If you want an AHA certified course you only do the disc (online) portion for the online portion.  You then find an instructor to give you the megacode through their website.  I actually enjoyed both parts.  The online portion was designed like a game where you had different megacodes.  My megacode was one on one and very fun, for this person who freaks out with performance anxiety.

BTW, there isn't a single fully online ACLS course that is AHA approved.  Be careful because some will say that they 'use' the American Heart Association's guidlines but when you contact them they will reply that it isn't an AHA approved course.  Most employers want the AHA card.

I'll just stick with doing things the way we've always done them.  AHA focuses a great deal on being able to be a team leader and directing others activites during a code.  Not sure you can show competency properly without being on the spot in front of a group and expected to perform.  Recertification without a megacode altogether, as suggested from the link provided, seems absurd.

VACRNA says ...

Do you think ACLS recertification can be accomplished online by experienced professionals who use ACLS frequently in their practice?

Yes, I do agree that recert. should be possible online for ACLS only for folks who FREQUENTLY use it in practice.  The controls of the definition of the frequently part should be well managed.

High hopes & God speed - Tim, R.N.

I also think online recert is inappropriate.  You need to get the latest updates and be able to ask questions.  An instructor can spot and point out errors in your techniques.  And the megacode provides a controlled environment, where the instructor can turn pros and cons into learning experiences for the student.

The AHA has gotten away from the "make it so incredibly hard that you have to be really sharp to pass."  When I first took ACLS, the stress was enourmous.  Now the AHA wants students to learn, and the focus is on that rather than meeting a performance goal.  I learned more from my last ACLS course than I did the first time I took it.

Because much of what you learn in a BSN or MSN program are concepts.  ACLS is not about concepts, it is about implementation and performance.

To learn adequately in ACLS, you must be able to perform, to make mistakes and learn from them. 

Students in online BSN programs are already licensed.  They've had the clinical component.  Same for an MSN program, which is even more academically based than a BSN program.

Fair enough :)