ACLS Canada A guide to ACLS education in Canada

Education

How ACLS education works

An ACLS course is a structured class for people who already work in health care. It is not the same thing as a workplace first-aid course, and finishing it does not create a new professional licence.

1. Science is reviewed internationally

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) reviews resuscitation evidence with member organizations. Course providers then publish their own guidelines and teaching materials. Two providers can both cite ILCOR and still print different guideline years on their course pages.

2. A program owner builds the course

The program owner decides the lessons, the instructor requirements, the evaluation, and the document you receive at the end. In Canada, two organizations currently publish that kind of ACLS program on their own websites:

Alphabetical order is used everywhere on this site. It is not a ranking.

3. Someone delivers the class

Delivery can be a classroom day, a blend of online modules plus an instructor-led session, or a live virtual class. The company that rents the room, or the instructor you see, may not be the organization that issues the card. When you compare courses, read the name of the credential, not only the name of the training site.

4. A card records completion

The usual document is a provider or renewal certificate. Its stated expiry, if the issuer publishes one, is a feature of that program. An employer can ask you to renew on a different schedule. The card does not, by itself, authorize drugs, procedures, or independent practice.

Courses that are easy to mix up with ACLS

As of 26 October 2026, the public course lists of the Canadian Red Cross and St. John Ambulance Canada describe first aid, CPR, and basic life support. They do not describe an ACLS program. Basic life support is the foundation many ACLS courses expect. It is a different course.

Compare the ACLS programs or read how recognition is decided.