ACLS, which stands for advanced cardiac life support, is a set of guidelines designed to help medical providers respond in a medical emergency. Many medical providers obtain ACLS certification. These providers include but are not limited to, doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and emergency medical technicians (EMT) to name a few. ACLS requires the trainee to pass BLS (basic life support), do pre-class training, take an ACLS class, and pass the written and hands-on skills test.