Author Archives

CPR or BLS Certification? How to Choose the Ideal CPR Class

If you are in the healthcare field, then you know that part of your job is to be certified in CPR. But with so many different classes and options available, how do you choose the ideal CPR class for you? Here are a few things to consider when making your decision.

What Type Of Certification Do You Need?

When most people think about CPR classes, the first thing that comes to mind is learning how to do chest compressions and rescue breaths. However, there are different types of CPR classes available, depending on your needs.

Do you need a basic CPR class or a certification for healthcare providers?

Basic life support (BLS) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses serve different audiences and therefore teach different procedures. Basic life support courses are typically more in-depth and complex and are based on working in teams with other professional rescuers in the medical field. 

CPR training, on the other hand, is geared more towards teaching individuals the essentials of performing CPR on a family member or coworker as a single rescuer. Although both BLS and CPR certification can be obtained online, it is important to note that the level of training and detail provided in each course will differ depending on the intended audience.

Do you need a basic CPR class or a certification for healthcare providers?

If you are only required to have a basic CPR certification, then any reputable class should suffice. However, if you need a more advanced certification, such as for healthcare providers, then you will need to find a class that offers that specific certification.

What Format Of The Class do You Prefer?

While CPR classes used to be exclusively offered in person, nowadays you can also find them online. If you have the time and ability to attend an in-person class, that may be the best option for you. You will get hands-on experience and be able to ask the instructor questions. However, if you are short on time or unable to attend a class in person, then an online class may be a better option. 

Online classes are usually shorter and more flexible. You can also find classes that are specifically designed for your needs, such as classes for healthcare professionals or for parents of small children.

What Is Your Budget For The Course?

There are many different types of healthcare classes available, from CPR training to certification courses. Some of these classes are free, while others may charge a fee. If you are on a budget, then you may want to find a free class. However, if you are willing to pay for a class, then you may be able to find a more comprehensive or advanced class. For example, some classes may offer healthcare providers the opportunity to earn continuing education credits. When choosing a healthcare class, it is important to consider your needs and goals. That way, you can make sure that you select a class that is right for you.

Can You Choose A Provider?

Do you need to be certified in CPR for work or personal reasons? If it is for work, then your employer may have a preferred provider. If not, then you have more flexibility in choosing a provider. 

Check with your employer to see if they have a preferred provider. Many healthcare organizations have agreements with specific providers, so it’s worth checking to see if your employer has a preferred provider. If not, then you have more flexibility in choosing a provider. There are many reputable providers of healthcare CPR training and certification, so do your research to find the one that best meets your needs. 

How Much Time Do You Have To Complete The Course?

Some courses can be completed in as little as 4 hours, while others may take up to 16 hours.

 The American Red Cross healthcare provider CPR training can be completed in as little as four hours. You can take the course in two parts, or complete it all at once. The course provides you with the skills and knowledge needed to perform CPR correctly on an infant, child, or adult. After completing the course, you will receive a certificate of completion that is valid for two years. 

Do You Want To Get Certified In Other Areas Such As First Aid Or Aed Use?

If you’re looking for a way to improve your resume and make yourself more marketable, getting certified in CPR is a great place to start. And, if you’re already certified in CPR, you may want to consider getting certified in other areas as well.

The most common type of CPR certification is BLS (Basic Life Support). However, there are also AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and First Aid certifications. Many providers offer combo courses that include certification in multiple areas.

By getting certified in more than one, you’ll be able to show potential employers that you’re a well-rounded individual with a range of skills.

Be sure to check with your employer to see what type of certification they require. 

Is Online Training An Approved Way To Receive Cpr Or First Aid Certification?

There are many online courses that offer CPR and First Aid certification, but it is important to check with your local authorities to see if these are approved. In some cases, online training may be accepted, but you may need to take a practical exam in order to receive your certificate. In other cases, online courses may not be accepted at all. 

If you are unsure, it is always best to check with your local authorities before enrolling in an online course. However, even if online courses are not accepted for certification purposes, they can still be a great way to learn about CPR and First Aid. By taking an online course, you can familiarize yourself with the basics of CPR and First Aid before taking a more comprehensive course.

Conclusion: 

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a CPR class, but by taking the time to figure out what you need, you can find the ideal course for you.

No matter what CPR class you choose, make sure that it is reputable and that it offers the certification you need. With so many options available, you should be able to find the perfect class for your needs.

CPR Courses & First Aid Training & Certifications

Adult-Child-Infant CPR/AED & First Aid Training

Adult CPR/AED & Standard First Aid Training

Adult-Child-Infant CPR/AED Training

Online Adult, Child, Infant CPR Classes & First Aid Training

Online First Aid Course & Certification

CPR Online Classes

BLC CPR Certification Online

Online First Aid Course & CPR Certification Canada

Check out our other CPR & First Aid Related Articles:

INFANT CPR CERTIFICATION & ITS IMPORTANCE

THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING BLS TRAINING

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CPR AND AED TRAINING?

WHEN TO USE A MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR

10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CPR

THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION OR RED CROSS: WHICH IS BEST FOR CPR CERTIFICATION?

CPR CERTIFICATION : DO I HAVE TO GIVE CPR OR FIRST AID?

4 WAYS TO PREPARE BEFORE YOU LEARN HOW TO GET A FIRST AID CERTIFICATE

3 REASONS YOU NEED BLS TRAINING

The American Heart Association or Red Cross: Which is Best for CPR Certification?

Whether for work, personal knowledge, or school, CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) Training is necessary to save a person’s life. No matter if it’s a part of your job or not, CPR or first aid certification is an important skill to acquire. Professionals like fitness instructors, teachers, and lifeguards must require CPR certification. This life-saving technique helps maintain blood flow to the heart and brain during life-threatening emergencies like stroke or cardiac arrest. With proper knowledge in CPR and providing immediate medical attention, there are increased chances of survival. This entails the importance of CPR training and investing your time in getting a CPR and First-Aid Certification would be vastly beneficial.

To become certified in CPR, you’ll need to attend formal training and pass a written exam. You’ll have to exhibit that you can perform CPR or first aid understanding the requirements of the technique.  

Now, if you have decided to get your CPR certification online, you have lots of options. Two organizations: the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Red Cross will come up while you search for the best CPR classes online. These are the two most popular and widely recognized organizations for CPR training.  

AHA & ARC- Most Renowned CPR Training Providers

American Heart Association (AHA) is a research organization responsible for research as well as establishing the guidelines for CPR training which are widely accepted and used throughout the country. It also promotes the learning of CPR through its research. The American Red Cross, on the other hand, promotes and offers CPR training based on the latest guidelines and research. 

Both the American Red Cross (ARC) and American Heart Association (AHA) are reputed organizations that offer best-in-class CRP training programs online for healthcare providers, corporate, students, and individuals of other prospects.   

Types of Courses Offered by AHA & ARC

Both ARC and AHA offer courses ranging from basic first aid and CPR to offerings for healthcare professionals like ALS (Advanced Life Support), PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support), and BLS (Basic Life Support). They provide CPR classes online at varying levels beneficial for laypersons and community members, healthcare personnel, corporate CPR training, and others. Find the specific courses offered by these organizations below.

Courses Offered by ARC:

  • CPR for Schools and the Community: Teaches students on how to administer hands-only CPR.
  • CPR for Professional Rescuer: CPR classes for students on how to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies in infants, children, and adults.
  • CPR for the Workplace: Enables small or large groups of individuals to receive CPR training. It allows employers to educate their employees about CPR and create safer work environments.

AHA CPR Certification Courses:

  • Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers: For individuals in the healthcare industry like pharmacists, registered nurses, and other medical professionals. The course focuses on administering adult, child, and infant CPR, assisting conscious and unconscious choking victims, the importance of the breathing barrier, and more.
  • Heartsaver CPR AED: Ideal for lay people of all ages and skill levels. It helps individuals learn the technique of providing CPR to adults, children and infants. Teachers, babysitters, physical therapists, and others can take this course.

Heartsaver CPR, AED, and First Aid, Family & Friends CPR, CPR Anytime (Adult or Adult & Child), and Hands-only CPR, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Heartcode Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) are other CPR training courses offered by AHA.

Note that CPR courses and training offered by AHA are more in-depth because they research on the proper CPR guidelines. 

Before moving on to decide which CPR certification is best, let us know the key similarities and differences between the two-AHA and ARC.

Similarities

In general, the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross are most probably equivalent in terms of courses offered and learning techniques. Both are accepted at many healthcare facilities and hospitals. Some of the key similarities include:

Both AHA and ARC organizations offer traditional classroom CPR training, CPR online classes, and blended learning options, like in-person courses. CPR non-certification courses for laypersons can be taken online entirely. However, if you are looking for a CPR certification, you’ll need to undertake skills testing and evaluate with a licensed instructor online. Other similarities include:

Both AHA and ARC use guidelines for CPR training as established by the AHA. While AHA sets up the guidelines, ARC adheres and teaches its principles.

  • Both offer CPR First Aid Certifications and CPR/AED Certifications to healthcare professionals as well as laypeople.

Differences between the AHA & the ARC CPR Certifications

There are few variations between AHA and CPR Certifications, and the differences are based on various factors like Course Structure, Certification & Class Length, Price, Difficulty Level, and Certification Acceptance. Refer to the table below.

  Differences
Components AHA (American Heart Association) ARC (American Red Cross)
Background Researches and provides CPR guidelines. Use guidelines established by AHA.
Course Structure More in-depth and practice-oriented courses. Has a varied fee structure. You have to pay for three things separately on taking a blended-learning, certification focused CPR class: The Online Course, The Skills Check, & The Manual). Everything, including the manual and skills, is covered in the up-front price. You can either undertake the entire course or a skills test.
Certification Length 2-year certification; AHA is the best choice for a standard CPR certification for laypersons. Good for one or two years, depending on the level of CPR Certification.
Class Length AHA CPR classes are shorter, usually. Were significantly longer than AHA (Now, the same length as AHA)
Price Slightly less expensive than ARC and vary significantly since private companies handle the classes. Excellent skills reference guide with the class price.
Difficulty Level More extensive and more challenging. Requires a passing score of 84% or higher. A passing score of 80% or higher in the final exam would be sufficient.
Certification Acceptance More widely known and accepted by healthcare professionals and the AHA certifications lasts longer- for 2 years followed by CPR renewal. Most ARC courses are valid only for a single year, except the health provider course.

Now that you understand the similarities and differences between AHA and ARC CPR courses, are you wondering which would be your best choice? Well, here we help you with that, too. We recommend you to decide on the CPR certification course based on your objective and requirements. 

An organization’s CPR classes may better fit your requirements and meet your goals than the others. For instance, AHA CPR Certification would be best for healthcare professionals as many hospitals and healthcare centers widely accept them. Ask yourselves the below questions before signing up for a course.

  •       What is your objective, and what does your workplace require?
  •       Which courses are currently available?
  •       What CPR classes are near my place?
  •       Will your employer or school accept the course?

Answer these questions before you sign up for a CPR certification course.

Conclusion

With CPR classes becoming a necessity, taking the perfect CPR course that suits your requirements would benefit you. Both the American Heart Association and American Red Cross are exceptionally good organizations that offer equally good CRP courses. Both are accepted at many workplaces, hospitals, or schools. Just check with your employer before taking a CPR course, and you should be able to choose the one that’s ideal for you.

CPR Courses & First Aid Training & Certifications

Adult-Child-Infant CPR/AED & First Aid Training
Adult CPR/AED & Standard First Aid Training
Adult-Child-Infant CPR/AED Training
Online Adult, Child, Infant CPR Classes & First Aid Training
Online First Aid Course & Certification
CPR Online Classes
BLC CPR Certification Online
Online First Aid Course & CPR Certification Canada

Check out our other CPR & First Aid Related Articles:

INFANT CPR CERTIFICATION & ITS IMPORTANCE
THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING BLS TRAINING
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CPR AND AED TRAINING?
WHEN TO USE A MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR
10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CPR

What are the Benefits of Learning CPR Online?

Did you know that the chance of survival for cardiac arrest victims has gone up by 200%? A renowned organization has stated this in its report, provided that CPR should be administered within the initial two minutes of the attack.

More and more people are realizing the importance of learning CPR, and CPR certification is becoming increasingly popular. Learning how to perform CPR in a traditional classroom setting is beneficial. However, with the current scenario of the Covid-19 pandemic and people being left with very little time, learning CPR online is the quickest and surest way of learning these skills.

Also, the good news is that the CPR certification has been made available online for your convenience. Several reputed organizations offer online CPR classes that will help you become a certified cardiovascular resuscitator.

Let’s jump into the benefits of CPR online classes!

Here, we help you with some top advantages of online CPR training.

Varied CPR Certification Courses

You can find varied CPR certification courses available online, right from Basic CPR classes, First-aid Certification to advanced Adult CPR/AED training, Pediatric CPR classes, BLS CPR certification online for Healthcare providers, CPR & First-aid Adult-Child-Infant CPR Classes, Bloodborne Pathogens Certification, and more.

You can choose the CPR course that best fits your requirements and adds value to your current or future employment.

Class Length

Online CPR classes are shorter that will only take a few hours of your time to learn. Approximately, it takes from 30 minutes to 3 hours based on the type of CPR course you choose. Besides, the classes are tailor-made to suit individuals’ requirements and you can study at your own pace.

Another interesting point is that some classes are set up in a hybrid style that allows you to take 80% of the course online and the remaining 20% could be done hands-on and in-person for practical knowledge and experience. This gives you the advantage of taking a large portion of the course anywhere and anytime you want.

Standardized Curriculum

The online courses maintain a standardized curriculum and guidelines as set by the American Heart Association. The modules are interactive and you can retake them if you feel like you haven’t completely grasped the information.

Flexibility

One of the biggest benefits of attending a CPR course online is that you’ll have the flexibility to take the course anytime you want, either in the morning, evening or even during weekends whenever you have free time. Just get connected to the internet on your smartphone or laptop, and you are good to go.

Self-paced Learning

Most online CPR courses are tailor-made that let you learn at your own pace without feeling dragged behind by anyone. Self-paced learning allows you to access materials at your speed, which means you can focus on things you find challenging and breeze past things that you already know. This promotes greater efficiency and minimizes wasted time. 

Convenience

Online CPR certification provides you the convenience to take the classes from anywhere and be certified without being physically present in the classes.

Easy & Unlimited Access

Online classes help you have easy and unlimited access to resources. You can revisit the modules if you need a refresher or for revision. Moreover, the learning centers help you choose the right material for your course with extensive resources available online.

Affordable

Online CPR certification courses are affordable, so you don’t have to worry about spending more. Also, some organizations let you take multiple testing attempts free of cost.

AHA Recognized

Most organizations that offer CPR or First-Aid certification online are AHA-recognized. However, make sure the course you sign up for is recognized by the American Heart Association and accepted by your employer.

Being aware that online CPR certification classes are beneficial, it is essential to consider a few important points before choosing a CPR class online. Read on.

While choosing a CPR course online, make sure it meets your specific requirements, relates to your job, or for specific medical conditions for which the risk of cardiac arrest is high. In addition, pay attention to the below things in advance of enrollment.

  • In the first place, check if the institution you choose to enroll for a CPR certification is AHA recognized and accepted by your employer.
  • Check if it is an accredited organization that follows the guidelines set up by AHA. The curriculum or training materials should meet the standards followed by ARC or AHA.
  • Verify if the instructors are certified or trained with the perfect track record of their certifications being accepted by reputed organizations.
  • Have a look at the varied CPR courses offered, and the course you consider signing up for meets your requirements and is valuable.
  • Go through the teaching modules and instructional tools they use for the training and make sure everything falls in place to become efficiently certified.
  • Last but not least, consult if the fee is affordable and meets your budget.

To sum up, do thorough research and background check to get trained as a professional cardiovascular resuscitator.

Final Word

Learning CPR makes a difference between the life and death of a person in need. With online CPR Certification classes, you can become certified at the pace of your convenience and at less time and price. An online and AHA-approved CPR certification course would be the ideal choice if you are planning to learn CPR at your convenience.

 CPR Courses & First Aid Training & Certifications

Adult-Child-Infant CPR/AED & First Aid Training
Adult CPR/AED & Standard First Aid Training
Adult-Child-Infant CPR/AED Training
Online Adult, Child, Infant CPR Classes & First Aid Training
Online First Aid Course & Certification
CPR Online Classes
BLC CPR Certification Online
Online First Aid Course & CPR Certification Canada

Check out our other CPR & First Aid Related Articles:

INFANT CPR CERTIFICATION & ITS IMPORTANCE
THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING BLS TRAINING
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CPR AND AED TRAINING?
WHEN TO USE A MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR
10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CPR