ACLS Certification Exam Prep

Keep the ACLS sequence, rhythms, medications, and major decision points organized in one rapid-review chart.

ACLS preparation asks learners to hold many moving parts in mind at once: high-quality CPR, airway and ventilation, defibrillation, medication timing, shockable and non-shockable rhythms, bradycardia, tachycardia, acute coronary syndromes, stroke care, post-arrest priorities, and team performance. Zombie Notes ACLS Certification Exam Prep condenses those major relationships into a two-page study chart built for fast review before class, during study sessions, and when you need to refresh the sequence without rereading an entire manual.

About This Study Chart

This study chart is designed as a compact map of the major topics that appear throughout ACLS education. Rather than presenting the material as long chapters, it groups related actions and decisions into labeled sections so the learner can review the flow of resuscitation, rhythm-specific interventions, and associated clinical priorities in a single place.

The first page moves from a universal approach to airway management, AED and defibrillation, intraosseous access, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, PEA, and asystole. The second page continues with symptomatic bradycardia, narrow- and wide-complex tachycardias, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, team dynamics, rapid-response concepts, temperature management, and neuroprognostication. The result is not a substitute for full ACLS instruction; it is a high-density review tool for seeing how the major pieces fit together.

What You’ll Find Inside

• Core resuscitation sequence: A compact review of recognition, CPR priorities, airway and ventilation, capnography, AED use, defibrillation, and vascular access.
• Shockable cardiac-arrest rhythms: High-yield review of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, including the chart's sequence of CPR, shocks, medications, and reversible causes.
• Non-shockable rhythms: PEA and asystole are grouped around high-quality CPR, epinephrine, and treatment of reversible causes.
• Bradycardia and tachycardia: Separate sections organize symptomatic bradycardia, narrow-complex tachycardia, and wide-complex tachycardia so learners can compare the major pathways.
• ACS and stroke review: Key acute coronary syndrome and stroke concepts are presented alongside the chart's resuscitation material for broad certification review.
• Team and post-arrest priorities: Team dynamics, rapid-response concepts, temperature management, and neurologic follow-up round out the chart's review framework.

Who It Helps

• Nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals preparing for ACLS training or renewal.
• Students who already have an ACLS manual or course materials and want a compact companion for repeated review.
• Clinicians who want a quick way to refresh the organization of common ACLS rhythms and resuscitation priorities.
• Instructors who want a concise supplemental handout-style reference for reinforcing high-yield relationships.

How Zombie Notes Work

Zombie Notes work by compression and organization. The goal is not to replace the detailed explanation found in a provider manual. The goal is to take a large body of information and place its most testable and memorable relationships close together, where they can be reviewed repeatedly.

Use the chart after reading the official course material, then return to it for short review sessions. Read one section at a time, cover the details, recall the sequence from memory, and then check yourself. The format is especially useful for spotting relationships between rhythm, patient stability, electrical therapy, medication, and reversible causes.

Current with the 2025 AHA Guidelines and Resuscitation Science

The chart remains an independent supplemental resource and should be used alongside current authoritative ACLS materials and hands-on instruction.

About the Authors

Michele G. Kunz, MSN, ANP, RN, is a nurse practitioner, healthcare educator, and author whose teaching focuses on making complex clinical material easier to organize, review, and remember. Her Zombie Notes Study Charts use concise explanations, visual structure, and repeated high-yield relationships to support students, nurses, and other healthcare professionals as they study certification and clinical-review material.

Joseph C. Kunz, Jr., is a writer, publisher, and co-creator of the Zombie Notes Study Charts. Through The Mindful Nurse Press, he works alongside Michele to turn complex clinical material into clear, well-organized study tools, handling the design, production, and publishing that bring each chart to healthcare students and professionals.

Product Details

• Title: ACLS Certification Exam Prep
• Series: Zombie Notes Study Charts
• Subtitle: A Test Prep Guide for Healthcare Professionals and Students
• Authors: Michele G. Kunz, MSN, ANP, RN
• Publisher: Dickson Keanaghan, LLC
• Imprint: The Mindful Nurse Press
• Publication Date: 2026
• Format: Ebook / Digital Study Guide
• Print Edition: None — Ebook Only
• Ebook ISBN: 979-8-90706-010-4
• Language: English

Educational Note

This independent study chart is an educational and supplemental review resource. It is not an official American Heart Association product and does not replace required provider manuals, course materials, hands-on skills training, instructor guidance, institutional policy, local protocols, medical direction, or clinical judgment. Medication, device, resuscitation, and treatment information should always be checked against current authoritative sources and applicable local requirements.