Newborn Life Support (NLS) Course in Manchester

The Newborn Life Support (NLS) course in Manchester is a one-day Resuscitation Council UK provider course for doctors, midwives, nurses and paramedics who care for babies at birth. You will learn a structured approach to assessing the newborn, opening the airway, delivering inflation and ventilation breaths and starting chest compressions when needed. Successful candidates receive the RCUK NLS Provider certificate, valid for four years.

  • Official RCUK NLS manual sent before the course
  • Pre-course online MCQ paper
  • Hands-on airway and mask ventilation practice
  • Newborn resuscitation manikins and simulation
  • Small-group practical teaching
  • Structured instructor feedback
  • Free dedicated parking at the venue

Course summary

Course
Newborn Life Support (NLS) Course in Manchester
Qualification
Resuscitation Council UK Resuscitation Council UK Newborn Life Support (NLS) Provider certificate
Duration
1 day
Format
Face-to-face
Location
Manchester
CPD
5 CPD points
Certificate valid for
4 years
Price
£250
Next date
Friday 20 November 2026
Healthcare professional practising mask ventilation on a newborn manikin during an NLS course in Manchester
Newborn airway and ventilation practice at our Levenshulme training centre

NLS training in Manchester for the first minutes after birth

Most newborns start breathing without help. When one doesn't, the next few minutes depend on a calm team working to a clear plan. Our NLS course in Manchester gives you that plan: keep the baby warm, position the airway, inflate the lungs, then check that your ventilation is actually working before you move on to anything else.

This is a practical day. You will work with newborn manikins at skill stations and in simulated deliveries, with instructors giving feedback as you go, and finish with the RCUK practical assessment. Pick a date below and book early: the official NLS manual is sent to you ahead of the course, and you will want time to read it and complete the pre-course MCQ.

Why train for NLS with PLAB Guide in Manchester

Newborn resuscitation is a skill many clinicians use only occasionally, so the time you spend with your hands on a manikin counts. We keep practical groups small, so everyone gets hands-on time with mask ventilation and airway troubleshooting rather than watching from the back.

  • Experienced newborn resuscitation faculty who explain the reasoning behind each step, not just the sequence.
  • Realistic simulation using newborn resuscitation manikins, with structured feedback from your instructor.
  • Modern facilities in Levenshulme, with free dedicated parking, free on-road parking nearby and convenient road and public transport links.

Upcoming dates

Choosing a date takes you straight to booking with that date selected.

Course overview

NLS is a one-day Resuscitation Council UK provider course centred on one situation: a newborn who needs help to establish breathing at birth. It teaches a single structured approach that you apply in the same order every time, with effective lung inflation and ventilation at its heart.

Lectures cover the physiology of the transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life, and how problems during it lead to apnoea, bradycardia, poor respiratory effort, cyanosis or reduced tone. That background explains why newborn resuscitation differs from adult and paediatric life support.

Practical skill stations then cover thermal care, airway positioning, mask seal, inflation breaths and ventilation, and chest compressions coordinated with breaths. You bring these together in simulated newborn resuscitation scenarios, working as a team, calling for help and reassessing heart rate after each intervention.

The course ends with a formal practical assessment of newborn airway management and ventilation. Instructors give structured feedback throughout, so you can correct your technique while you practise.

Who this course is for

This course is for healthcare professionals who attend deliveries or care for babies in the minutes after birth, whether on a labour ward, in a neonatal unit, in the emergency department or before hospital. It suits you if you want a dependable routine for a newborn who is slow to breathe. It also gives you more confidence with mask ventilation and airway troubleshooting, and practice working as a team before you face the situation for real. NLS is a strong addition to a maternity, neonatal, paediatric or acute-care portfolio, and may help you meet a training or employment requirement.

Who should attend

  • Paediatric and neonatal doctors
  • Obstetric doctors and anaesthetists
  • Emergency medicine doctors
  • Foundation and specialty trainees
  • Midwives
  • Neonatal and paediatric nurses
  • Advanced neonatal nurse practitioners
  • Paramedics and resuscitation officers
  • Other eligible healthcare professionals involved in newborn care

Entry requirements

You must hold a professional healthcare qualification or be training towards one.

Before the course

  • Read the official NLS manual, which is sent to you in advance. Resuscitation Council UK advises that it arrives around one month before the course.
  • Complete the online MCQ paper.
  • Familiarise yourself with the NLS algorithm.

This is the full provider course. It is for candidates who are new to NLS, or whose previous certificate falls outside the recertification eligibility window. Come ready to take part fully in the practical sessions and the assessment.

What you will learn

  • Assess a newborn rapidly at birth and recognise when intervention is needed
  • Minimise heat loss and keep the baby warm throughout resuscitation
  • Position and open the newborn airway and achieve an effective mask seal
  • Deliver inflation and ventilation breaths and confirm they are effective
  • Correct ineffective ventilation using a structured airway approach
  • Start chest compressions when indicated and coordinate them with ventilation
  • Recognise when advanced help is needed and hand over safely after stabilisation
  • Communicate clearly and share tasks within a newborn resuscitation team

Course content

  1. 1 The transition at birth

    Why some babies struggle to adapt to life outside the womb, and how this appears as apnoea, bradycardia, poor tone or cyanosis. Explains why newborn resuscitation follows different priorities from adult and paediatric life support.

  2. 2 Initial assessment and thermal care

    A rapid first assessment of tone, breathing and heart rate to decide whether the baby needs help. Practical steps to reduce heat loss from the moment of delivery.

  3. 3 Airway management and ventilation

    Head positioning, mask placement and seal, inflation breaths and ongoing ventilation. How to judge chest movement and work through a structured sequence to fix ventilation that isn't working.

  4. 4 Chest compressions and further support

    When compressions are indicated, hand position, technique and depth, and coordination with ventilation. Reassessing heart rate to judge response, the role of oxygen, and when to call for advanced help.

  5. 5 Team simulation and stabilisation

    Simulated deliveries in which you lead and support newborn resuscitation as a team. You allocate tasks, share findings, keep situational awareness and hand over safely once the baby is stable.

Course format

Duration
1 day
Delivery
Lectures, practical skill stations and newborn resuscitation simulations

Assessment

How you are assessed
A formal practical assessment of newborn airway management and ventilation, held on the course day.
Practical assessment
Assess the newborn, position and manage the airway, deliver effective ventilation, recognise whether it is working and correct it if not.
Written assessment
Online MCQ paper, completed before you attend the course.

Certification

Requirements
Complete the pre-course MCQ, take part fully in the course and pass the practical airway and ventilation assessment. Booking a place does not guarantee successful completion.
Certificate valid for
4 years

Accreditation and qualification

Awarding organisation
Resuscitation Council UK
Accreditation
Resuscitation Council UK
Qualification
Resuscitation Council UK Newborn Life Support (NLS) Provider certificate (Advanced)
Centre status
RCUK Approved Centre
CPD
5 CPD points

Check the accreditation

Training venue

PLAB Guide Training Centre

308Moseley Road
Levenshulme
Manchester
M19 2LH

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Frequently asked questions

How much does the NLS course in Manchester cost?
The current fee is shown next to each date in the dates section of this page and again on the booking form, so you always see the live price before you pay. For any questions about fees or invoicing, email resus@plabguide.co.uk.
How long is the NLS certificate valid?
Successful candidates receive a Resuscitation Council UK NLS Provider certificate that is valid for four years. Experienced clinicians who hold, or have recently held, an NLS Provider certificate may be eligible for the separate RCUK NLS Recertification course instead of repeating the full course.
Should I book the full NLS course or NLS Recertification?
Book this full NLS Provider course if you have never completed NLS, or if your previous certificate falls outside the current recertification eligibility window. Resuscitation Council UK runs a separate recertification course for eligible experienced clinicians. If you are unsure which applies to you, email resus@plabguide.co.uk with your certificate details before booking.
What preparation do I need to do before the NLS course?
You will receive the official NLS manual before the course, and Resuscitation Council UK advises that it arrives around a month in advance. Read it, complete the online MCQ paper and get to know the NLS algorithm. Booking early gives you the time you need to prepare properly.
Who can attend the NLS course?
You need a professional healthcare qualification, or to be training towards one. Most candidates work in maternity, neonatal, paediatric, anaesthetic, emergency or pre-hospital care and are involved in delivering babies or caring for them immediately after birth.
How is the NLS course assessed?
There is a formal practical assessment of newborn airway management. You will need to show that you can assess the baby, position and manage the airway, deliver ventilation, recognise whether it is working and correct it if it is not. Booking a place does not guarantee a pass, so preparation matters.
Does NLS count towards CPD?
Yes. Resuscitation Council UK currently lists 5 CPD points for NLS provider candidates. The course is recognised by relevant medical, dental and nursing Royal Colleges and by the Health and Care Professions Council, subject to each professional body's own requirements.
How is NLS different from PILS or EPALS?
NLS deals only with the baby at and immediately after birth, when resuscitation centres on inflating the lungs and establishing ventilation. PILS and EPALS cover the seriously ill or arrested infant and child beyond the birth setting. Your role and your employer's requirements will usually decide which course you need.
Is there parking at the training centre?
Yes. The centre at 308 Moseley Road, Levenshulme, Manchester M19 2LH has free dedicated parking, and there is free on-road parking nearby. The venue is also convenient to reach by public transport.

Ready to book?

The next date with places is Friday 20 November 2026

Book now