The latest updates on cancellations, travel guidance and safety measures for all candidates and instructors.
(Updated: 30 January 2023)
Bookings are now open for APLS courses in 2023.
Like everybody, we are hoping for a more stable 2023. We will however recommend that both candidates and faculty prioritise local courses only to minimise the ongoing risk of COVID-19 related restrictions on travel.
We strongly recommend that you familiarise yourself with your workplace guidelines, home and interstate border and travel policies before booking an interstate course.
State and territory restrictions are fluid and variable between different states/territories; you can check the latest domestic travel restrictions here.
These restrictions are of course subject to change at short notice and the possibility of future interstate travel and quarantine restrictions cannot be ruled out.
Please consider the risks involved if you choose to book an interstate course, and if in doubt, stay close to home.
We do hope to move closer to a COVID-safe normal through 2023 and will continue to update this page with guidance.
If you have been affected by the cancellation of an APLS course, we have contacted you about the options available to you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via finance@apls.org.au
APLS courses will, of course, look a little different for the foreseeable future.
As an organisation, our highest priority is to provide a safe environment for our participants, instructors and staff.
Our strategies will depend on the current COVID guidelines in the state/territory the course is held in, and the current COVID situation in the community.
Our guiding principles for providing a COVID-safe learning environment will be practical, achievable and evidence-based measures which match national, local state government and Safe Work Australia guidelines.
PPE such as masks, gloves and hand sanitiser will be available, as well as Rapid Antigen Tests.
For sessions where social distancing guidelines are not feasible, such as during scenario and skills teaching sessions, we will expect the use of surgical masks and strict hand hygiene. You can read our full candidate guidance here.
We will continue to actively monitor local and national guidelines, with the awareness that further outbreaks may result in the postponement of courses along with border controls and travel restrictions imposed by workplaces or local health authorities.
We would also like to emphasise the importance of self-screening to candidates attending courses. If you test COVID positive before or during a course, course fees are fully refundable and you will be supported in enrolling for another suitable course with no administration or cancellation fees. A medical certificate stating that you are COVID-19 positive will be required as evidence before any refund can be issued.
We are all still learning what the new COVID-normal looks like, but we will try to manage these requirements with as little disruption as possible to our usual course structure.
We hope the above steps will help provide safety and peace of mind as we recover together from this pandemic. Our board and management team are continually reviewing our approach to a COVID-19 safe environment for APLS, and any changes will be communicated to you, as candidates and faculty, first.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the APLS team.
Thanks for bearing with us. It really is great to be back and able to offer a full course program for 2022.
APLS Australia Statement on Paediatric Resuscitation during the COVID-19 Pandemic (14 April 2020)
Paediatric Advanced Life Support algorithm – with COVID-19 considerations jpg pdf
What happens if my course gets cancelled and when will I find out?
We will be in touch with you as soon as a decision is made if we need to cancel your course. We don’t cancel courses lightly as we understand the difficulties of organising leave and travel around an event. Our Board and CEO will be continually reviewing the situation as it develops and you will be the first to know if we need to postpone your course. At the moment we fully intend for all available courses to go ahead and have booked these course venues with the necessary COVID-19 mitigation measures in place, but the situation may evolve.
Why has my course been cancelled?
Cancelling courses is a last resort. We really don't cancel courses lightly and will only make the decision to cancel when running the event becomes impossible due to COVID-19 factors. The main driver in cancelling courses is travel restrictions either imposed by state governments, or often with workplaces mandating that staff cannot travel interstate, cannot teach outside of their workplace, or would need to quarantine at either end if travelling interstate. This can happen outside of periods of lockdown / travel bans as health networks take a conservative approach, and can heavily impact on our faculty availability at the last minute. To this end, if we lose interstate faculty members we will always try and recruit local instructors before taking the decision to cancel a course; we also prioritise local instructors when putting together course faculties. Lockdowns and local restrictions obviously make events untenable for the duration of a lockdown; and often restrictions and quarantine requirements, especially relating to interstate travel and venue numbers, remain in place for some time after a lockdown ends. Each week we have a full staff meeting where we analyse the candidate and faculty lists of courses in the near future with the latest health advice at government and state level, and try to head off problems before they happen. The situation is fluid, unpredictable, and changes daily. Please be assured that we do monitor this daily, our priority is always to keep courses running until it becomes impossible, and will always give you as much notice as possible if we do need to cancel for you to change travel plans and leave.
I'm not able to attend my course. What do I do now?
If you know now that you won’t be able to attend your course due to COVID-19, let us know. You can contact the APLS head office via 03 8672 2800 or aplscourses@apls.org.au.
How do I request a refund?
If your course has been cancelled due to COVID-19 and you would prefer to cancel your registration, we will refund you in full and you can retain your APLS manual. For your refund to be processed, we need to have your request in writing; please contact us via finance@apls.org.au, otherwise, please wait for us to contact you.
Will I be charged any fees?
No. No change, cancellation or admin fees will be charged to any candidate for cancellations related to COVID-19. If you decide to cancel your booking, we will refund you in full. You may retain your APLS manual, no need to return that to us. We fully understand how fast-moving and demanding the situation is for our vital health care workers and we will try and be as flexible as possible to support you.
If I cancel, do I have to return my APLS manual?
No. If you would prefer to cancel your booking, we will refund you in full and you can retain your APLS manual.
Can I still access my pre-course online learning?
Yes, your e-learning access will still be available up to the date of your face-to-face course and for one month after.
Can I still book for future courses?
Our 2021 courses are now all full with lengthy waiting lists. Our course calendar for 2022 is now available.
If my circumstances change due to the COVID-19 outbreak, will I be able to change or cancel my booking?
Yes, of course. No fees will be charged to any candidate who needs to cancel their booking due to COVID-19. Please note that we are no longer able to facilitate course transfers.
When will APLS courses be back to normal?
We have introduced a number of COVID-19 mitigation measures to our courses including reduced course capacities, availability of PPE and hand sanitiser, tweaks to the course program and changes to catering arrangements, based on the course location. Throughout 2020/21 we have kept a 'local courses only' policy in place for both candidates and faculty as much as possible. The situation is however fluid and unpredictable and we will continue to take advice from our Board, State Health Authorities and the Government. We will continue to update this page and our members via email with the latest developments.
Do I need to contact the office?
No. We will be in touch if anything changes with a course you are assigned for. If you need to withdraw, then please let us know via the usual channels.
Please don't be concerned if you haven't been able to teach on two courses in 2020. We have added 20 extra courses to our usual calendar in 2021, so there will be lots of opportunity to instruct next year. Log in to My APLS and head to Choose your Courses to nominate.
When will I find out if my course is cancelled?
We'll let you know straightaway if it becomes necessary to cancel a course on which you are a confirmed faculty member.
Can I still nominate to instruct on courses?
Yes – it will be great to see you back on a course. Please feel free to nominate for instructor places via Choose your Courses. We are now accepting nominations for courses outside of your home state, with the understanding that border restrictions can change quickly, but the 'local courses only' rule is no longer in place. Keep an eye on the APLS website and any email communications from APLS, we will do our best to keep you up to date.
How will COVID 19 prevention measures impact on courses?
Guidelines for providing a COVID-safe teaching environment can be read here.
I’m a PLS candidate, has my course been cancelled?
Your local hospital / PLS course provider will be in touch. If you have any queries please contact them as a first point of communication.
No. Due to the continued uncertainty we have cancelled PAC 2021 which was due to take place in Melbourne in late October. We will be back bigger and better with PAC 2022 in late October of 2022. More details will be available as conference plans take shape. You can still watch sessions from PAC Conferences via the APLS Vimeo channel, free and on demand.