HeartCode ACLS
HeartCode ACLS is the American Heart Association’s blended way of taking ACLS. You complete the cognitive part online, at your own pace, and then attend a hands-on skills practice and testing session with an AHA instructor. At the end you receive exactly the same ACLS Provider eCard as a classroom student.
In short
HeartCode ACLS = adaptive online course + in-person skills session with an AHA instructor = full AHA ACLS Provider eCard, valid two years. There is no fully online ACLS card; the hands-on part is always required.
The online course uses simulated patient cases and adapts to you: it spends less time on material you already know and more on the areas where you hesitate. You can stop and start, and complete it around shifts. When you finish, you receive a completion certificate that you bring to the skills session.
At Safety First Medical Services on Al Reem Island, an AHA instructor takes you through hands-on practice and testing: high-quality BLS, airway management and case-based practice leading up to the Megacode. The session is shorter than a full classroom course because the teaching has already been done online. Live sessions are in the booking form on the ACLS course page and the HeartCode ACLS course page.
| HeartCode ACLS | Classroom ACLS | |
|---|---|---|
| Theory | Online, adaptive, your own pace | In the room, instructor-led |
| Time at the centre | A skills session | The full course |
| Suits | Renewals, busy shift workers, confident providers | First-timers who prefer face-to-face teaching |
| Card | Identical AHA ACLS Provider eCard, valid two years | |
If you are new to ACLS and have little experience of arrests, the classroom course gives you more time with the instructor. If you are renewing, HeartCode is usually the efficient choice — see the ACLS renewal guide.
BLS also has a HeartCode version. If both cards are due, you can combine them — read HeartCode BLS explained.
Other life support and first aid courses: BLS Course · PALS Course · First Aid Course · Training calendar
No. The cognitive part is online, but you must complete a hands-on skills session with an AHA instructor to receive the ACLS Provider card.
Yes. Both lead to the same AHA ACLS Provider eCard, valid for two years.
It varies from person to person because the course adapts to what you already know. Most people complete it over one or more sittings before their skills session.
Your HeartCode ACLS completion certificate and a photo ID. Comfortable clothing helps, as you will be doing CPR on the floor.
Yes. We can run HeartCode skills sessions for teams at our centre or on site at your facility.
Safety First Medical Services is an American Heart Association training centre on Al Reem Island. HeartCode blended ACLS, classroom ACLS and on-site group sessions for hospitals and clinics, with a two-year AHA ACLS Provider eCard on completion.
See ACLS dates and register Classroom ACLS course Group booking enquiry
What we teach follows the awarding body and the UAE health authorities. For the definitive position on a course or licensing question, these are the places to check.
Last reviewed by the training team at Safety First Medical Services, an American Heart Association training centre at Addax Office Tower, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. Call +971 55 761 9841 or email training@safetyfirstmed.ae.