The following information outlines the process for Instructors to transition to the New 2025 Guidelines.
Continue teaching classes with the 2020 guidelines and materials until you have completed all the steps below.
Step 1
The 2025 Guidelines will be released on Wednesday, October 22nd at 9am CST. The AHA will have information on their website www.heart.org and ERTSS will post 2025 guidelines information here on our website. At your convenience , review this information.
Step 2
ERTSS will distribute the 2025 Guidelines Online Instructor Update Course(s) to all Primary Affiliated Instructors via Training Central. This will be delivered to the email address associated with your AHA Atlas account. When you receive the link to the 2025 Guidelines Online Instructor Update Course(s), complete at your leisure. Only use this link to prevent duplication! Course completion is required and documented in Training Central so Do Not send copies of your completion certificate to ERTSS unless requested to do so!
Step 3
Once you have completed the Online Instructor Update Course(s), your next step is to purchase the new 2025 Instructor Support materials ( Instructor Manual, Course Videos ), download and start using the ERTSS 2025 Course Roster and request the new 2025 exams from the Training Center. Do not request the 2025 exams until you have completed the 2025 Guidelines Instructor Update Course(s) and have acquired the 2025 Instructor Support materials for each discipline you teach. You may use the Interim materials to teach the 2025 guidelines, but completion of step 2 above is still required prior to using interim materials.
Transitioning to the New 2025 Instructor Support Materials is preferable and highly encouraged.
Step 4
2025 Guideline eCards will have a new design format to clearly differentiate them from the 2020 guideline certifications eCards . Students who complete a 2020 guidelines course must receive 2020 format eCards. Students who complete the 2025 guidelines course must receive a 2025 format eCard. 2020 and 2025 format eCards are available on the eCard store until through February 28th, 2026. Starting March 1st, 2026, only 2025 format ecards will be available.
Once you have completed all the steps above, you may begin teaching the updated 2025 guidelines courses. We encourage all affiliated instructors to complete the 2025 Instructor Update and transition as soon as practical. Our goal is to have all ERTSS affiliated instructors complete this process by December 31st, 2025.
* Instructors must complete the 2025 Guidelines Instructor Update(s) and Transition process before teaching 2025 Guidelines courses. The AHA timeline identifies February 28th, 2026 as the last day a 2020 guidelines course may be taught. Starting March 1st, 2026, only 2025 guideline courses can be taught.
Instructors who have not completed the 2025 Guidelines Instructor Update and Transition process will be restricted from teaching classes until they have completed all the 2025 Instructor guidelines requirements.
Below is the AHA 2025 Guidelines transition timeline.