How to Become an ALS Instructor: 5 Essential Tips

Five quick tips to becoming an Advance Life Support (ALS) instructor.

I have been an instructor now for the past 8 years and I LOVE it! I have met a wide variety of people and the added skills that it brings to me and my practice are really worthwhile.

Tip 1:
Do the two day course - this allows you to get to know the faculty and the faculty to know you!

Tip 2:
ASK! When you get a chance to meet your mentors on the first day, speak to them and ASK! Don't be shy in letting them know that this is what you want to do. Be bold, and ask them.

Tip 3:
You don't have to be a doctor...... if you are on this course, then you can teach it. Admittedly it is easier if you are more 'credible' and a lot of the courses won't allow FY1s to do this. If you are wondering if you are credible, pose yourself this question 'in my NORMAL working life, am I likely to see a cardiac arrest......' if the answer is yes, then you have a better chance. I have put through paramedics, cardiac nurses on this argument alone.

Tip 4:
Help others. This is a team sport, you will have people in your cohort who don't find this as easy as you - help them! There is a lot of spare time and a bit of downtime within the course that will allow for constructive feedback and helping them to develop. Do so and be constructive with it!

Tip 5:
Don't be a d*ck. Simple really! You are trying to get onto the faculty, if they don't feel that they can work with you then why would they put you forward!!

I hope that you have found this useful. Once you have been put forward, you can find more information about the next steps here:
https://www.resus.org.uk/training-cou...

ALS 7th Edition Manual - https://amzn.to/3wF1fIq

Please let me know if these tips work!

Good luck

Dr Dave Hindmarsh