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What Courses Are Used for Teaching CPR?

Although exact statistics for cardiac arrest are unavailable, the American Red Cross reports that about 310,000 people die each year of coronary heart disease without being hospitalized. Many of these cardiac arrests can be dealt with if the victim is given immediate CPR and electronic defibrillation. There are many different CPR courses available for people who are interested in learning these potentially lifesaving skills.

  1. Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED

    • The CPR and First Aid classes offered by the Red Cross are designed to meet OSHA guidelines as well as requirements for many different professions. The Red Cross courses combine first aid for adults and children with either adult or child CPR. In a course with the AED add-on participants also learn to use an automatic external defibrillator. Red Cross courses are taught in person by a certified instructor and vary in length depending on the exact format of the class. Individuals who complete a Red Cross course receive certification for 2 years.

    CPR Anytime

    • CPR Anytime is a self-directed CPR course targeted towards people who would be unlikely to attend a traditional CPR course. The course was developed by the American Heart Association and consists of a 22 minute DVD, a small inflatable mannequin and a resource booklet. The CPR Anytime kit emphasizes chest compressions and rescue breathing as well as check-call-care and how to recognize an emergency. Individuals who complete a CPR Anytime course do not receive a certificate of completion but the course has been research-proven to successfully teach core CPR skills.

    Basic Cardiac Life Support

    • Basic Cardiac Life Support is the name of the CPR and First Aid course that is taught to medical professionals like doctors, nurses and paramedics. This course is specifically designed for both licensed and unlicensed healthcare professionals. The BCLS course is about 4.5 hours long and it teaches CPR, use of an AED and ways to effectively relieve choking. The course includes both a written test and a skills test and participants who complete both receive a course completion card.

    Internet CPR

    • Many people who want the information contained in a CPR course without the classroom time or skills test choose to take an online CPR course. These CPR courses typically consist of videos, slideshows or documents that you read through with a written test at the end. Students who complete the course and pass the test can receive a certificate of completion. The average completion time for an online CPR course is between 3 and 4 hours although the course can be done in sections rather than all at once.

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