Certifications › Trauma courses
Course card · National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT)
PHTLS — Prehospital Trauma Life Support
PHTLS is the NAEMT prehospital trauma course, developed with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, for EMTs, paramedics, nurses, PAs and physicians. The 16-hour provider course earns a wallet card recognizing you as a PHTLS provider for 4 years.
Named in 168 of 29,080 postings on this site as of 11 Nov 2026, mostly Paramedic (95), Registered Nurse (56) and EMT / AEMT (22).
The facts, from the issuer
- Who issues it
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NAEMT develops PHTLS with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, which provides medical direction and content oversight.
NAEMT — Prehospital Trauma Life Support · checked ·
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“PHTLS is developed by NAEMT in cooperation with the American College of Surgeons' Committee on Trauma.”
- What it is
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PHTLS is CAPCE-accredited and recognized by NREMT.
NAEMT — Prehospital Trauma Life Support · checked ·
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“PHTLS is accredited by CAPCE and recognized by NREMT.”
- Who it is for
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PHTLS is for EMTs, paramedics, nurses, physician assistants, physicians and other prehospital practitioners.
NAEMT — Prehospital Trauma Life Support · checked ·
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“PHTLS is appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, nurses, physician assistants, physicians, and other prehospital practitioners.”
- Format
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The provider course can be all classroom or hybrid: 8 hours online, then 8 hours in class.
NAEMT — PHTLS Courses · checked ·
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“This course may be offered as a classroom course, or a hybrid course where students take 8 hours of the course online followed by 8 hours in the classroom.”
- How long it lasts
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The 16-hour provider course earns a certificate, a wallet card recognizing you as a PHTLS provider for 4 years, and 16 hours of CAPCE credit.
NAEMT — PHTLS Courses · checked ·
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“students receive a certificate of completion, a wallet card recognizing them as PHTLS providers for 4 years, and 16 hours of CAPCE credit.”
- Renewal
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The 8-hour refresher is for people who completed the 16-hour provider course within the past four years and hold a current PHTLS card.
NAEMT — PHTLS Courses · checked ·
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“Refresher Course: 8-hour classroom course for individuals who have successfully completed the 16 hour PHTLS provider course within the past four years.”
- What does not count
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The 8-hour online PHTLS module alone gives a certificate of completion and CAPCE credit, not the provider card.
NAEMT — PHTLS Courses · checked ·
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“Online PHTLS Module: 8-hour online module that covers the didactic portion of the 16 hour provider course.”
- Find a class or test site
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Find a PHTLS course with NAEMT's Locate a Course search or through an authorized training center.
NAEMT — PHTLS Courses · checked ·
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“Students interested in taking this course can view Locate a Course for upcoming courses in your area, or contact an authorized training center in your area.”
Where to take it
Start with the issuer’s own class or test-site search:
- Class search: NAEMT Locate a Course (naemt.org)
Classes in our training directory that teach PHTLS: 38 listed in 20 states. Pick a state, enter a ZIP, or use your location. Your ZIP and location are not sent anywhere: the page downloads, from this site, the ZIP-area file for the first two digits of your ZIP and the class lists for nearby states, and works out distances in your browser.
Distances are straight-line from the ZIP or city centre (U.S. Census 2024 gazetteer), not drive times. Listings come from state approved-program lists, issuer directories and providers' own pages. A listing is not a partnership; confirm dates, price and seats with the provider.
Related
- Career pathway: Flight paramedic or flight nurse
- Career pathway: Mine-site medic
- Career pathway: US offshore medic (Gulf of Mexico)
- Career pathway: Motorsports and event medic
- Current Paramedic jobs
- Current Registered Nurse jobs
- Current EMT / AEMT jobs
- TNCC — Trauma Nursing Core Course
- ATCN — Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses
- ITLS — International Trauma Life Support
Every fact above was read on the issuer’s own page on the date shown, with the exact words quoted. Anything the issuer does not publish is left out, so a missing fee means the issuer leaves pricing to the class provider or did not publish one. Employers decide which cards they accept; check the posting.