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If you’re a current nursing student or trying to gain acceptance into a nursing program, you need to have your CPR certification. But which CPR courses should you choose? And at what stage of your education do you need them?

This blog discusses recent changes in the CPR requirements for nurses and nurse students, and CPR certifications nurses need at each stage of their education. It also discusses what ongoing CPR education nurses should seek as they continue their careers and why CPR certifications are essential for healthcare professionals.

If you need your CPR certification, American Health Care Academy is here to help. We offer CPR classes aimed at those in the healthcare field who need fast, painless credentials that keep them progressing in their field. Visit our CPR AED course registration page for more details, and get back to what you were born to do: saving lives.

Levels in CPR Certification

There are three levels to CPR certification in America: CPR for those who want to be certified but who don’t work in a medical setting, CPR for those who need a certification but don’t work in a healthcare environment, and CPR for those who need certification for clinical responsibilities.

People Who Want to Know CPR but Job Does Not Require It

Most people want to have their CPR certification because they want to be able to help others. These people don’t have jobs requiring CPR certification, and they just want to administer CPR to bystanders.

People Whose Job Requires CPR, but Who Don’t Work in Medical Environments

Teachers, coaches, fitness trainers, and other professionals may not work in clinical settings, but they still need to be prepared for medical emergencies. These participants learn how to recognize cardiac arrest signs, call for help, and perform CPR on adults (infant and child certificates are optional at this level). This level keeps technology simple so participants can retain the essential pieces of information.

CPR for Healthcare Professionals Who Work in Clinical Environment

CPR for people who work in clinical settings is more advanced than for those who don’t work in clinical settings. BLS or Basic Life Support learn how to perform CPR/AED on adults, children, and infants. They also learn how to use a bag-valve-mask, pocket mask, and other special considerations. Learn how to use the bag mask device for children.

BLS uses international standards to train nurses to work with other health care professionals to provide the best care possible. With BLS, even if two medical professionals haven’t met, they should be on the same page as far as procedures and technique. BLS can also pair with Oxygen therapy or an airway management class for further specializations.

Healthcare Provider CPR

Some nursing professions do not require as advanced certification as BLS and only require Healthcare Provider CPR. Nursing home workers, for example, are not explicitly medical centers and only require healthcare provider CPR. Qualifications for these employment opportunities vary and range from an introductory nursing course to completing a facility-sponsored program.

As previously stated, Healthcare Provider CPR is more rudimentary than BLS training. CPR training’s primary focus is keeping the person’s airway open and keeping their blood circulating throughout the emergency. BLS courses teach students more techniques such as airway management and how to use a bag valve mask.

First-Year Nursing Students

Most nursing students have to complete a standard First Aid class and a BLS class before the first day of classes.

Standard First Aid Training

Standard first-aid training focuses on time management during emergencies. It teaches students how to assess emergencies, conduct a secondary survey, remove airway obstructions, adult, child, infant CPR, and Adult External Defibrillator (AED). First aid also teaches treatment for head and spine injuries, shock, burns, bleeding seizures, broken bones, anaphylactic shock, small wound management, poisoning, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke.

First-aid uses hands-on techniques to help develop essential knowledge for the profession and helps students establish improvising skills.

BLS (Basic Life Support)

Basic Life Support trains students to recognize and provide initial treatment to patients suffering from cardiac or respiratory arrest. The BLS curriculum promotes high-performance, team-based, professional-level medical attention. It acknowledges the nuances teams face and standardizes their procedures to give patients the best care possible. Get your cpr aed bls certification today!

Oxygen Support

Oxygen therapy teaches students how to operate equipment and administer oxygen therapy to patients safely. It covers administering supplemental oxygen, oxygen cylinders, oxygen regulators, oxygen delivery devices, administering oxygen, and reading pulse oximetry.

Airway Management

BLS teaches you airway management, which shows you how to create and maintain a patient airway and how to use the necessary equipment to perform such tasks. It teaches students how to open the patient’s mouth, the cross finger technique, airway adjuncts, suction, tongue-jaw lift, and supraglottic airways. For supraglottic airways, however, the course only teaches you awareness.

Second or Third Year Nursing Students

Standard First Aid courses are valid for two years. So If you’re in your second or third year of nursing school, you may need to renew yours. Renewing your certification is an easy process that shouldn’t take long to complete.

Renewing Your Education While Employed

Nearly all healthcare employers require their nurses to remain BLS, and CPR/AED certified. Both of these certifications are valid for two years. You may be wondering why employers make their employees get certified while they’re in the field. The answer is because even though you might be a nurse in the field, you likely don’t practice your BLS and CPR/AED skills often enough to retain them.

Studies show that CPR knowledge decrease over time, even among healthcare professionals. In a study published by the NCBI, healthcare professionals’ skills decreased to almost the same level they were before training. Refreshing CPR/AED skills is essential to ensure you can readily access your skills in an emergency.

Why Do I Need CPR/AED and BLS Certifications?

CPR/AED certifications are essential for healthcare professionals. They are foundational to providing support to patients in emergencies and should not be taken lightly.

Understanding Good Samaritan laws

CPR classes for nurses build a vital understanding of Good Samaritan Laws and how employees are protected when they provide medical assistance to patients. The law protects rescuers from lawsuits following unintentional injury or death. Having this information proves useful throughout healthcare professionals’ careers and helps nurses understand their limitations when helping patients.

Builds Confidence Dealing With Medical Emergencies

CPR/AED is crucial for any healthcare professional, but it is especially useful for students who are not yet familiar with the field. The course trains nursing students on the chain of survival when attending cardiac arrest victims, which is essential in the professional environment.

When there is a medical emergency, the full hospital staff must be on the same page. CPR/AED classes allow inexperienced nursing professionals the opportunity to step in and offer assistance in cardiac arrest cases confidently.

This certification also gives young nurses composure in high-pressure situations. Because they are confident in their abilities and composed under pressure, they learn how to calm patients down in emergencies.

Working in Teams

The best nurses understand how to work in teams. Without clear communication and teamwork, mistakes and complications can occur. In life and death situations, nurses can’t afford to make mistakes or have complications.

CPR/AED courses also teach nurses how to be a resourceful team member in multi-rescuer situations, which is how most emergencies wind up in hospitals. Certifications such as CPR/AED help roles become reversible in cases so anyone can take charge if called upon.

Recognizing Cardiac Arrest

A staggering 475,000 Americans die every year from cardiac arrest. That stat emphasizes nurses’ need to identify when a patient is showing signs of cardiac arrest. In fact, the American Heart Association estimates that 200,000 lives could be saved if professionals administer CPR early enough.

Recognizing cardiac arrest signs is a crucial part of administering CPR early enough to save someone’s life. The more prepared nurses are for these situations, and the more they understand what to look for, the more likely they will be able to administer CPR early enough to make a difference. Whether it’s at home, in public, or at the hospital, healthcare professionals should understand what to look for, and nurses should not be surprised when everyone looks to them for answers in cardiac arrest emergencies.

Get Your CPR/AED Certification Today and Start Preparing for Your Future as a Healthcare Professional

Whether you’re a first-year student or you’ve been a practicing nurse for years, passing your CPR/AED is a vital part of fulfilling your healthcare duties. American Health Care Academy CPR has many options that fit your needs and schedule. Regardless of whether you choose our CPR/FIrst-Aid combination or our CPR/AED class, you can control your pace and print off your certification as soon as you complete the course.

Visit our course details page today to find which of our affordable CPR training courses works best for your situation.

Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. One reason this medical emergency is so fatal is because cardiac arrest can strike anywhere at any time—often far from a hospital or professional medical assistance. In 2015, according to a report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 357,000 people experienced cardiac arrest outside of a hospital. Approximately 70 to 90 percent of these individuals will never make it to a hospital to receive medical help.

What can you do to help address this health crisis? Regardless of your profession or level of medical expertise, learning CPR is one of the most effective ways you can help reduce the number of fatal cardiac arrest episodes. CPR classes can give you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to take action in the event of an emergency, and potentially, save a life.

Here at American Health Care Academy, we believe every individual should have the opportunity to gain the skills to offer assistance when someone is suffering from cardiac arrest. This is why we’re proud to offer accessible and convenient CPR certification and recertification courses that can be taken 100 percent online and even completed in a matter of hours.

In this blog, we take a closer look at how convenient it is to earn your online CPR certification. We explore some of the topics and lessons covered in these classes and learn just how easy, and fast, it is to become fully CPR certified without ever leaving the comfort of your home.

WHAT DOES A CPR COURSE INCLUDE?

Most of us are familiar with CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, to some degree. Whether learning the steps in school or seeing this procedure performed on television or in movies, CPR is a well-known technique that can keep blood and oxygen circulating throughout the body when the victim’s heart is unable to do so. This is critical to the victim’s survival rate while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

Online CPR classes provide comprehensive instruction in how CPR affects the body, how to safely assess the situation, and then how to perform this life-saving procedure. Some CPR certification courses even teach you how to use an AED, or automated external defibrillator, that can reset a victim’s heartbeat if it becomes irregular. These combination CPR/AED classes are an excellent way to learn additional skills and save both time and money.

In addition to the steps of CPR and learning how to use an AED, some CPR certification courses include additional skills, like how to perform child and infant CPR. While many steps of the procedure are the same for a child or adult, there are key differences that need to be accounted for to perform this procedure safely. Our CPR/AED courses also include lessons on how to assist adults and children who are choking.

Our courses adhere to the updated American Heart Association’s (AHA) CPR guidelines. In 2020, the AHA made an update to their guidelines, which included instructions on performing CPR in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. These modifications were designed to limit the amount of personnel responding to a victim, reduce exposure, and encourage bystander participation by emphasizing hands-only CPR.

HOW LONG DOES ONLINE CPR CERTIFICATION TAKE?

Compared to an in-person model, there are several reasons to choose an online CPR course. For many, speed and convenience are two qualities that simply can’t be matched by traditional courses. Instead of waiting to register for in-person classes that offer little to no control over scheduling, online CPR/AED courses put you in control of the schedule and pace of learning.

With online CPR classes, you can start and stop your training at any moment. This is particularly advantageous for people already working full-time, or if you’re in school when time is limited. While online learning is all about setting your own pace, many individuals are able to complete their course and become fully CPR certified within a matter of hours.

CPR RECERTIFICATION

After you’ve successfully earned your CPR certification, the next question for many individuals becomes: how long does CPR certification last? Whether you earn your certification online or in-person, your certification card is valid for two years. While this may seem like a short amount of time, this measure is in place to make sure that you receive the most comprehensive and up-to-date instruction. Responding to novel health issues, like coronavirus, make the need for recertification a critical one.

Luckily, receiving your online CPR recertification is just as fast and convenient as earning your initial certification. At American Health Care Academy, we offer CPR/AED certification and recertification courses so that you’ll have everything you need in one convenient place.

HOW TO PERFORM CPR

To better understand this procedure, we’re taking a moment to walk through the steps of how to perform CPR. While these steps serve as an important foundation, a complete CPR certification course will provide instruction at a much greater level of depth and detail.

Call 911.

No matter the medical emergency, the first thing you should always do is call 911. CPR is meant to be a short-term measure that keeps a cardiac arrest victim stable until medical professionals arrive on the scene.

Assess the situation.

After you call 911, assess the scenario to ensure that you don’t put yourself, or others, in harm’s way. You won’t be any good to a cardiac arrest victim if you’re also in danger. Once you’re sure that the scene is safe, you can begin performing CPR.

Position the victim.

First, you must properly position the victim. Gently roll them onto their back and kneel beside them. Open the airway by tilting their head back and lifting their chin. If you find an object obstructing their airway, such as a piece of food, remove it if the obstructing object is accessible. You don’t, however, want to force the object even further down their airway.

Check breathing.

Once the airway is open, lower your ear to their mouth to check for the victim’s breathing. If you don’t hear any breathing, begin performing CPR. If you do detect a breath, even a faint one, do not perform CPR. Continue monitoring their breathing until an ambulance arrives.

Chest compressions.

Place one hand on top of the other and lower them to the center of the victim’s chest. When performing chest compressions, push hard and fast and lead with the heel of your hand. Compressions should occur at a rate of 100 times per minute.

Rescue breaths.

Following chest compressions, tilt their head back, lift their chin, and give two rescue breaths. Watch their chest carefully. If the chest doesn’t rise after the rescue breath, you may need to reposition their airway or the victim might be choking on an object.

Repeat.

Repeat a pattern of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until medical assistance reaches the scene. If another bystander is trained in CPR, you can rotate performing the procedure, ensuring no one individual becomes too tired.

THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO CPR CERTIFICATION

With online CPR certification and recertification classes, you can become fully certified in just three simple steps. Select your course, pass the test, and print off your CPR certification wallet card—it’s really that easy.

1. Select your course.

It’s important to first carefully select your course. Depending on the skills and certification you need, each course can offer unique advantages. In addition to online classes in CPR and CPR/AED, you can also select courses in First Aid, Bloodborne Pathogens, and CPR designed for healthcare providers.

2. Pass the test.

Once you’ve selected your class, you can immediately begin learning. At the end of your course, you’ll be required to pass a test. Depending on your course, this test may or may not include a hands-on assessment.

3. Print off certification.

Once you’ve passed your test, congratulations—you’re now completely CPR certified. All that’s left to do is to download and print off your certification card. Many programs even mail you a copy, as well.

CONCLUSION – HOW LONG DOES ONLINE CPR CERTIFICATION TAKE?

Each year, roughly 475,000 American lives are lost to cardiac arrest episodes. This shocking figure accounts for more deaths than auto accidents, firearms, pneumonia, and many types of cancer combined. Clearly, this is a national health crisis that must be addressed.

This is why American Health Care Academy is dedicated to equipping as many people as possible with the skills necessary to save a life in the event of a medical emergency. We have certified over 700,000 students in the past 11+ years, and we look forward to working with you next. For more information, check out our fully online certification courses, including programs in First Aid, CPR, and CPR/AED courses. Feel free to reach out anytime at 1-888-277-7865 or contact us on our website.

Online CPR classes are becoming increasingly popular in today’s tech-savvy world. The ability to obtain your certification from anywhere with ease is a huge perk for medical professionals and anyone who wants to have the skills necessary to save a life.

From doctors and nurses to parents and friends, everyone can benefit from CPR certification, even if it’s not a job requirement. At American Healthcare Academy, we offer a fully-online CPR certification course. You can complete our course from anywhere at any time. This blog will explore our CPR certification course and tell you all you need to know about this convenient way to achieve essential lifesaving skills.

What is Taught in a CPR Certification Course?

A CPR certification course teaches the essentials of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). After taking a CPR course, you should be prepared to deal with emergencies involving cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.

Taking a CPR certification course is an essential part of maintaining a healthy and safe society. Bystander CPR has been shown to save lives. Survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents nearly double when bystander CPR is utilized.

Some of the critical skills that are taught in our CPR certification course include:

Assessing the situation: You will learn how to assess your surroundings for safety quickly and efficiently. You will also learn how to assess the victim to determine if they are suffering from cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.
The CAB method of resuscitation (Compressions, Airway, Breathing): The CAB method prioritizes chest compressions. Chest compressions should be given at a depth of 2-2.5 inches at a steady rate of 100-120 bpm. Give chest compressions in sets of 30, followed by two rescue breaths. You will also learn how to clear the airway if there is an obstruction.
Child CPR: Child CPR steps are similar to adult CPR. However, there are a couple of important differences. First, if you are the only person available, always make sure to start CPR before calling 911 when tending to a child. Furthermore, exercise extreme caution when moving an unconscious child, as they are much more fragile than adults. In particular, be sure to protect the head and neck. Finally, if an AED is available, make sure to use child pads.
Infant CPR: Infant CPR is more radically different than child CPR. With an infant, it’s important to make sure that they are unconscious before performing CPR. However, you must not shake the baby. Instead, try flicking the soles of their feet or shouting.

To provide rescue breaths to an infant, tilt their head back so that it looks like they’re sniffing the air (making sure not to tip it back too far). Cover the infant’s nose and mouth with your mouth and puff out your cheeks to provide gentle rescue breaths. For chest compressions, use just two fingers in the center of the infant’s chest. Press down to a depth of 1.5 inches.

How to use an automated external defibrillator (AED): An AED is a portable electronic device used when the heart is no longer in normal sinus rhythm. An AED can provide an electrical shock to the heart that can help it to start beating again. AEDs are an essential part of proper CPR. According to the National Safety Council, “survival rates are as high as 45% if defibrillation is provided within five to seven minutes.”
How to save a choking adult, child, or infant: You will also learn how to assist choking adults, children, and infants. You may need to encourage the victim to cough or administer back blows or abdominal thrusts.

What Are the Benefits of Taking a CPR Certification Course Online?

There are many benefits of taking your CPR course online as opposed to traditional in-person training. Some of the most pronounced benefits include:

You save time: With in-person CPR certification courses, you will have a set schedule and will need to get to the venue where your class is being held. Factoring in commute time and a schedule that cannot be adjusted, it’s clear that in-person CPR certification courses will necessarily take up more time. However, with online CPR certification, you can learn at your own pace, so if you just need a quick refresher or even want to jump straight to the final exam, you have that option.
Convenience and flexibility: One of the biggest perks of taking your CPR certification course online is that you will have a convenient and flexible course structure. You can take your CPR certification course from anywhere, anytime. All you need is a reliable internet connection and a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.

You can move through the course at your own pace, and you can go back to any section of the course at any time. Furthermore, you can re-take your final exam if you don’t pass the first time, which helps to take the pressure off. Also, you don’t have to complete your entire course in a single sitting. Rather, you can start and stop at your leisure and take as long as you need to finish up.

Taking your CPR certification course online is also very convenient because you don’t need to take time off work or away from your family in order to complete it. Rather, you can simply complete your training whenever you have free time in your schedule. You can also obtain all your training materials online and can download them with ease. Furthermore, you can download and print your CPR certification card immediately upon completion of the course.

You may save money: You can also save money by taking your CPR certification course online. Firstly, you don’t need to spend money on gas and potentially parking like you may have to with an in-person course. Additionally, online CPR courses are often cheaper than in-person courses as there is no need to pay for the instructor and in-person training materials.

Earn Your CPR Certification With Ease

Earning your CPR certification online is a convenient option for obtaining lifesaving skills. In an online CPR course, you will learn the same skills as you would in-person, such as providing chest compressions and rescue breaths and using an AED.

There are many benefits of taking your CPR course online, such as the flexibility and convenience that comes along with the online format. CPR certification is vital for the health and safety of our society. Not only are medical professionals and first responders required to have up-to-date CPR certifications, but every member of the public should also be prepared to deal with emergencies.

American Healthcare Academy is dedicated to equipping as many people as possible with the skills necessary to save a life in the event of cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. We have certified over 700,000 students in the past 11+ years, and we look forward to working with you next! For more information, check out our CPR/AED course overview or reach out to us at 1-888-277-7865.

Sometimes being in a situation where you can help someone who has collapsed can be the only thing that saves that person’s life. CPR certified individuals know precisely what to do when they are faced with situations that require their knowledge in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Though most people learn CPR in the first aid class, a large number end up forgetting, and this can be a huge problem. Performing CPR the right way is usually a matter of life and death, which is why CPR certified individuals are the only ones who should perform chest compressions on the victim. Immediate CPR before the emergency team arrives can be the only chance that the victim has at survival, which is why you should learn CPR at a recognized institution or platform.

How Does CPR Help the Victim?

Performing CPR allows you to pump the chest of the victim so that blood can begin circulating to other parts of the body in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest. At this point, the heat beat ca no longer be felt because cardiac arrest prevents blood flow to essential organs and the brain, meaning that the victim can die within these few minutes.

You can identify a person who requires immediate CPR as a result of suffering from a cardiac arrest and not a heart attack by noting key signs. The victim will become unconscious and won’t have a heartbeat. Though cardiac arrest can occur, suddenly, there are some warning signs that the victim might experience, such as lightheadedness, dizziness, chest pain, nausea, increased heartbeat, and vomiting.

What Causes Cardiac Arrest?

Sudden cardiac arrest is a result of heart rhythm abnormality, also known as arrhythmia, characterized by a lack of a heartbeat. Arrhythmias are treatable and don’t have to be dangerous when diagnosed early. It becomes life-threatening when it combines with other heart conditions such as an enlarged heart, coronary artery disease, and heart attack.

CPR can greatly improve the odds of the victim in terms of making it because the pumping motion allows oxygen-filled blood to be transported to different parts of the body. Time is usually of great essence as every minute counts. If the victim doesn’t receive help within five minutes, then the brain cells start dying, and this makes it difficult for the patient to survive after 10 minutes go by.

How to Perform CPR

Medical experts reveal that mouth to mouth isn’t necessary when performing CPR. Your primary focus should be to provide hands-only CPR as you help the victim out of danger. Hands-only is regarded as being just as effective as the one combined with mouth-to-mouth since there is existing oxygen in the victim’s blood that can circulate when you pump the chest.

The process of performing CPR involves three Cs which stand for Check, call, and then compress. You should first check if the victim is responsive by looking for signs of breaths. Secondly, call for emergency response by providing details of your location. The last step involves kneeling over the victim and then placing one hand on top of the other while interlocking them. The fingers of the bottom hand should be straight, and your arms should be straight as you push on the chest using the heel of the palm.

If you are not a paramedic, doctor or nurse, the automatic defibrillator (AED) is what you are most likely to use if you ever need to give first aid to a person whose heart has stopped. These are made to be used by even an amateur or untrained caregiver, but it is best if you get BLS certification online. They do most of the work and the person helping the victim needs to retrieve it from wherever it has been placed, place the electrode pads as shown in the illustrations and the machine will read the vital signs and determine when to initiate the shock and how much voltage to apply.

Sometimes you may need to press a button to initiate or the equipment will do it all automatically.

Semi-Automated

This is the one that can be switched to either work as an automatic defibrillator or if medical personnel sees it fit, they can override the automatic setting and use it manually.

Manual Defibrillator

This is the one you would find in a medical facility or with paramedics. It is according to the medical person’s reading of the situation that they will decide what voltage would be sufficient. If you get BLS certification online you will be in a better position to assess.

Internal Defibrillator

It is not common, but it is used by people with problems with their heart rhythm. The defibrillator is inserted into the chest and it monitors the rhythm and can provide a shock when it is necessary.

Confirm Cardiac Arrest

Before applying AED on the person, check to be sure it is cardiac arrest. Check three things. If the victim cannot respond, check the pulse, and check if the patient is breathing. If there is no response, pulse or breath, start CPR immediately.

Start with the ABC method:

Airway- Move the head towards the back and the chin. Remove any object obstructing the airwave.

Breathing- Lean your head towards the nose. Also, look at the chest if there is any rising and falling.

Circulation- If the victim has any color change, sweating, or change in the level of consciousness.

Try waking up the person

If you think the person is unconscious, wake them up to make sure they are not just asleep. You can shake them up, yell at them or clap to their eye. If they do not show any signs of waking up, it is a confirmation that you are dealing with a cardiac arrest patient.

Call Emergency Number

As soon as you confirm it is cardiac arrest, call for help. Explain to them what you have done and what you are planning to do. Also, seek any advice on how to better deal with your patient.

Begin the CPR

Begin giving the CPR while another person is performing AED. However, if you are alone, call for help before giving the CPR.

Give a 30 minutes chest compression. After every 30 minutes interval, give 2 breaths
Keep the chest compression steady — 100 compressions every minute
If you are not aware of how long the patient has been unconscious, first perform the AED before CPR.

And now you know enough about defibrillators you can put CPR training into effect and a defibrillator to save someone’s life in case they are having a cardiac arrest. More of them are being placed in public areas since that is where most arrests occur.

With the widespread COVID-19 pandemic and the probability of an increase in cardiac arrests, new 2020 CPR guidelines have been released. The modifications were made in an effort to limit the personnel attending to a patient, reduce provider exposure, and encourage bystander CPR with an emphasis on providing at least hands-only chest compressions.

American Health Care Academy has updated their First Aid and CPR courses online with this new 2020 Interim Guidance. Individuals are encouraged to go through the course (for free) if their CPR certification is still valid to become familiarized with the new CPR guidelines. If your CPR or First Aid certification is expired, you are encouraged to renew your certification to ensure that you are prepared if there is an emergency at home or in your community.

With social distancing in place, and many people working from home, there is an increased chance that you will have to attend to a family member in the event of an emergency.

The 2020 Interim CPR guidelines were updated by the American Heart Association in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Association of Respiratory Care, The Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists, and the American College of Emergency Physicians.

The “Interim Guidance for Basic and Advanced Life Support in Adults, Children, and Neonates with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19,” was published on April 9, 2020.

Additional resources and guidance on CPR training can be found here. American Health Care Academy is also offering a 19% discount with the code STAYSAFE19 for all individuals who choose to certify during this COVID-19 pandemic. We want to educate as many people as possible so we can be better-prepared lay responders and healthcare providers for our families, friends, community members, and the global society.

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Most organizations tend to offer health and safety training to their staff these days. But first aid and CPR is one aspect which they tend to ignore. First aid and CP...

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There’s no telling what could happen in the future—one moment you’re with your colleagues laughing at some joke when suddenly, someone’s collapsing because of a heart attack. Unfortunately, happenings like these are more common than you thought. According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention Control, about 800,000 Americans suffer from sudden cardiac arrest, in which 605,000 are first-time cases.

In life-threatening situations like these, you might be wondering if you could do something to possibly, in your own little way, help save someone’s life. Fortunately, there’s a way you can do so—by learning Basic Life Support, or BLS.

Curious to know what BLS means? Read to learn everything about Basic Life Support and how you can get certification from it.

Everything You Need to Know About BLS Certification

What is Basic Life Support?

Basic Life Support (BLS) refers to the type of care a patient suffering from life-threatening illnesses or injuries can receive from first-responders, healthcare providers, and public safety professionals

In order to learn how to provide and officially practice BLS, one must get a BLS Certification. This is simply a short training course that clinical health professionals and public safety personnel need to undergo to learn the necessary skills and knowledge when saving a life.

BLS vs CPR: What’s the Difference?

When people think about saving someone from a life-threatening condition, one of the first medical responses they probably think is CPR. However, if BLS can also save lives, what exactly is the difference between the two?

In simple terms, Basic Life Support (BLS) is a CPR certification. But unlike CPR which can be taught to the general public, BLS refers to a level of training that is specifically given to healthcare provides.

As such, BLS training also includes the basic actions and treatments that are taught as part of any CPR course. This includes maintaining an open airway, keeping the proper circulation of blood and oxygen in the body, and other necessary actions one should perform when administering CPR.

However, in contrast to a traditional CPR course, BLS training teaches individuals other in-depth practices that are suitable in a hospital setting. This includes providing oxygen with mechanical help, advanced airway management, and a team approach to CPR.

It’s important to note, though, that other countries use the term BLS when referring to CPR training.

The Importance of BLS Certification

Every 37 seconds, one person dies from heart disease in the United States. Fortunately, most of these deaths can be prevented by fast action and knowledgeable assistance that you can get from BLS training. Here’s why you should take a class and get your BLS certification right this instant.

Earn Confidence

Most Americans feel helpless when they face a cardiac emergency because they either do not know how to properly administer BLS or their training has already lapsed.

Fortunately, BLS Certification will provide you with the right amount of confidence in order to act quickly when it’s necessary. Not only would it greatly reduce the tension or hesitation you may feel during medical emergencies but it would also help you feel secure with the knowledge you have. This eventually teaches you the right actions required to save a life.

Increase Your Employability

For those seeking employment in certain industries, you’ll have the advantage over most people when you have a BLS certification. This is due to the fact employers often look for applicants that are already certified and have the ability to administer CPR as well as basic first aid.

You can learn both of these life-saving techniques through BLS training, which ultimately increases your appeal to prospective employers.

Did You Know? Certain employers in specific medical fields may even require BLS certification as a part of their employment eligibility criteria.

Save Lives

When you perform basic life-saving techniques such as BLS, you keep the blood pumping throughout a patient’s body. Proper circulation of blood also means that oxygen gets into the brain as well. Thus, learning how to administer BLS helps prevent brain damage and even brain death.

Furthermore, administering BLS life-saving techniques as soon as possible to a suffering patient can make a significant difference in the patient’s rate of recovery. The sooner you carry out BLS measure, the better the outcome of the patient’s recuperation.

Overall, with BLS certification, you can save someone’s life. You can do your own little part to ensure he/she still gets to come home to his/her family.

How to Provide BLS: Assess, Recognize and Care

One never wishes for an emergency to happen but when it does, it’s your job to respond quickly and appropriately. BLS training would teach you how to do so.

When it comes to such training, though, no emergency is the same. That’s why there are steps that should be administered every time and other procedures you only have to perform on an as-needed basis.

These specific optional medical measures you might need can be decided through the Assess, Recognize, and Care concept. As you might know, a patient’s condition can change rapidly and deterioration can immediately follow. That’s why frequent assessment, recognition, and care are extremely crucial.

To guide you, here’s how you can practice the Assess, Recognize, and Care concept:

Perform a visual scan (of both the patient and area where you are at) to assess for safety.
Formulate an initial impression of the patient and determine the need for additional medical help or resources.
Check the responsiveness of the patient. For instance, ask if he can blink, lift his arms up, or state his own name.
Open the airway and simultaneously check for breathing.
Check the patient’s pulse if he is unresponsive.
After you complete your quick assessment, provide the necessary care based on the conditions found.

What Can You Expect from a BLS Course?

Aside from learning these essential medical precautionary measures, you can also learn basic mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR (which involves chest compressions to help blood circulation) from a BLS course.

There are absolutely no invasive procedures and medical equipment required in BLS certification. The key points of the course include the basic steps one should remember when administering BLS—the CAB method.

Circulation – The first step in providing BLS is ensuring that blood is circulating through the patient’s body.
Airway – If circulation is interrupted, you can check for any obstructions in the airway and clear it to allow air to flow to the lungs.
Breathing – There would be times that simply removing obstructions would not help. That’s why you should also make sure that the lungs are filled with air. This is typically done through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

You can also expect both single-rescuer situations as well as team rescues when undergoing BLS training. Furthermore, you will be taught how to do different procedures for each age group such as infants, children, and adults.

BLS Course Options: In-Person or Blended Learning?

Basic Life Support (BLS) courses can be taught in two different methods—classroom (in-person) and blended (online) training.

In-person BLS courses are easy-to-learn and encourage high levels of participation. Due to the fact that you’ll be with fellow course-takers, it can be fun and interactive.

Online BLS training, on the other hand, may not have the same amount of interaction in a physical classroom setting but it makes up for the convenience it offers. E-courses can not only supplement but it can also transform the learning process. Furthermore, it can reach students with varying learning styles and in different environments.

However, no matter which course option you take, they all teach the same AHA science-based skills and offer you the same AHA BLS certified completion card.

How to Earn Your BLS Certificate

BLS is required for pre-hospital providers (such as EMTs, firefighters, and paramedics) and in-facility hospital caretakers.

You can earn your BLS certification from certified BLS providers such as American Health Care Academy. Designed and taught by OSHA trained instructors, AHCA’s BLS certification courses are nationally-accepted and follow the updated guidelines provided by the American Heart Association. Upon successful completion of the online BLS course, you can instantly receive your course completion card via email.

So whether you’re a healthcare provider or planning to work as a lifeguard, firefighter, or police, you can prove to your employers that you have the right training required to improve patient outcomes.

How BLS Recertification Works

Once you receive your BLS certification, know that it’s only valid for up to 2 years.

As such, you need to undergo BLS recertification courses in order to refresh your memory, update your skills, and extend your certification for another two years. You are qualified for recertification if your credentials are still valid or within 30 days of expiration.

Fortunately, BLS recertification is easy. You only need to register for a review course, which is available in most CPR BLS providers.

BLS Certification in American Health Care Academy

Medical emergencies can happen anytime. That’s why you need to be equipped with the right knowledge and skills in performing life-saving techniques such as BLS. Specially made for public health professionals, hospital providers, and other personnel working to prevent life-threatening situations, BLS certification can help you gain confidence, prevent brain damage, and ultimately save a life.

In American Health Care Academy, our mission is to help prepare individuals to save lives. We aim to provide comprehensive, cost-effective, and easy-to-understand online BLS training in addition to CPR and First-Aid courses. Save a life today by enrolling in our online courses and get 100% of your money back if the certification is not accepted.

Found this post informative? Check our blog for other helpful articles about BLS training.

Every year in the United States, almost 650,000 individuals die from heart disease. The majority of these people do not get the chance to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from a bystander, thus significantly reducing their chances of survival.

Fortunately, CPR is not a skill that only paramedics or medical professionals should learn—you are perfectly capable of learning it too! Learning CPR would not only make you confident in the event of a medical emergency but it would also help you save lives. Here are 5 more reasons why you should learn CPR.

5 Reasons Why You Should Learn CPR

1. CPR is Easy-to-Learn

Some individuals think that performing CPR is only a job for medical professionals. Others, on the other hand, believe CPR is only applicable to those with years of training and extensive experience in the medical field. Fortunately, you don’t have to complete years of medical school to learn and effectively perform CPR.

You might be surprised to learn that CPR is extremely easy-to-learn, especially when you train under an experienced medical instructor. You can learn how to properly execute chest compressions and be an expert in no time.

You’ll also enjoy CPR classes as they are interactive and hands-on. Furthermore, there are a number of CPR online training courses available which can just be as enjoyable, in addition to being convenient.

2. CPR Prevents Brain Death

When a medical emergency occurs, one of the first things that may occur in your mind is to call 911 and seek immediate help from professionals. While this is a vital step, it’s not always enough. This due to the fact that no matter how quick emergency personnel can send help, no emergency response is immediate.

A lot can happen during those six to 12 minutes before medical help arrives. In fact, this is usually the time when brain death starts to occur just after the heart stops functioning.

Fortunately, by learning CPR, you can effectively and instantly keep blood flowing to provide oxygen to the victim’s brain and other vital organs. This ultimately gives the victim a better chance for a full recovery.

Did You Know? According to the American Heart Association, performing immediate CPR can increase the chances of survival by twice.

3. CPR Teaches You How to Properly Handle Emergencies

Medical emergencies can happen anytime and when they do occur, they can make people feel confused and helpless. In fact, about 70% of Americans have no idea of how to properly act in the event of a cardiac emergency because they did not learn CPR.

That’s why it’s extremely important to complete CPR training. Once you do, you’ll have the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively administer CPR in an emergency situation. You can also gain the right amount of confidence, which is vital in making good decisions for any given medical situation.

4. CPR Lets You Become Part of the Solution

During out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, statistics reveal that less than 30% of victims receive bystander CPR. It’s also been shown that less than 3% of the U.S. population receives CPR training. This ultimately leaves many individuals unprepared when it comes to responding to cardiac arrest.

Fortunately, you can do something to become part of the solution. Sign up for a CPR training course today and significantly improve the survival rates of out-of-hospital individuals suffering from cardiac arrest.

5. CPR Saves Lives

More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur every year, and unfortunately, 88% of this large number die. Not only that, but four out of five cardiac arrests also occur at your own home, making you and your loved ones at risk.

Fortunately, when you complete a CPR course, you can effectively perform CPR not only on your loved ones but also on any stranger who requires it. Doing so can keep the person’s blood circulating until medical personnel arrives on the scene. This ultimately improves their chances of survival, thus, saving the lives of people that matter.

With sudden cardiac arrest as the leading cause of death in the United States, it’s more important than ever to learn how to perform CPR. Not only is it easy-to-learn and interactive but it also lets you save many people’s lives.

ALSO READ: All You Need to Know About Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)

Interested to learn CPR today? American Health Care Academy is a trusted nationwide CPR online training center. We offer online CPR training courses that provide the necessary health training to help save lives. To learn more about our courses or to schedule training, contact us today!

Liked this post? Check our blog for more informative articles about CPR.

Also known as superficial wounds, first-degree burns only affect the skin’s top layer. They are minor skin injuries, which don’t always require professional medical care. In some instances, they can be big and painful, requiring one to seek professional medical care. Burns occur often and so enrolling for first aid burns course is crucial to prepare yourself for such emergencies.

Common First-Degree Burns Symptoms

First-degree burns have minor symptoms that fade away after a few days. These include swelling, skin redness, and pain, which are often mild. Someone who has completed first aid burns will know how to treat most first-degree burns symptoms. First-degree burns can grow bigger sometimes, hence the need to visit a doctor.

Common Causes of First-Degree Burns

There are many causes of first-degree burns and they may include:

Sunburns— They are common first-degree burns, which occur when one is exposed to ultraviolet rays for long hours. They mostly make your skin peel, redden, or even blister.

Scalds—They are the main cause of first-degree burns in kids not older than 4 years. These happen when hot liquids spill on the victim’s body, hands or face.
Electricity— Kids tend to adore the look of electrical appliances, sockets, and cords, but they often expose them to great risks.

How to Treat First-Degree Burns?

Most superficial burns can be easily and quickly treated at home. However, if the size and condition of the burn appear bigger, you should call a doctor to examine the condition.

These are the signs doctors will check to confirm the severity of a burn.

The depth of the burn into the skin’s layers
If the burn is located near the mouth, eyes, or nose
Whether it is swelling, oozing, or producing pus

You are advised to consult a doctor if the burn is extra painful, infected, and swollen. Burns in body areas like the hands, groin, feet, and face heal slower, hence the need to have them checked by a doctor.

The Best Way to Treat First-Degree Burns At Home

The best way to treat first-degree burns at home is to apply a cool compress on the burn to reduce swelling and pain. The compressing can be done for around five to fifteen minutes. You are advised never to use extra cold compresses or ice as they will likely aggravate the severity of the burn, causing more pain and swelling.

The Estimated Healing Time for First-Degree Burns

When the burned skin heals, it will peel off, which may take up to a couple of weeks. However, the time a burn takes to heal is dependent on the affected area. Consider seeking professional care when you detect signs of infections on the burn.

Best Ways to Prevent First-Degree Burns

There are many precautions to be observed to prevent first-degree burns, among which are outlined below.

Unplug every appliance not being used from power
Use childproof covers to insulate the exposed electrical sockets
Keep all electrical cords away from children reach
Wear sunblock or sunscreen with a sun protection factor of higher than 30 SPF
Ensure the water from your water heater is not more than 120 ˚F. If your water heater generates water hotter than 120˚F, you should reset it to achieve the recommended temperature
Ensure hot cooking pots are placed on burner backs with the handles turned away from the stovetop center

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