What is PALS Certification (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)?

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification teaches healthcare professionals how to respond to emergencies in infants and children. Training focuses on rapid pediatric assessment, effective resuscitation, airway management, and the use of medications and advanced interventions to stabilize critically ill or injured patients.

The purpose of PALS is to improve outcomes during emergencies such as respiratory failure, shock, or cardiac arrest. By standardizing care, PALS helps ensure children receive fast, evidence-based treatment. Although a PALS certification is not required for all medical professionals, it is highly recommended for those providers involved in pediatric resuscitation and stabilization. These include physicians, nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, and others working in emergency rooms, intensive care units, and pre-hospital settings.

What Is PALS Certification?

Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification prepares healthcare professionals to respond quickly and effectively to life-threatening emergencies in infants and children. It focuses on providing critical care during the most vulnerable moments of a child’s life, when seconds can make all the difference.

Pediatric Emergency Care

The anatomy of children presents unique challenges during medical crises that can be particularly perilous. Their smaller bodies, rapidly changing vital signs, and limited communication skills require a specialized approach to assessment and treatment. PALS training teaches healthcare professionals how to recognize the situation at hand and deliver immediate, evidence-based care tailored to pediatric patients.

Respiratory Distress in Children

Respiratory distress is the leading cause of cardiac arrest in infants and young children, which is why our PALS training places heavy emphasis on recognizing and treating asthma, bronchiolitis, choking, or other trauma. Doing so goes a long way toward preventing deteriorating health outcomes and, as a result, improving survival rates.

Basic Life Support for Infants and Children

PALS incorporates Basic Life Support (BLS) techniques specific to infants (0–12 months) and children (up to puberty). While the core CPR principles are similar, there are key differences in pulse checks, compression depth, and hand placement when it comes to treating pediatric patients versus adults:

• Infants: Use two fingers for single-rescuer compressions or a two-thumb encircling hands technique for two rescuers, with a compression depth of about 1.5 inches (4 cm).
• Children: Compressions are performed with one or two hands, depending on size, at one-third chest depth (about 2 inches or 5 cm).

Life-Saving Support for Children

Beyond basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a PALS certification program will prepare you to manage high-risk scenarios, such as bradycardia (a slow heart rate) and tachycardia (a fast heart rate) that require medication, defibrillation, or advanced airway management. The training includes how to interpret pediatric cardiac rhythms, administer emergency medications, and coordinate care during high-stress situations, often using team-based simulation exercises.

Why PALS Certification Is Vital

Children experiencing respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, shock, or severe arrhythmias require precision treatment rooted in proven best practices. PALS training ensures healthcare providers can quickly identify a patient’s condition and deliver appropriate interventions.

Additionally, pediatric emergencies have a tendency to progress rapidly, and PALS has been designed to emphasize the importance of an immediate, organized response.

Core Skills Covered in PALS Class

• Rapid assessment unique to infants and children.
• Early recognition of respiratory distress, shock, and cardiac emergencies.
• High-quality first aid, age-specific CPR, and AED use.
• Bag-mask ventilation, advanced airway devices, and effective ventilation techniques.
• Use of life-saving medications and management of bradycardia, tachycardia, and shock.
• Communication and coordination in high-stress situations.

What Are the Benefits of Getting PALS Certified?

The number one benefit of combining the core skills noted above with scenario-based training is that PALS-certified providers are ready to deliver life-saving interventions quickly and effectively, improving outcomes for pediatric patients.

Pediatric emergencies require speed, precision, and calm decision-making under pressure. To do that, you need to possess the advanced skills, clinical knowledge, and confidence to handle these life-or-death situations. PALS goes beyond clinical knowledge to focus on the very things that build professional credibility that can help you stand out in specialized, competitive healthcare roles. Here’s a quick glance at the main benefit of this credential:

Preparation for Infant and Child Emergencies
Clinicians get the knowledge and techniques needed to respond effectively to critical pediatric emergencies. Whether it’s respiratory distress, cardiac arrest, or shock, PALS ensures you know exactly what to do in the most high-stakes scenarios.

Confidence in Critical Scenarios
Emergency situations involving children can be among the most emotionally charged and technically challenging moments in healthcare. PALS combines hands-on practice with real-world scenarios to help you learn how to execute your job under pressure.

Career Advancement in Pediatrics
Many hospitals and healthcare organizations require PALS certification for pediatric, emergency, and critical care roles. Having this credential can open doors to specialized positions, leadership opportunities, and even make you a stronger candidate for competitive roles like travel nursing or high-acuity pediatric care.

Builds Medical Teamwork
A critical, yet often overlooked, part of healthcare is teamwork and communication. PALS emphasizes team-based response where you’ll learn how to coordinate with nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and EMS providers in high-stress environments, improving communication and patient outcomes.

Readiness for Emergency and ICU Settings
From the emergency department to the intensive care unit (ICU), PALS-certified professionals are trained to handle these critical settings where rapid decision-making and precise intervention are essential.

Competitive Edge
For travel nurses, pediatric staff, and ER teams, PALS certification is a differentiator. It demonstrates to employers that you have specialized pediatric emergency training, making you more valuable and versatile across a range of care settings.

What Does the PALS Training Include?

Our course content blends hands-on drills with critical thinking and collaboration, ensuring that participants become experts in the following domains:

Pediatric Assessment

Early recognition saves lives. PALS teaches rapid pediatric assessment using a structured approach to identify respiratory distress, shock, and cardiac emergencies. This includes understanding age-specific vital signs, interpreting subtle warning signs, and determining priority interventions.

PALS Algorithm and Life-Saving Drills for Infants and Children

High-quality CPR is a cornerstone of PALS and participants practice age-appropriate chest compressions, ventilations, and the use of AEDs. The training reinforces correct hand placement, compression depth, and the proper compression-to-breath ratio (which is dependent on the number of rescuers present).

Airway Management

The course covers bag-mask ventilation, airway adjuncts, and advanced airway techniques tailored for infants and children, including endotracheal intubation and supraglottic devices.

Pharmacology, Shock, and Rhythm Disturbances

PALS dives deep into pediatric pharmacology, focusing on the safe and effective use of life-saving medications in emergency situations. Participants learn how to manage shock, bradycardia, tachycardia, and other rhythm disturbances using both medications and electrical interventions like defibrillation and pacing.

Emergency Interventions and Teamwork Dynamics

A pediatric emergency is rarely managed by a single person, which is why PALS emphasizes teamwork and communication. Team drills simulate real-world emergencies, improving coordination, leadership, and role clarity during pediatric resuscitation to help providers get comfortable functioning in high-stress situations.

Prerequisites to PALS: Who Can Get Certified?

Required Skills: Most providers require valid Basic Life Support certification before enrolling. A background in emergency or pediatric care is recommended.

Who Can Take It: EMTs, paramedics, nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and other licensed professionals.

Cost and Credits: Initial courses range from $150 to $300, and renewals range from $100 to $200. Many accredited providers offer 4–8 CEUs or CME credits, which often count toward license renewal.

Does PALS Have a Test?

Yes. To earn your certification, you must pass both a written exam and a hands-on skills assessment. The written exam tests your knowledge of PALS algorithms, medications, and emergency protocols, while the practical skills test will have you demonstrate your ability to manage a simulated pediatric emergency.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Enrolling

Do you work in pediatric or emergency care?

If your role involves responding to critical pediatric situations, PALS is likely a requirement or a valuable career investment.

Do you already have BLS or ACLS?

Most PALS programs require Basic Life Support as a prerequisite, and having ACLS may give you a strong advantage.

Are you required to have PALS by your employer?

Many hospitals, travel nursing agencies, and emergency medical services require PALS for employment or advancement.

Advance with PALS Certification

PALS training will transform how you think, act, and lead when treating a pediatric patient in the middle of an emergency. From decoding subtle signs of pediatric distress to taking command in high-stakes situations, you’ll walk away with a certification that will give you an edge in your clinical career.

Take the next step today. Check out the 100% online, self-paced, and nationally accepted PALS course offered by AMC and start honing your skills and moving your career forward.