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About the American Red Cross Online CPR Training

Knowledge of CPR, basic first aid and the automated external defibrillator will give you the confidence to help in an emergency situation. The skills that you learn from the American Red Cross CPR online training course can help you to save the life of an infant, child or adult.

  1. History

    • Dr. James Elam and Peter Safer discovered the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation technique in the 1950s. In the 1960s, Guy Knickerbocker, a graduate student at John Hopkins Hospital, Dr. James Jude and Dr. William Kouwenhoven discovered that using compression on the chest helped with blood circulation. These techniques were combined to give us the life-saving CPR method we know today.

    Function

    • The American Red Cross offers an online cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training program that will certify you for one year once the course is completed. It also trains and certifies you for basic first aid. The first aid certification is good for three years. This training covers emergencies that involve adults, children and infants.

    Online Course

    • The online CPR training class should take about 8 1/2 hours and must be completed within 14 days of signing up and making payment. Certified and authorized American Red Cross instructors structure the classes and course materials. At the end of the course, there is a written exam with questions in a variety of formats, like multiple choice and true or false. You must get at least 80 percent to pass the course. If you pass the course, you then move on to an in-person skills session. This portion must be completed and passed within 30 days of passing the written exam. You will review what you learned in the online class with a Red Cross authorized instructor and then perform the actual methods that you learned online. You will get your certificate after passing the skills portion.

    Universal Precautions and AED Training

    • In addition to CPR and first aid certification, the Red Cross also offers certification in Universal Precautions and automated external defibrillator (AED). Universal Precautions covers infection control procedures, glove removal and good hygiene. AED essentials will teach you when and how to use an AED. To earn AED certification, you must have CPR certification, as well as pass the online AED essentials test and attend a skill session to perform and review skills. The Universal Precautions and AED certification is good for one year.

    Features

    • The American Red Cross uses only experts to develop the programs and materials offered. CPR/AED courses are always up-to-date with current scientific findings for first aid and emergency cardiovascular care. The American Red Cross always meets OSHA's (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) first aid guidelines.

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