Three Reasons to Take Your PALS Course Online

Today, online learning options are available in nearly every field of study – and healthcare certification is no exception. Professionals looking to earn certification for pediatric advanced life support (PALS) have the option of taking their PALS courses online. Before you decide whether or not you want to sign up for an online course, here are three important facts about online learning.

1. Online PALS courses allow you to work at your own pace.
As a healthcare professional, you may not have the average 8 to 5 work day, making it difficult to fit a traditional class into your schedule. Taking a PALS course online means more flexibility to review materials on your own time and at your own pace. If you’re seeking initial certification, after finishing the online portion of the PALS course, you can schedule a time to validate your hands-on skills and complete a skills check at a local training center.

2. In an online course, you might learn more.
A 2009 report (Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning) from the U.S. Department of Education showed that students who take an entire course or part of a course online, on average, display better performance levels than those who take the same course through traditional instruction. A review of key findings from more than 1,000 studies on online education published between 1996 and 2008 showed that not only have online courses become more popular over time, but they have also become an increasingly effective learning strategy.

3. Online education is a growing trend.
The usage and legitimacy of online education in the healthcare field is on the rise. Continuing medical education, or CME, has increasingly moved online over the past few years. A recent study (“The Growth, Characteristics, and Future of Online CME,” Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, Winter 2010) estimates that approximately half of doctors will earn their CME through online learning. Taking your PALS course online now is a smart way to become familiar with the online learning approach.

Learn more about Health Ed Solutions’ online PALS certification.