NCLS and BLS Certification

their website says accredited..

HELP! I registered for the ACLS-Initial and BLS course with Saving Chicago CPR. It doesn't state anywhere that this course is AHA recognized and it says at the end of class I will receive an ACLS provider card.

There is a misconception that the AHA recognizes,” "accredits," or "approves" ECC training. The AHA publishes the updated resuscitation standards every five years. From this material, they create the course material for, and conduct their ACLS, BLS, and PALS programs. Any other organization is free to create their own ACLS, BLS, or PALS courses. These will not be approved or recognized by the AHA. These courses may be marketed as meeting AHA standards, but again, this does not mean that they have been approved by the AHA.

In the past, there were several organizations that conducted these courses, and some of them were quite good. However, if it were me, I would not recommend taking a non-AHA course, unless you know that it is accepted by your facility.

1: Does an ACLS provider card mean I am ACLS certified?

No, not exactly. The AHA does not provide certification” in either ACLS, BLS, or PALS. You will receive a course completion card if successful.

2: Is Saving Chicago CPR ACLS certification recognized?

Possibly. They reference the AHA requirement to have a text during course. In the information section for ACLS renewal the state that you must have a current ACLS provider care.

3: What's the difference between an ACLS initial course and ACLS online course and skills session? Did I just waste $280? :-(

If you are talking about an AHA ACLS initial course and AHA HeartCode ACLS Part 1, there is no difference. With the HeartCode ACLS you complete the didactic portion online. After successful completion of the online portion, you demonstrate and verify skills with an instructor.