Advanced Life Support (ALS) Training

Lesson 1 • Pathophysiology of Cardiac Arrest

Explains cellular hypoxia, ischemia cascade, and organ failure sequence during arrest. Provides the 'why' behind every ALS priority decision.

Lesson 2 • Legal and Ethical Principles in Resuscitation

Covers consent, advance directives, do-not-resuscitate orders, and termination of efforts. Prepares providers to make defensible decisions under pressure.

Lesson 3 • ALS System of Care Overview

Maps the chain of survival from bystander recognition through post-resuscitation care. Contextualises each ALS skill within the broader care continuum.

Lesson 1 • Mechanical CPR Devices

Operates load-distributing band and piston-based mechanical CPR devices safely and efficiently. Identifies scenarios where mechanical devices provide advantage over manual CPR.

Lesson 2 • Minimising No-Flow Time

Applies peri-shock pause reduction strategies and continuous compression protocols to maximise perfusion. Directly links no-flow time reduction to improved neurological outcomes.

Lesson 3 • CPR Feedback Devices and Monitoring

Uses accelerometer-based feedback devices and ETCO2 to monitor and correct CPR quality in real time. Integrates technology as a coaching tool during simulated and real arrests.

Lesson 4 • Team Rotation and Compressor Fatigue

Implements two-minute rotation cycles and smooth handoffs to prevent compression quality degradation. Addresses the physiological reality of compressor fatigue in prolonged arrests.

Lesson 1 • Non-Shockable Arrest Rhythms

Distinguishes pulseless electrical activity from asystole and identifies underlying causes. Guides providers towards cause-directed rather than shock-directed treatment.

Lesson 2 • ECG Waveform Fundamentals

Defines P, QRS, T, and U waves with normal intervals and axes. Establishes the measurement baseline required for all subsequent rhythm analysis.

Lesson 3 • Tachyarrhythmias and Supraventricular Rhythms

Differentiates SVT, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and wide-complex tachycardias. Prepares learners to apply stable vs. unstable tachycardia algorithms correctly.

Lesson 4 • Bradyarrhythmias and Heart Blocks

Classifies sinus bradycardia, junctional rhythms, and first through third-degree blocks. Connects severity of block to pacing and pharmacological intervention thresholds.

Lesson 1 • Surgical and Rescue Airway Techniques

Introduces needle and surgical cricothyrotomy for cannot-intubate, cannot-oxygenate scenarios. Prepares providers for the rare but critical failed airway situation.

Lesson 2 • Airway Assessment and Prioritisation

Applies structured assessment tools to predict difficult airways and prioritise intervention urgency. Sets the decision framework used throughout all airway sections.

Lesson 3 • Endotracheal Intubation Technique

Teaches laryngoscopy, tube placement, and confirmation using waveform capnography and auscultation. Directly reduces interruptions to chest compressions during intubation attempts.

Lesson 4 • Waveform Capnography in Airway Management

Interprets ETCO2 waveforms to confirm placement, monitor CPR quality, and predict ROSC. Integrates capnography as a continuous feedback tool throughout resuscitation.

Lesson 1 • Vasopressors and Cardiac Drugs

Covers epinephrine, vasopressin, amiodarone, and lidocaine with arrest-specific dosing and timing. Connects each drug's mechanism to its role in the ALS algorithm.

Lesson 2 • Intraosseous Access

Teaches IO insertion at tibial, humeral, and sternal sites using manual and powered devices. Provides a reliable alternative when IV access fails within 90 seconds.

Lesson 3 • Drugs for Tachycardia and Cardioversion

Covers adenosine, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and sedation for cardioversion. Aligns drug selection with stable vs. unstable tachycardia pathways.

Lesson 4 • Peripheral and Central IV Access

Covers antecubital and external jugular IV insertion, flushing, and troubleshooting during arrest. Prioritises speed and reliability over anatomical preference in cardiac arrest.

Lesson 1 • Tachycardia Algorithm Execution

Applies stable and unstable tachycardia pathways including cardioversion and pharmacological rate control. Reinforces the stable vs. unstable classification as the primary branch point.

Lesson 2 • Cardiac Arrest Algorithm: Non-Shockable Rhythms

Applies the PEA/asystole algorithm with emphasis on reversible cause identification and treatment. Shifts provider focus from electrical to cause-directed intervention.

Lesson 3 • Post-Cardiac Arrest Care Algorithm

Implements targeted temperature management, haemodynamic optimisation, and coronary intervention pathways after ROSC. Extends ALS competency beyond the arrest event itself.

Lesson 4 • Bradycardia Algorithm Execution

Sequences assessment, atropine, pacing, and infusion steps for symptomatic bradycardia management. Connects algorithm steps to underlying conduction pathology identified earlier.

Lesson 1 • High-Performance Team Principles

Applies mutual performance monitoring, shared mental models, and backup behaviours to resuscitation teams. Establishes the behavioural standards expected in all simulation exercises.

Lesson 2 • Role Assignment and Task Management

Assigns compressor, airway, IV/IO, recorder, and team leader roles with clear task boundaries. Prevents task collision and ensures all algorithm steps are covered simultaneously.

Lesson 3 • Debriefing and Performance Improvement

Facilitates structured post-event debriefs using advocacy-inquiry and plus-delta methods. Converts resuscitation experience into measurable team learning and protocol adherence.

Lesson 4 • Closed-Loop Communication

Practices message initiation, read-back confirmation, and acknowledgment loops under simulated arrest conditions. Eliminates communication failures that cause medication and timing errors.

Lesson 1 • Paediatric ALS Adaptations

Adjusts compression depth, drug dosing, energy levels, and airway sizing for paediatric patients. Bridges adult ALS competency to paediatric-specific protocol differences.

Lesson 2 • Toxicological Cardiac Arrest

Manages arrest from opioids, tricyclics, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and local anaesthetics. Applies antidote and extended resuscitation strategies specific to each toxidrome.

Lesson 3 • Hypothermic and Drowning Arrest

Applies rewarming strategies and modified drug/shock protocols for hypothermic cardiac arrest. Integrates the principle that no patient is dead until warm and dead.

Lesson 4 • Traumatic Cardiac Arrest

Prioritises haemorrhage control, tension pneumothorax relief, and pericardiocentesis over standard CPR. Reorders ALS priorities based on the reversible traumatic causes of arrest.