Less than 50% of Americans feel comfortable giving CPR. How can we increase the number of CPR-certified civilians to ensure innocent lives aren’t lost due to the lack of CPR training? One proven way to start reversing this stat is by gaining more CPR instructors.
But how does one become a CPR instructor in the United States? Do you have to go through years of schooling? Don’t you have to commit loads of time to complete your courses at a training center to become a CPR and First-Aid instructor? The answer is no. It’s relatively easy to gain your CPR instructor license, and you can do so even if your schedule is swamped.
This blog discusses the process of earning your CPR instructor certification. It also examines the career options for those who get their CPR instructor license and how CPR instructors can put their knowledge and experience to work in their communities.
American HealthCare Academy has numerous certification courses that fit your schedule, including BLS and CPR certification online. Whether you’re looking to get your CPR AED certification online simply or you want a more hands-on approach with an in-person class, American HealthCare Academy has you covered.
What Is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is a lifesaving technique used for many emergencies, including heart attacks and near-drownings. CPR is a valuable technique for anyone whose heart has stopped. The American Heart Association recommends starting CPR with hard and fast chest compressions to stimulate blood flow and prevent brain damage.
CPR can save someone’s life, and people as young as five years old can get certified. However, becoming a CPR instructor requires that you understand aspects of CPR and First-Aid that bystanders don’t. It also requires you to have a thorough understanding of the complications that can arise in medical emergencies. To become a CPR instructor, you need more than rudimentary knowledge of performing and teaching CPR. You need to understand how to impart that knowledge to others.
What Is First-Aid?
If you’re considering becoming a CPR instructor, chances are, you’ll also receive your first-aid instructor certification as well. First-Aid is broader than CPR, and it involves a series of medical responses to emergencies and minor medical conditions such as scratches, bruises, and cuts.
However, first-aid can also be more specific and geared toward broken bones and poisoning emergencies. Because of this, CPR instructors should have a balance of knowledge between CPR and First-Aid. There are also BLS instructors who deal with first-aid medical settings issues, which calls for more advanced training programs.
What Is the Difference Between CPR and First-Aid?
The difference between CPR and first-aid and CPR is that CPR is a specific technique designed to aid in particular situations when the heart stops pumping blood throughout the body. First-aid includes a wide range of techniques that respond to different emergencies. First-Aid also has more variance in its instructor and certification levels, with BLS being a more advanced certification than Basic First-Aid.
How Do You Become a CPR Instructor?
There are a variety of ways to successfully complete your CPR/First-Aid certification. You can choose to complete an in-person, hybrid, or online certification course at a hospital or community organization. Regardless of whether you decide to complete an online, in-person, or hybrid class, these classes offer all the materials you need to gain confidence in your instructing abilities.
For example, CPR AED courses at American Health Care Academy can give you hands-on experience regardless of whether you take them online or in person. Depending on your job, your employer might want you to take the classes on-site so you can have more hands-on experience. Our comprehensive skills sessions, instructor manual and course materials equip you with the right knowledge to help you become a competent CPR instructor.
Your employer might also cover the costs of receiving your CPR/First-Aid certification. Employers do this so their employees can return from the class and teach it at zero fees. Online courses offer exceptional options for people who need flexibility, such as those in remote areas or busy schedules. American Health Care Academy offers online classes that are both OSHA and EXX-compliant. These course materials can often be completed quickly and painlessly, and they are less costly than other alternatives.
What Is the Minimum Age to Learn CPR?
There are no minimum age requirements to learn CPR. Anyone who is physically able can learn CPR. It comes down to whether bystanders want to learn CPR. Studies show that children as young as nine years old can learn, retain, and safely perform CPR skills.
Why Should You Become a CPR Instructor?
The more First-Aid/CPR or BLS instructor courses there are, the more accessible training will become. These Basic Life Support BLS and CPR instructor courses help to spread knowledge to more bystanders and save more lives due to disseminating these lifesaving skills. The first few minutes following a cardiac arrest are the most critical, and 500,000 Americans die each year from cardiac arrest.
Additionally, only around 32% of out of the hospital cardiac arrest patients receive CPR care. This statistic reveals the glaring necessity for instructors to give their skills to more bystanders. Cardiac arrest victims who receive CPR have at least double the chances of survival of those who don’t receive CPR. Becoming an instructor will help you become a leader within your community to guide more members through training and help save lives.
How to Teach Others as a First Aid Instructor
Another added benefit of becoming a CPR/First-Aid instructor is that you can teach it to your friends and family and your co-workers. The more instructors who adopt this type of instruction, regardless of teaching styles, the more bystanders will have the rudimentary CPR knowledge to administer CPR in medical emergencies.
Instructor Certification Facts
American Health Care Academy certifies instructors to become an elite group of professionals ready to save lives with their skills. Candidates must fulfill the following prerequisites to become a certified CPR instructor:
- They must meet all the prerequisites to participate in the instructor course for the specific program.
- They must complete the instructor course to earn their certification.
- They can either complete their course in an in-person, blended, or online environment.
- Instructor certifications are valid for two years. Instructors must also maintain their basic level certification in their program area.
- Instructor recertification is more straightforward than the initial certification, but it is critical to maintaining essential CPR and First-Aid skills.
CPR/First-Aid Careers
After obtaining your CPR instructor certification, it’s time to decide where you want to teach and how you want to put it to use. If you’re only getting your certification to use in the office, then you might not need to look for any other career options. However, if you want to use your CPR instructor certification as a profession, there are many options, including:
- Starting your own CPR instructor business instructing students online.
- Specialize in a particular area of CPR.
- Start a business teaching in-person CPR to schools, corporations, or fitness centers.
- Get employed by a larger corporation that provides CPR training.
Conclusion- How to Become a CPR and First Aid Instructor
Becoming a CPR/First-Aid instructor means you instantly become a valuable member of your community’s safety. Every year, 500,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest, and when you get your CPR/First-Aid Instructor certification, you give every one of those citizens hope.
There’s no telling where tragedy will strike next. That’s why more people must get CPR instructor certifications. The more CPR instructors we have available, the more access bystanders will have to CPR knowledge.
People may feel tentative to ask for guidance when it comes to CPR. After all, cardiac arrest emergencies are high-stress situations. When you position more instructors in everyday environments such as schools and the office, you increase the probability that those who are afraid to seek guidance will feel comfortable asking their friend, relative, or co-worker about CPR.
Those who want to pursue BLS and CPR together can for the combo courses also. It is easy to find a high quality BLS instructor course or students/participants can enroll in an online CPR and BLS course combo. It will enhance one’s knowledge of both topics extensively.
The Basic Life Support BLS usually has CPR techniques and course materials to learn as well. So get the facts right about the instructor essentials course from the get-go. Otherwise, simply learn the basics of CPR and BLS from online course providers like ours.
How to get CPR certified?
American Health Academy offers online CPR certification for healthcare providers. Our in-person, blended, and online courses make it easy and fast for anyone to get their certification. We make sure our prices are affordable and that you have access to your certification right away to give proof to your employer. Our certification cards are nationally recognized and have a 2 year validity. Contact us today and learn how you become a CPR instructor and start saving lives.
