Course

ILS

RCUK Approved

Duration

1 day, or e-ILS: online + half day

Patients

Adults

Best for

Anyone who may start resuscitation before the cardiac arrest team arrives

Course

PILS

RCUK Approved

Duration

Online modules + half day (e-PILS)

Patients

Infants and children

Best for

Staff who may meet a deteriorating child but don't lead the paediatric arrest team

Course

EPALS

RCUK Approved

Duration

2 days

Patients

Infants and children

Best for

Clinicians who lead or form part of a paediatric resuscitation team

Course

NLS

RCUK Approved

Duration

1 day

Patients

Newborn babies

Best for

Anyone who may be present at a birth or care for a newborn in its first minutes

Course

ILSi

RCUK Approved

Duration

1 day

Patients

Teaching skills

Best for

Clinicians nominated as Instructor Potential on an ILS or PILS course

Course

APLS

ALSG Approved

Duration

Pre-course e-learning + face-to-face days

Patients

Infants and children

Best for

Doctors, senior nurses and paramedics managing seriously ill or injured children

Course

ATLS

RCS Approved Course

Duration

Pre-course e-learning + face-to-face days

Patients

Trauma patients

Best for

Doctors who assess and treat injured patients in the first hour

Recognising the deteriorating patient

ABCDE assessment, early warning scores, and recognition and treatment of peri-arrest arrhythmias.

Basic life support and airway management

High-quality CPR, oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airways, and bag-valve-mask ventilation with oxygen.

Defibrillation and rhythm recognition

Safe use of automated and manual defibrillators, and telling shockable from non-shockable rhythms.

The adult ALS algorithm in practice

Applying the RCUK algorithm, working through the reversible causes (4Hs and 4Ts), and the drug sequence.

Team roles, scenarios and assessment

Closed-loop communication, handover to the senior clinician, post-resuscitation care, and observed cardiac arrest scenarios.

Recognition of the sick child

Paediatric ABCDE assessment, early warning scores, and spotting the child at risk before arrest occurs.

Paediatric basic life support

Infant and child BLS sequences, age-specific CPR technique, two-rescuer CPR and ventilation ratios.

Paediatric airway management

How the child's airway differs, positioning and suction, airway adjuncts, and bag-valve-mask ventilation for infants and children.

Defibrillation and respiratory emergencies

Paediatric energy levels and pad placement, and initial management of asthma, croup, bronchiolitis and anaphylaxis.

Scenarios and skills assessment

Facilitated simulation across infant and child age groups, with structured feedback and final assessment.

Recognising the seriously ill child

Structured paediatric ABCDE assessment, warning signs, and treating the child before cardiorespiratory arrest.

Airway, breathing and circulation

Paediatric airway adjuncts, bag-valve-mask technique, oxygen delivery, fluid resuscitation and intraosseous access.

Paediatric advanced life support algorithm

Rhythm recognition, defibrillation energy in children, weight-based drug dosing and reversible causes of arrest.

Special circumstances

Trauma, anaphylaxis, sepsis and drowning, with an introduction to resuscitation at birth.

Team leadership, scenarios and assessment

Non-technical skills, closed-loop communication, post-resuscitation care, and assessed simulated scenarios.

Preparing for birth

The physiology of transition at birth, equipment checks, thermal care and why drying and warming come first.

Assessment at birth

Assessing tone, breathing and heart rate, and deciding quickly which babies need help.

Airway and inflation breaths

Airway positioning, mask technique, inflation breaths and ventilation, including two-person airway support.

Chest compressions, access and drugs

Coordinating compressions with ventilation, umbilical venous access, and drugs used in newborn resuscitation.

Preterm babies and scenarios

Stabilising the preterm infant, communication with parents, and assessed resuscitation scenarios.

Teaching life support skills

Structuring and delivering resuscitation teaching to candidates at different levels of confidence.

Structured feedback

Giving clear, constructive feedback that builds candidate competence.

Small group teaching and simulation

Facilitating small group learning and running simulation-based scenarios.

Communication as an instructor

Managing mixed learner groups in high-pressure teaching environments.

Assessment in resuscitation training

RCUK assessment standards and applying them fairly and consistently.

The structured approach

Primary assessment and resuscitation, then secondary assessment and emergency treatment of the seriously ill child.

Airway and breathing emergencies

Airway management, breathing difficulties and respiratory failure in infants and children.

Circulation and shock

Recognising shock, fluid therapy, vascular access and cardiac arrhythmias.

The seriously injured child

Structured trauma assessment, head injury, and the child with a decreased conscious level.

Cardiac arrest, scenarios and assessment

Paediatric cardiac arrest management, team scenarios, practical skills testing and the course assessment.

Initial assessment and management

The primary survey, resuscitation, adjuncts, and when to move to the secondary survey.

Airway, breathing and the chest

Definitive airway decisions, ventilation, and life-threatening thoracic injuries.

Shock and circulation

Recognising haemorrhagic shock, controlling bleeding and fluid and blood resuscitation.

Head, spine and musculoskeletal trauma

Head injury, spinal protection, and limb-threatening and life-threatening limb injuries.

Burns, special groups and transfer

Burns and cold injury, trauma in children, older adults and pregnancy, and safe transfer to definitive care.

Skills stations and assessment

Practical skills stations, simulated trauma scenarios, and the written and practical assessments.