CPR Training for Health Care Providers

CPR training for health care professionals is called Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers. According to the American Heart Association, the aim of BLS is to provide health care workers with the tools to assess life-threatening emergencies.

Locate a Class

• The American Heart Association or American Red Cross can help health care workers locate a class. If you work in a hospital or health care institution, contact the education department to learn about BLS offerings.

BLS Competencies

• According to the American Heart Association, BLS classes cover AED use, CPR, bag-mask use as well as rescue-breathing and choking survival techniques in adults, children and infants. Frequent changes in CPR require that most health care practitioners renew their training. The American Red Cross certification expires after one year; the American Heart Association credential remains active for two years.

Take the Test

• To achieve BLS certification, health care workers are required to pass a written skills evaluation and CPR simulation test on adult and child models.

CPR Supplies

• The need for CPR happens inside and outside the hospital. To protect yourself and patients from communicable diseases, the American Red Cross and medical supply stores offer masks, gloves and mouth covers that can easily fit in a purse, glove compartment or on a key chain.

Malpractice Insurance

• Those who administer CPR in a hospital may be covered by malpractice insurance. However, health care professionals should carry their own malpractice insurance for events that occur outside the hospital, as well as supplemental insurance that may fall outside their employer's limits.

BLS Class Cost

• Classes range from $18 to $70 for initial training and renewal, as of 2010. The reading portion can be completed online, with the skills component to be conducted at a designated training facility.