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School of Nursing

The American Heart Association Training Center at UAB

  • The American Heart Association Training Center at UAB is a service of the UAB School of Nursing. Our mission is to better the health of Central Alabama through the provision and support of training in Basic Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization, and Heartsaver courses.

    Current class offerings can be found under the ‘Classes’ tab to the left. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact us at ahason@uab.edu.

  • Penni Watts, PhD, RN, CHSE-A, FNAP, ANEF, FSSH, FAAN
    AHA Training Center Coordinator
    In her role as the Training Center Coordinator, Dr. Watts coordinates provider and instructor classes for BLS and ACLS certifications. Currently, she serves as the Associate Dean for Technology & Innovation at the UAB School of Nursing and has been instrumental in the integration of clinical simulation experiences as well as interprofessional simulation experiences across multiple nursing programs. She has worked with faculty from nursing schools in Zambia, Brazil, and Turkey on integrating clinical simulation in education. Her training in simulation includes the Center for Medical Simulation Comprehensive Instructor Course and the Advanced Instructor Course. She has more than 20 years of experience in critical care nursing.
    Emily Srygley, BS
    AHA Center Administrator
    ahason@uab.edu
    Emily provides administrative support to instructors and students who wish to obtain and maintain credentials for BCLS, ACLS, PALS, PEARS, and Heartsaver certifications. Additionally, she is responsible for the billing, issuing of ecards, equipment check out, and maintenance of instructor files.”
    Kristen Dykes, MEd
    AHA Center Administrator
    ahason@uab.edu
    Kristen provides administrative support to instructors and students who wish to obtain and maintain credentials for BCLS, ACLS, PALS, PEARS, and Heartsaver certifications. She manages upcoming class scheduling and assists with Training Center classes.
    Tedra Smith, DNP, CRNP, CPNP‐PC, CNE, CHSE
    AHA Training Center Faculty Member
    Tedra Smith is a Training Center faculty member with certification in BLS, PALS, and PEARS instruction. Currently, she serves as the Interim Assistant Dean for Graduate Clinical Education - DNP at the UAB School of Nursing. With more than 17 years of nursing experience, both emergency and primary care, she develops, implements, and debriefs pediatric simulations for undergraduate and graduate students. Tedra holds special training in simulation through The Institute for Medical Simulation.
    Nanci Claus, DNP, CRNP, NP‐C, CNE
    AHA Training Center Faculty Member
    Dr. Claus holds certifications as an instructor in both ACLS and BCLS. Currently, she serves as the Director of the RN to BSN and Joint Enrollment Pathways at the UAB School of Nursing. She has more than 20 years of experience in critical care nursing, including neuro, trauma and burn specialties. As an educator, she has received special training in simulation. Her interests include interprofessional education, Veterans’ health and resuscitation science.

  • We currently hold regular BLS certification classes which are open to the public. This is a two part class consisting of an online training course, followed by an in-person skills checkoff at the School of Nursing.

    1. Complete the HeartCode Training first. Bring your Certificate of Completion to the checkoff class.
    2. View upcoming checkoff classes and register through Touchnet.

    For classes offered in the community, find a location nearest you.

  • Equipment Checkout

    Instructors aligned with the SON Training Center may check out mannikins, AEDS, and other equipment to teach classes in the community.

    Complete the fillable checkout form, sign, and submit by email to ahason@uab.edu at least 2 weeks prior to your event. Look for a response from the Training Center within 48 hours to coordinate pick-up and drop-off of the equipment.

    We ask that you return the equipment:

    • In a timely manner so that others may have access to the equipment.
    • Cleaned and in good condition.

  • Instructor Information

    Instructor Renewals

    For existing instructors, please contact us at least 2 months prior to your expiration to complete the renewal process. The following forms are required for renewal:

    Other Forms

    Your partnership is our pleasure!

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