Education
Course Offerings
We provide a variety of courses and educational opportunities at BIDMC. Selected course offerings are listed below:
Basic Life Support (BLS) for the healthcare provider - BLS is offered for all healthcare professionals to provide centralized, housewide, and unit-based classes. Online learning opportunities are available to those who are permitted to certify using that format.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) for the healthcare provider – Advanced Cardiac Life Support is for the health care professional with critical care knowledge or advanced cardiology and/ or for those professionals whom it is a requirement for their specialty. We offer a variety of class options. Please see our scheduled calendar for details. If it is not required for your job to have ACLS but you wish to take this, please be sure you receive approval from your manager. Realize that priority goes to those whom it is required for their job and those who registered one month in advance.
Contact blsacls@bidmc.harvard.edu with questions regarding the schedule of course offerings and registration for BLS and ACLS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
BLS:
Who can register for BLS classes?
Anyone can be BLS certified whether a healthcare professional or not. BLS offered at BIDMC is tailored to those who deliver care to our inpatients or visitors who may require emergency care. BLS may or may not be required in your job description or by your department manager. If BLS is not required in your job description, you must get approval from your manager to register and attend classes. Classes fill quickly and priority goes to those whom BLS certification is required to do their job.
How do I obtain a textbook?
Call extension 7-2245 or 7-3119 at least 2 to 3 weeks before the scheduled class
Can I renew BLS certification online?
Yes. Access to the BLS exam is available at www.americanheart.org. The charge for the exam is $17.50. The test certificate must be printed and submitted to your department representative who will sign you off on the skills assessment.
ACLS :
Who can take ACLS?
This class is open to all health care professionals for whom ACLS is required for their job, position, credentialing or area of specialty. Any health care professional from outside RN/ MD may take this class as well.
Is ACLS certification required?
Contact your department supervisor or manager
How often is this required to be renewed?
This certification is good for 2 years and as required by the American Heart Association should be renewed at that time.
Which “Program” is right for me? Critical Care/ Housewide/ ER/ others?
Currently we offer several ACLS programs. One is on Monday nights 4 to 10 pm, which includes primarily physicians and nurses but all healthcare providers are welcome. See Nursing Education Calendar for details, which is mostly physicians but all health care professionals are welcome. Another course is offered one Thursday a month during the day 7:30 am to 3 pm which is primarily critical care nurses but all can attend. Many departments also offer classes throughout the year, so if you are interested in more information, please contact your unit supervisor or manager.
Do I still need to take BLS if I take ACLS?
In all of our ACLS classes, BLS is included and you will therefore receive certification in both at the time of your ACSL class. It is the assumption that you are current in both BLS/ACLS prior to attending the class.
Student Internships
The Cardiac Arrest Center clinical internships for eligible medical, graduate and undergraduate students. We seek highly motivated and dedicated students who are interested in the clinical internships with a special focus in post-cardiac arrest care. For information on internships please contact cardiacarrestcenter@bidmc.harvard.edu.
