AHA Instructor Status Renewal

Is your instructor card about to expire? Here is what you need to do

The AHA instructor card is valid for 2 years. To renew it within the two-year cycle, you must teach at least 4 Provider courses, pass a monitoring by a member of the Training Center Faculty (TCF), attend an instructor update, and confirm your Provider-level skills. Only the Training Center you are aligned with can renew your status.

Who this page is for

• Instructors aligned with MediClubGeorgia. Renewing your status is our responsibility, and we plan the process for you.

• Instructors aligned with another Training Center. If your center cannot support your renewal (for example, it no longer runs courses, or it has no faculty in the relevant discipline), you can transfer to us. See Instructor Transfer.

• Instructors whose card has already expired. This requires an individual assessment, so please get in touch.

The 6 renewal requirements

Under the AHA Instructor/TCF Renewal Checklist, all of the following must be met within the two-year cycle.

A separate requirement for faculty (TCF): if you are a member of the Training Center Faculty, you must additionally have taught at least 1 instructor course or instructor renewal course within the past 2 years.

A note on disciplines: renewal criteria may vary by discipline and are specified in the relevant instructor manual. A separate renewal form is completed for each discipline. In other words, if you are both a BLS and an ACLS Instructor, separate requirements apply to each discipline.

How the 4 courses are counted

What counts: Provider courses you have taught in the relevant discipline while holding instructor status.

Courses taught at another Training Center do count, but only if your primary Training Center has received confirmation. The Notice to Primary Training Center of Instructor Teaching Activity form is used for this, as is a letter containing the same information, or a copy of the course roster without scores. This is your responsibility, not the center's. Do not wait until the end of the cycle: send us the confirmation after every course; otherwise, it will be difficult to reconstruct 2 years later.

How we record it: we maintain your personal file, which lists the courses you have taught, including dates, locations, and your role (the station or module you delivered).

Waiver of the 4-course requirement

The AHA allows this requirement to be waived or extended in exceptional circumstances:

• Illness or injury that has caused a prolonged absence from work or from teaching duties

• An objective shortage of courses in the region, due to a lack of participants or delayed course materials

The decision is made by the Training Center Coordinator in consultation with AHA staff. Consideration is given to how long you were away from your duties and how many courses you taught relative to the opportunities available. The supporting rationale is kept in your personal file. All other requirements remain in force.

What the coordinator checks

The renewal checklist includes an assessment of administrative competencies, which the coordinator observes through your regular teaching activity. This is not a separate exam; it is an assessment of how you work.

Cognitive and psychomotor skills:

• Demonstrating proficiency in Provider-level skills

• Teaching the minimum number of courses per cycle

• Alignment status on the AHA platform

• Completing the required Provider and instructor updates

• Providing pre-course instructions and resources to students in good time

• Using student and faculty feedback to improve your own teaching

• Ensuring equipment is in working order and available in sufficient quantity

• Securing and protecting testing materials

• Decontaminating equipment according to the manufacturer's instructions

Program administration:

• Completing postcourse records properly: an accurate roster, grade report, and summary evaluation

• Complying with the current edition of the Program Administration Manual

• Issuing certification in a timely manner

The renewal process at MediClubGeorgia

Step 1. Status check (4 to 6 months before your card expires)

We review your personal file: how many courses you have taught, when your last monitoring took place, and whether you have completed an instructor update. You then receive a short report on where you stand.

A word of advice: do not wait until your card expires. If you do not yet have 4 courses, we will need time to schedule them.

Step 2. Filling the gaps

Planning what is missing: additional courses, instructor update registration, or skill reinforcement.

Step 3. Monitoring

A member of our faculty observes one of your courses and assesses you using the Instructor Monitor Tool. The assessment areas are Course Delivery, Testing and Remediation, and Professionalism.

The completed form is submitted to the Training Center within 10 business days of the monitoring.

Step 4. Completing and signing the checklist

The coordinator goes through the renewal checklist with you, including the ethics and conflict-of-interest section. Both parties sign it. You have the right to record your own comments.

Step 5. Issuing the new card

Once all requirements have been met, a new instructor eCard is issued and made available in your profile at atlas.heart.org.

Fill in the form, and our coordinator will prepare a short report on where your renewal stands: how many courses you have, what is still missing, and when monitoring should be scheduled.