Requirements to become an AHA BLS Instructor with Therapeutic Professionals

1. Each BLS Instructor Candidate must possess and provide proof of a valid and current AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers course completion card in his/her name; for non-healthcare professionals, a current Heartsaver First Aid provider card is also required.

If the Instructor Candidate does not have this and needs to attend a BLS for Healthcare Provider course, she/he should contact Therapeutic Professionals or any authorized AHA Training Center.

2. Purchase and complete the AHA Core Instructor Course prior to attending the BLS Instructor Course.

The AHA Core Instructor Course is an engaging, multimedia tool designed to provide a foundation for teaching and facilitating regardless of an Instructor Candidates area of specialization. Successful completion of the AHA Core Instructor Course is a prerequisite for receiving a BLS Instructor card. The Core Instructor Course workbook (with CD-ROM and Professional Education Center activation key) may be purchased through Therapeutic Professionals or any authorized AHA ECC Materials Distributor.

There are two ways for an Instructor Candidate to complete the Core Instructor Course:

Choice A: Complete the online course through AHA Professional Education Center

• Purchase the AHA Core Instructor Workbook with voucher code through an authorized AHA ECC Materials Distributor (or Therapeutic Professionals training center). The workbook includes a voucher code that allows one person access to the course.
• Log onto www.americanheart.org/coreinstructorcourse and register for the course through the American Heart Association’s Professionals Education Center, establish a username and password and enter the voucher code provided to you with the Core Instructor Course Workbook.
• Upon successful completion of the seven modules of the course, plus the program administration overview, you must print your Core Instructor Certificate.
• Upon successful completion, Instructor Candidate may receive 8 hours of CE credit.

Choice B: Complete course via CD-ROM

• Purchase the AHA Core Instructor Workbook through an authorized AHA ECC Materials Distributor (or Therapeutic Professionals).
• Install and complete all modules on the enclosed CD-ROM.
• The CD-ROM can only be used by one person and installed onto one computer.
• Upon successful completion of the course modules and program administration overview, you must print your Core Instructor Certificate.

Completion of the AHA Core Instructor Course does not authorize an individual to teach AHA courses nor guarantee that an Instructor Candidate will be enrolled into an instructor course or become an American Heart Association Instructor.

3. Align with Therapeutic Professionals Training Center.

Any person that wishes to become an AHA Instructor must align with an authorized AHA Training Center. The Instructor Candidate can only align if the Training Center is accepting new instructors. If they are and the Training Center agrees to accept the Instructor Candidate, this acceptance is called “Training Center alignment”. Training Centers set their own requirements for accepting new instructors and are not required by the AHA to accept everyone requesting alignment. There can be a variety of reasons that a Training Center refuses to accept new instructors including lack of experience or appropriate credentials, an instructor’s potential availability, an instructor’s failure to meet the Training Center’s requirements or expectations etc.

There are two ways for an Instructor Candidate to align with Therapeutic Professionals:

Choice A: Training Center Instructor

• Conducts courses for the Training Center
• Training Center provides clients, manikins and course completion cards and manages the registration process.
• 50/50 split on course fees

Choice B: Training Site

• A person or organization that signs an agreement with and is authorized by a Training Center to conduct specific courses in approved disciplines. These courses are managed and conducted by the Training Site under the authority of the Training Center. Training Sites complete an accreditation-type process and meet specific quality assurance indicators to receive and maintain their Training Site status. Training Sites manage their own student registration process, purchase and maintain their own insurance, equipment, manikins, materials and records.
• 100% of revenue from courses retained by Training Site.

4. Complete an AHA Instructor Candidate Application

Each person that wishes to apply to be an AHA Instructor must complete an AHA Instructor Course Application to the Training Center. The entire form must be completed with all required signatures.

5. Register for the BLS Instructor Course by purchasing your Instructor course materials from Therapeutic Professionals and paying for the course.

The Instructor Candidate may register for an AHA Instructor course at Therapeutic Professionals by providing contact information, and method of payment. The course fee is $200 and includes alignment, course materials and BLS Instructor’s Course. All Instructor Course candidates must own the most current edition of the required AHA Provider textbooks and Instructor’s manuals for each course. (The Core Instructor Course and other associated costs are not included in this $200 fee and are solely the responsibility of the Instructor candidate).

6. Prepare for, attend and successfully complete all requirements of the Instructor Course.

Students must attend the entire instructor course and successfully complete all portions of the instructor class, including skills stations. The Instructor Candidate should thoroughly study each of the student workbooks/textbooks and instructor manuals prior to the instructor course. Each instructor Candidate must be thoroughly familiar with all aspects of each course type under the discipline they wish to teach, including course content, agendas, and the skills and remediation sheets prior to the start of the instructor course. Time will not be spent in the instructor course reviewing the content of each individual course. The candidate must arrive at the instructor course before class starts, prepared, familiar with the details of each provider course, and ready to perform all skills without error and prompting. A lack of study and preparation prior to the instructor course will make it difficult for the instructor candidate to complete the course successfully.

Although we conduct courses in a supportive environment, the instructor course contains a lot of information and is fast-paced. Therapeutic Professionals contributes significant labor hours and resources to each Instructor Candidate. Because of this and our desire for an Instructor Candidate to successfully become an Instructor, there are very rare instances when an Instructor Candidate may be dismissed from the process or an instructor course without notice.

These instances include, but are not limited to:

• The Instructor Candidate’s lack of study, preparation, or follow-through as expected.
• Therapeutic Professionals’ inability to readily and easily verify information that is provided by the Instructor Candidate or learned that the potential exists to affect their ability to complete the process in a timely manner or become eligible for an instructor card.
• The Instructor Candidate’s potential or actual failure to act in an ethical and/or professional manner as a Instructor Candidate, AHA Instructor or positive representative of Therapeutic Professionals Training Center.

7. Successfully complete Instructor monitoring and any additional requirements and responsibilities required of the Training Center.

All Instructor Candidates that have successfully completed all requirements up to and through the discipline-specific instructor course must be monitored by the Training Center Coordinator or a Training Center Faculty while teaching in at least one provider course. The Training Center may require Instructor Candidates to teach in multiple courses or a variety of provider course types before considering them eligible for an instructor card.

Monitoring requirements and successful completion of the monitoring requirements is dependent upon a variety of factors including Instructor Candidate availability, course availability, the Instructor Candidate’s appearance, professionalism, demeanor, knowledge, skills, teaching, organizational and leadership abilities. Monitoring requirements may vary for each individual Instructor Candidate and not all Instructor Candidates may be required to complete the same number of classes in which they will be monitored.

Additional requirements and responsibilities

The Training Center may have additional requirements that must be completed or met in order for an Instructor Candidate to progress through the process to become an instructor and be eligible for an instructor card. The requirements outlined in this document and any additional requirements identified may change without notice at anytime.

Cancellations/Refund Policy

All cancellations and request for refunds must be made in writing at least 7 days prior to the course date. A $45 withdrawal fee will be charged. A $35 fee will be charged for any returned checks. All tuition will be forfeited after that date. Therapeutic Professionals reserves the right to cancel any course due to insufficient enrollment. In the event of cancellation, tuition will be refunded or transferred to another date.

For additional information or to register please contact:

Mary E. Turner, RN, LMT, MTI, TCF, TCC, CE

Director, Therapeutic Professionals
7721 W. Bellfort #251
Houston, TX 77071
832.876.9917 Office/VM
MaryTurner@TherapeuticProfessionals.com