructor

There are 4 steps to become an AHA Instructor. For successful completion, 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
3. Successfully complete the Instructor Essentials Course, including both the online and hands-on session
4. Successfully be monitored teaching within 6 months after completing the hands-on session of the Instructor Essentials Course (Training Center Coordinators [TCCs] may require additional monitoring, if needed)