How to become a BLS instructor?

warrior woman · Jul 14, 2004

Most cities have CPR traning centers in them. They're usually located in hospitals or schools. Just call them and ask for their CPR traning center and ask them when the next instructor class is. Hope this helps!!

Genista, BSN, RN · Jul 14, 2004

Contact your local Americal Heart Association or American Red Cross & they will tell you what you need to do.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jul 14, 2004

Call the Education Dept. of the local hospital(s). They probably have someone who teaches the course regularly and can get you in a class.

jemb · Jul 14, 2004

AHA has designated instructor trainers through their organization. It is not difficult to become an instructor, but it can be expensive to practice on your own. I was a BLS instructor for 15 years, and used to assist with classes where I worked as well as do the occassional class or private lesson on my own. I finally let my instructor certification lapse when it began to cost me more to keep the certification than I was making on the few classes I was doing. But I really enjoyed teaching, and would have kept doing it had it not become so expensive to do it on my own. It just wasn't cost effective for as few classes as I was doing on my own.

Maybe 10 years ago, AHA decentralized its system for instructors and began requiring that all instructors be affilated with a 'teaching center'. That was no problem, but teaching centers require annual fees for affilation, plus the cost for cards for the students. AHA requires that you provide certain materials to each student, and that you have specific AHA materials for teaching. It can also cost quite a bit to renew your instructor certification. It used to be if you taught a certain number of classes during the two year period, you could renew your certification without taking another class. That changed a few years back -- not sure what the situation is now.

Never taught for Red Cross, but my understanding is that they do not allow the instuctors certified through them the autonomy that AHA instructors have.

Do a google search for 'BLS instructor training'. You'll get lots of leads.

NurseMercedes · Oct 7, 2010

HI there... my question is.. after becoming certified will I be able to work independantly for myself or will I be "employeed" by the training center??

highlandlass1592, BSN, RN · Oct 7, 2010

HI there... my question is.. after becoming certified will I be able to work independantly for myself or will I be "employeed" by the training center??

You have to maintain affiliation with a training center but you can teach BLS classes on your own. You do have to follow AHA guidelines (which actually aren't that hard, most of the teaching is done via video). To teach on your own, you're gonna need a TV and DVD player (for the video), manikins (adult and possibly infant), some type of barriers, and if you plan on doing AED teaching, gonna need an AED display (they make non-functioning units for teaching). Then you will have to buy cards from your training center...cost is usually around $2 a card for you. You will also need supplies for your students (ie, books..can't remember the last cost). I gave students a break and only charged them $30 for the course, everyone else $40 (which is the going rate in my area).

You may teach for the training center...say they have a mass BLS class going on and send out a request for instructors. If you are affiliated with that TC, you can be "employed" by them..they pay you an hourly rate to teach the class. When you teach on your own, you get profit after you pay for your supplies. Some TC's let you rent supplies from them. But I"ll be honest with you, if you are looking to set up your own business, you can find a lot of stuff off ebay. I got ALL my stuff except my student's handbooks (ordered those directly from WorldPoint, an AHA supplier). I was doing pretty good there for a while, enjoyed it but had to let it lapse due to going back to school myself.

Hope this helps.