BLS, ACLS and PALS
House Staff must be in compliance with VUMC Policy found here (summarized in figure 1 below) before the start of the program and must maintain current training throughout the program as required by this policy. Please note that ACLS and/or PALS DO NOT satisfy the BLS requirement. They are separate courses and a current, separate card or valid eCard must be held for each.
Please note that individual programs or departments may require additional training beyond the requirements of hospital policy. House Staff should check with their program to confirm.
| BLS for Healthcare Providers | PALS | ACLS |
Adult+ - PGY 1-3 | ü | | ü* |
Peds+ - PGY 1-3 | ü | ü** | |
Med/Peds – PGY 1-3 | ü | ü | ü |
Emergency Medicine – PGY 1-3 | ü | ü | ü |
Peds Emergency Medicine – Fellows | ü | ü | ü |
PGY 4 and up | ü | | |
Clinical Fellow Instructors | ü | *** | *** |
* The office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) maintains a list of residency programs that do NOT require ACLS and/or PALS training as approved by the Vanderbilt Health System Chief of Staff or designee.
** Child Neurology PGY 1-2 follows "Peds" requirements above; Child Neurology PGY 3 follows "Adult" requirements above.
*** Clinical Fellow Instructors who also maintain sedation privileges need to also be certified in either PALS or ACLS.
Programs that do NOT require ACLS or PALS certifications for PGY 1-3 are: Pathology, Orthodontics, Infectious Disease, Therapeutic Radiological Medical Physics, Clinical Microbiology, and ABMGG – LGG Certification in Laboratory Genetics & Genomics. Psychiatry requires ACLS certification for PGY 1 only. BLS training IS required for house staff in these programs.
Approved Agencies for Resuscitation Training
Only training from the following nationally recognized agencies is accepted at Vanderbilt:
- American Heart Association – Preferred for all basic and advanced life support training.
- American Red Cross
- Military Training Network
The VUMC Resuscitation Program works hard to provide training for house staff.
For incoming house staff (those who have not yet started), please review the information in Onboarding Central for details. Failure to obtain the required resuscitation certifications will delay your training start date.
Current house staff can sign up for resuscitation classes in the Learning Exchange through the Resuscitation Program website (not for incoming house staff).
The accountability for keeping your BLS/ACLS/PALS training current rests with the resident. It must be renewed every two years for the first three clinical years of residency at Vanderbilt in order for you to remain in your residency program. Please note that the BLS, ACLS, and PALS are separate courses. Having a current ACLS or PALS card DOES NOT exempt you from the BLS requirement. It is strongly recommended that you register for resuscitation classes at least three months in advance of your recommended renewal month.
For more information, call the Vanderbilt Resuscitation Program at (615) 322-0285.