CPR Certification Choice

bobnurse · Jan 18, 2005

almost all the hospitals require the AHA BLS for HCP.....This class is for any healthcare provider, whether your a nurse, cna, doctor, emt, dental assistant, and so forth. The red cross has a new course for the healthcare provider, well it might not be that new, that can get reciprocity to the AHA BLS for HCP.......

But to say a CNA needs the red cross and nurses need the AHA........Well thats plain silly. Most nursing programs require you to take the CPR course yearly, even though its a every 2 year course.

Plagueis · Jan 19, 2005

almost all the hospitals require the AHA BLS for HCP.....This class is for any healthcare provider, whether your a nurse, cna, doctor, emt, dental assistant, and so forth. The red cross has a new course for the healthcare provider, well it might not be that new, that can get reciprocity to the AHA BLS for HCP.......
But to say a CNA needs the red cross and nurses need the AHA........Well thats plain silly. Most nursing programs require you to take the CPR course yearly, even though its a every 2 year course.

Thanks for answering my questions. Yes, I actually heard that the Red Cross certification was "good enough" for CNAs, but I just found out that the college here does require the AHA certification, so I'll go for that one.

allnurses Guide · Jan 20, 2005

They are both good courses, but AHA splits BLS into lay provider and health care provider, since lay vs professional are held to different standards. If you don't need the health care provider one yet, you can take the lay one and get used to the basics, which will make the HCP one make a little more sense later (that's if you have no previous "medical" type experience). Good luck!

Plagueis · Jan 20, 2005

They are both good courses, but AHA splits BLS into lay provider and health care provider, since lay vs professional are held to different standards. If you don't need the health care provider one yet, you can take the lay one and get used to the basics, which will make the HCP one make a little more sense later (that's if you have no previous "medical" type experience). Good luck!

The RN program here requires the BLS for the health care provider, so I'll go for that particular certification, since I should be starting CNA training in a few weeks.

Chad_KY_SRNA · Jan 20, 2005

American Heart Association certification lasts two years and the American Red Cross certification only lasts one year. CPR classes are about the same. Most cover FBAO, AED's, BVM's and everything associated with a BLS code. I took the AHA course.

abundantjoy07, RN · Jan 20, 2005

I took the American Red Cross CPR for Professional Rescuers. In addition to CPR training we also recieved training n AEDs. However, it does kinda stink because certification only lasts a year (which goes by very quickly).

edogs334 · Jan 20, 2005

Both the AHA and the ARC use virtually the same curriculums. I'm quite sure Automated External Defibrillation is a training requirement by AHA standards. I'm aware that specific RN and CNA programs might favor a particular organization, however, the ARC HAS to follow the AHA curriculum because the AHA makes the standards for CPR training in the U.S. Also, ARC DOES divide there courses into layperson CPR training and Healthcare Provider CPR training. The only difference is that the ARC uses the term "Professional Rescuer" to describe anyone (including healthcare providers) who has a legal and professional duty to act when they come upon a person in a medical emergency.

It's a pain in some ways to re-certify in CPR every year. But think about it this way. CPR is one of those skills that you'll use very rarely unless you work on a unit that has codes all the time. Thus, your CPR skills get stale if you refresh them at some point. Just my point of view

suzanne4, RN · Jan 20, 2005

American Heart Association certification lasts two years and the American Red Cross certification only lasts one year. CPR classes are about the same. Most cover FBAO, AED's, BVM's and everything associated with a BLS code. I took the AHA course.

Almost every medical facility requires that you do the CPR training yearly.

Chad_KY_SRNA · Jan 21, 2005

I have been working for two years without certification from anybody. The facility is well aware of that and they don't care. The community college that I attend is having the class in the next month. I have to have it to get into the RN program.

Plagueis · Jan 21, 2005

Almost every medical facility requires that you do the CPR training yearly.

If the BLS certification is good for two years, then how can a medical facility require you to recertify after one year? Can someone get an annual recertification even though their current certification is still good? Does that mean the Red Cross certification, which is good for one year, is the "better" one to get?