Can you do ACLS recertification online?
There are a few basic points to cover when beginning to explain this topic. The first and generally most important point to consider is that of skills testing (i.e. testing done in a real-world classroom in front of an instructor using medical mannequins or dummies).
Skills testing is an important point of ACLS education because it helps students display that they understand the actual techniques and practices covered during the theoretical part of the program. For this reason, most real online programs (i.e. those accredited and/or accepted by major medical organizations and facilities) require skills testing for initial certification.
Once someone has earned their initial certification, then things begin to vary a bit. Some programs require all students, including those who have already been certified and are just looking to renew their certification, to successfully complete a skills testing course in a classroom setting.
Most courses (in fact all courses we know of) that are approved or endorsed by the American Heart Association (AHA) require skills testing for both certification and recertification students. Since the skills testing has to be done offline, this makes these courses less practical and/or appealing for students looking to complete as much of the course as possible on the Internet.
On the other hand, there are a number of online programs approved or endorsed by reputable organizations which do not require skills testing for students who need to recertify their ACLS card. These programs can generally be found by searching for general ACLS terms on major search engines.
For students in need of recertification, these programs are an appealing solution that is generally more practical and easy to accomplish because they can be completed at any time the student has available in their schedule. The best way to determine if this type of program would work for you is to check with your employer.
Note that many employers offer reimbursement of course costs for approved programs, so after taking your class and earning your card you may be able to get a check from your employer that covers all your costs.
