PEARS Certification: Overview and FAQ

Do you know what to do if a child stops breathing? What about if they lose a pulse? The pediatric emergency assessment, recognition, and stabilization (PEARS) certification course prepares clinicians for emergency situations like these and more. If you’re a nursing professional who works with children, this credential could help you save lives.

Infants and children require special care in emergency situations, so clinicians who regularly provide support to these patients — like pediatric emergency room nurses and pediatric ICU nurses — have special training. But if you work in an area where you don’t often see pediatric emergencies, you probably don’t need advanced life support skills — you just need to be able to recognize and respond before the experts arrive. This is the basis of PEARS training.

What Is PEARS Certification?

PEARS is an American Heart Association (AHA) training course that helps clinicians know how to respond in pediatric emergency situations. It’s designed for professionals who may need to provide life-saving interventions for children, but don’t encounter these situations routinely. Much of PEARS training focuses on recognizing pediatric emergencies early, so you can respond faster and give patients the best outcomes.

Here are the content areas that PEARS covers:

• Pediatric assessments
• Recognizing and stabilizing respiratory emergencies
• Recognizing and stabilizing shock emergencies
• Recognizing and stabilizing cardiopulmonary arrest
• The resuscitation team

The PEARS course teaches these areas with a combination of case discussions, physical skills practice, and a video-based exam. It takes about a day to complete the course and exam.

PEARS vs. BLS

The basic life support (BLS) course provides a foundation for core resuscitation skills in adults and children, and it’s required for nearly every patient-facing professional. This training takes just half a day to complete. PEARS training is more comprehensive and focuses on children and infants. BLS skills include:

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• The AHA chain of survival.
• Teamwork in multi-rescue CPR.
• Operating an automatic external defibrillator (AED).

PEARS Certification vs. PALS

Pediatric advanced life support (PALS) is a training course for clinicians in pediatric specialties who commonly encounter emergencies. On the other hand, PEARS is a basic training course that prepares clinicians to respond in the initial moments of pediatric emergencies, after which they will be transported to a higher level of care. PALS teaches clinicians to care for patients in emergency department and critical care settings, with content areas that include:

• Cardiac rhythm disturbances.
• Vascular access.
• Cardiac and respiratory shock.
• CPR and AED use for infants and children.

PALS provides more comprehensive training in caring for pediatric patients during emergencies. While PEARS may be a stepping stone to earning your PALS certification, clinicians who have PALS typically don’t need PEARS.

PEARS Training and Certification FAQ

Who should get PEARS certified?

PEARS is for nursing professionals, medical assistants, EMTs, physicians, and other clinical staff who are trained in BLS and work in areas where pediatric emergencies are rare but possible. It’s ideal for healthcare providers who may not specialize in pediatrics but still encounter children in their workplaces, which can include the following:

• Outpatient centers
• Urgent care
• Schools
• Family medicine clinics
• Dental clinics
• Community health clinics
• Home health services

Can you get a PEARS certification online?

No, PEARS is a skills-focused course that is only taught at AHA training centers.

What does the PEARS certification cost?

This will depend on where you get certified. You can expect to pay between $100 and $200 for this training, and keep in mind that this may not include the cost of the AHA PEARS manual.

Can I earn continuing education credits with a PEARS course?

This depends on your state and license. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) typically accepts AHA course credits, but this isn’t guaranteed.

How should I prepare for PEARS training?

PEARS training relies on BLS skills, so you might want to review basic CPR before class. You might also want a refresher on reading pediatric vitals to understand what’s within normal limits for children of different ages. For example, a heart rate of 140 is normal for an infant, but abnormal for a 1-year-old.

How to Become PEARS Certified: 3 Steps

Step 1: Meet Course Requirements

Ready to build confidence when responding to pediatric emergencies? Before you get started with PEARS, you’ll need to have an up-to-date BLS certification. This is a standard requirement in most clinical settings.

Step 2: Sign Up for a PEARS Course

To get started, find a PEARS class. Hospitals, training centers, and health organizations often offer PEARS training during weekdays, and you can expect this training to take a full day. If you work in a setting where your coworkers should be PEARS trained as well, ask your manager if the cost of your training could be partially or fully covered.

Step 3: Complete PEARS Training and Pass the Exam

Most of your PEARS training day will be spent watching videos, going through scenarios, and practicing skills. The AHA recommends class sizes of six students per instructor, so you should be able to get all of your questions answered. You’ll be provided these materials to reference during your training and afterward:

• Pocket reference card
• Provider manual ebook
• Digital reference card
• Provider manual (this is not included at all training sites)

After going through the course material with your instructor you’ll need to pass these exam components:

• Skills test using 1- and 2-rescuer child BLS with AED
• Skills test using 1- and 2-rescuer infant BLS
• Written test using video content, with a minimum score of 84%

Once you pass the course, you’ll receive an AHA course completion card, which you can carry in your wallet along with the reference card for quick access.

Step 4: Maintain Your Certification

PEARS training is valid for two years. After that, you’ll need to take the course again to recertify.

Related Training and Credentials

• Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)
• American medical technologists (AMT)
• Basic life support (BLS)
• Neonatal resuscitation program (NRP)
• Pediatric advanced life support (PALS)
• S.T.A.B.L.E. certification
• Pediatric nursing certification board (PNCB)

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