If you’re a healthcare provider, you need certain certifications to ensure you’re best able to assist patients in times of emergency. Two of these certifications are BLS and PALS. Both will teach you how to respond to medical emergencies and save lives.
We’ll tell you everything you need to know about these two certifications including what they are, the difference between the two of them, which ones certain healthcare providers need, and how to get and renew your certification.
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BLS stands for Basic Life Support. With this type of training, you will know how to respond to patients in cases of an obstructed airway, cardiac arrest, and severe respiratory issues. BLS can be used to treat people in all stages of life, from babies to the elderly.
This certification is extensive and includes training in using an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and CPR training to assist with certain cardiac problems. It also includes training on how to handle airway obstructions, how to stop bleeding, and more.
In addition to the actual procedures, BLS training informs you about the legality of the procedures, teaches you how to assess emergencies, and goes over how to properly communicate and problem solve in times of crisis.
To receive the certification, you need to take a BLS course. Many companies offer this course, and the number of days it takes to complete the certification depends on the type of course.
Healthcare providers commonly require BLS certification. If you are in a position where you are considered a medical professional, including as a doctor, nurse, or EMT, you will likely need to have this certification.
Other professions outside the medical field require BLS certifications as well, such as police officers and firefighters. If you need BLS certification for your job, your employer will let you know.
A PALS certification is a type of life support certification, but it is specifically for pediatric care. PALS stands for Pediatric Advanced Life Support. If you become PALS certified, you will know how to specifically resuscitate children.
PALS training will teach you how to assess pediatric emergencies, properly treat respiratory and cardiac emergencies in children, care for a child after they have received emergency treatment, and more.
If you are a healthcare provider who may have the opportunity to work with babies or children, PALS certification will likely be a requirement for you. All EMTs need to have PALS certification, as well as all other medical professionals working in emergency medicine or intensive care.
This specific training is required because the way symptoms of a medical emergency often present themselves differently in babies and children than in adults. Additionally, the way you treat medical emergencies often differs for children and adults.
Just like BLS, you need to complete a training course to become PALS certified. Many organizations offer accredited PALS courses. Many people decide to complete these courses in person, but there are also many online options available.
A BLS certification will teach you how to respond to medical emergencies in people of all ages. A PALS certification, on the other hand, will give you the skills to treat children more specifically.
The classes go over very similar skills, such as CPR, AED use, and clearing airways. However, a PALS class will give you specific information and training on how to use these skills to best help infants and children. A BLS class, on the other hand, is primarily adult-focused.
PALS training will also tell you how symptoms will specifically present in young children. Symptoms like irregular heart rhythms and breathing are generally very different in children and adults.
Therefore, PALS training goes more into depth about medical emergencies in children than BLS, though a person with BLS training could likely assist a child in an emergency if necessary.
Both types of certification will teach you similar concepts. However, BLS training is more generalized to any person requiring medical attention, whereas PALS focuses only on babies and children.
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If you’re a healthcare provider, you will most likely require a BLS certification. This type of certification is generally important for all medical professionals to have. If you do not have this training before starting a position in healthcare, your new employer will ensure that you do.
You will likely need to update your BLS certification frequently to ensure you are up to date on the training for emergency procedures. Generally, you need to renew this certification every two years to remain certified at all times.
So, all healthcare providers should become BLS certified. Your employer will tell you if this is a requirement for your specific position.
Figuring out if you need a PALS certification is a little trickier, as not every healthcare provider is required to have one. However, the general rule of thumb is that all health professionals who may provide care to children are supposed to be PALS certified.
You need to renew your PALS certificate every two years, just like the BLS certificate. It is crucial to stay up to date on these training to provide your patients with the best care possible.
Similar to BLS, your employer will tell you if your job requires you to complete PALS training. If you ever have any questions about specific certifications, it is best to ask your employer.
Getting certifications as a healthcare provider can feel a bit daunting. Luckily, the process is pretty quick, whether you’re getting a new certificate or renewing it. Additionally, the timelines for a BLS and PALS certification are pretty much the same.
Since significant differences exist between getting new medical certifications and renewing them, we’ll give you the details of both processes.
New certifications usually only require a day or two of training to complete. Many healthcare employers will set up these training courses for employees at their facility or can assist in scheduling them elsewhere.
You have many options for certification programs. The American Red Cross and other organizations offer training for many certifications.
Be sure that your chosen program is accredited and certified by the American Heart Association. Otherwise, it may not serve you depending on your job’s requirements.
You have in-person and online options for the bulk of your certification training. For online options, though, you may have to do a short, hands-on exam in front of an instructor to prove that you can perform the skills from the training.
If you go in person, you will be training with a group who are also getting their certifications. Some people like this environment better because you can watch and learn from others. You will also receive immediate instructor feedback when practicing procedures.
Once you complete your initial BLS or PALS certification, you don’t have to do additional training for two years. Of course, you will have to go through certificate training if you require a different type of healthcare certificate.
The process of renewing a BLS or PALS certification is more straightforward than getting your initial one. The training is much easier, as it mostly consists of reviewing procedures and information.
The renewal course is generally faster than the initial course and should take less than a day to complete. Like the original certification course, in-person and online options are available. But you still have to test in person if you took the course online.
Many organizations and companies have accredited credential renewal courses. You may wish to stick with the organization you trained with initially. That way, you already know the material and expectations.
Your certification expires exactly two years after it was issued, so once you’re close to the two-year mark, it is time to consider renewing. The American Heart Association allows you 30 days from the expiration date to take your renewal course.
Ensure that you take no longer than 30 days past your certificate’s expiration to begin the renewal process. If you wait more than 30 days, you are no longer eligible for the shorter renewal course.
If this occurs, you must re-take the course. Therefore, you must stay on top of your certificate renewals.
Just like the original certificate, your renewed certificate lasts for two years before you need to update it. You will need to re-certify every two years for as long as you are a healthcare provider.
When you’re a healthcare provider, it’s hard to know what all the different certifications are and why you need them. However, BLS and PALS are both extremely important, and getting trained in these areas can help save lives.
Luckily, these training courses are pretty straightforward and only have to be completed every couple of years. With this information, we hope we have helped you feel ready to get your certifications.
Kate Macmorn
Communications Director AMRI
Kate is the communications director for the American Medical Resource Institute, where they’ve trained over a million healthcare professionals to study for, earn and maintain life support certifications that allow them to better respond to cardiac emergencies. When not in the office, you can find Kate practicing her tennis skills. She also frequents live music venues and is always looking for her next creative hobby.
