Sponsor a BLSO^™ Course

Basic Life Support in Obstetrics (BLSO) offers evidence-based, hands-on training that promotes teamwork and helps your organization manage both normal labor and perinatal emergencies. The BLSO Course is designed for pre-hospital care providers, emergency department personnel, medical and nursing students and non-delivering physicians. Additionally, BLSO is ideal for small rural hospital settings who historically have a low volume of infant deliveries.

BLSO promotes teamwork since effective and accurate communication reduces the potential for adverse events when obstetric emergencies occur at home, en route to a hospital/birthing center or in the emergency department. Pre-hospital resuscitation, communication in transit and transition to hospital care can be improved when pre-hospital and hospital providers share a conceptual framework. 

Course Details

• Learning Objectives
• Course Topics
• Faculty Requirements
• Application Process
• Course Fees

BLSO Learning Objectives

At the end of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Improve the management of normal deliveries, as well as obstetrical emergencies through teaching basic, standardized skills to first responders and various other healthcare workers.
• Discuss methods of managing pregnancy and birth urgencies and emergencies, which standardizes the skills of practicing pregnancy care providers.
• Demonstrate content and skill acquisition as evidenced by successful completion of course examination, skills workstations, and testing.
• Demonstrate effective team communication strategies focusing on patient safety.

BLSO Course Topics

• Communication & Teamwork
• Physiological Changes in Pregnancy and Initial Assessment
• Normal Labor 
• Preterm Labor and Prelabor Rupture of Membranes 
• Hypertensive Emergencies  
• Shoulder Dystocia 
• Postpartum Hemorrhage 
• Malpresentations, Multiple Gestation, and Cord Prolapse 
• Other Pregnancy & Postpartum Emergencies 
• Trauma & Resuscitation in Pregnancy

BLSO Faculty Requirments

Course Coordinator (1): No ALSO or BLSO status necessary

Course Director (1): Any ALSO or BLSO status

ALSO Advisory Faculty (1): Only required on-site for observing/recommending Candidates. Otherwise, may serve as a consultant to the director and coordinator remotely.

ALSO Approved Instructors (1 or more): These individuals have completed the ALSO Instructor Course and were observed teaching and recommended for Approved Instructor.

Non-Approved Instructors (0 or more): Includes ALSO Instructor Candidates as well as other professionals considered experts in the workstation topic which they are assigned to teach.

AAFP staff will provide a listing of Approved Instructors, by state, if requested at also@aafp.org .

Application Process

Follow our simple three-step application process to hold a BLSO course.

*New Organizational Account form with a one-time fee to Sponsor an ALSO or BLSO Course. If you have any questions about this AAFP Credit System requirement, please email cmecredit@aafp.org, or call (800) 274-2237.

Course Fees

*Fees reflect content costs but exclude shipping costs for printed materials. All prices are subject to change at the discretion of the AAFP.

Payment Options

Optional products can be ordered online by credit card.

The AAFP will invoice the sponsor for the Online Course access fees (per learner) and the Course Materials Registration fee, approximately 10 days after completion of the live course.  

Note: The AAFP cannot invoice multiple organizations for the same course. however will accept multiple payments. In these cases, the Course Sponsor can provide copies of the invoice to the other organizations to allow them to pay the Sponsor or pay the AAFP directly (please reference the invoice number). For more information on payments, please review the Course Guidelines document.