The AHA’s PEARS Course has been updated to reflect new science in the 2015 AHA Guidelines Update for CPR and ECC. This classroom, Instructor-led, video-based course teaches healthcare providers caring for pediatric patients the foundational skills needed to assess, recognize, and participate in the initial management of respiratory and/or cardiovascular emergencies and cardiopulmonary arrest. During the course, case-based instruction will be used to teach students to provide appropriate lifesaving interventions within the initial minutes of response until the child is transferred to an advanced life support provider.

The goal of the PEARS Provider Course is to improve outcomes for pediatric patients by preparing healthcare providers for assessment, early recognition, prompt communication, and initial intervention in patients with respiratory emergencies, shock, and cardiopulmonary arrest by using high-performance team dynamics.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Perform BLS consistent with the 2015 AHA Guidelines Update for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC)

• Perform high-quality CPR

• Demonstrate safe, proper use of an AED

Evaluate a seriously ill or injured child by using the pediatric systematic approach

• Describe the evaluate-identify-intervene sequence

• Demonstrate the Pediatric Assessment Triangle to form an initial impression of patient status

• Implement the primary assessment of the pediatric patient

• Identify the patient requiring immediate intervention

• Identify pediatric emergencies, including cardiac arrest, respiratory distress and shock

• Demonstrate patient reassessment after each intervention

Apply effective team dynamics

• Describe roles and responsibilities of team members

• Describe elements of effective team dynamics

• Demonstrate effective team dynamics in case scenarios

Demonstrate initial stabilization of a seriously ill or injured child, including a child with cardiac arrest, respiratory distress or shock

• Differentiate between mild and severe respiratory distress

• Perform early interventions for mild and severe respiratory distress

• Differentiate between compensated and hypotensive shock

• Perform early interventions for the treatment of shock

• Identify bradycardia and tachycardia in the pediatric patient 

Please note: Because this book is electronic, there are no separate supplementary tools included. All supplementary tools included with the printed version (e.g., Instructor Manual CD) are accessible electronically through the AHA Instructor Network (www.ahainstructornetwork.org).