CPR certification

[lc3]

Hi All,

Just a quick question, is BLS certification the same as CPR certification? If so, where can I take BLS certification classes?

Thanks!

[catlady, BSN, RN]

BLS is Basic Life Support, which encompasses CPR training for healthcare providers. It is offered through American Heart Association, which is the gold standard for CPR. You may take a CPR class through American Red Cross or another agency, but you should check with your employer to see if that is sufficient. For instance, if you want to go on and take ACLS, you must have BLS certification. American Heart Association does not itself give the classes, but they are given through community training centers. Many hospitals and paramedic/fire training centers are designated CTCs, and there are also some private centers that are certified to teach AHA courses. Do a Google search for BLS in your local area.

[limabean]

BLS is "basic life support." If you need to take the BLS for healthcare providers, this covers adult and pediatric CPR, foreign body airway obstruction, and use of an AED (automated external defibrillator.) Some other classes are taught to the public which just cover CPR and choking. If you look on the American Heart Association website you can click on : find a class near you. Also some of your local hospitals may have information posted on their websites about CPR classes that they offer.

www.americanheart.org

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I recently took a CPR class last week and was issued an American Heart Association CPR/BLS card at the end of the course. It was offered at my workplace free of charge to all employees who needed to take or renew their CPR.

[nerrollus]

Maybe I'm just off in left field, but I thought to qualify as BLS you had to be an EMT-B or higher?

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Maybe I'm just off in left field, but I thought to qualify as BLS you had to be an EMT-B or higher?

Basically, it's BLS being used in two different contexts. Basic Life Support in the CPR arena (which used to be referred to as Basic Cardiac Life Support, or BCLS) is just the CPR and/or AED class.

In prehospital care, we talk about BLS vs ALS vs MICU ambulances and that does refer to EMT's. Actually in my state, a BLS ambulance can be staffed by two Emergency Care Attendants (ECA's), which is essentially a first reponder-level certification just below the level of EMT.

[nerrollus]

Basically, it's BLS being used in two different contexts. Basic Life Support in the CPR arena (which used to be referred to as Basic Cardiac Life Support, or BCLS) is just the CPR and/or AED class.

In prehospital care, we talk about BLS vs ALS vs MICU ambulances and that does refer to EMT's. Actually in my state, a BLS ambulance can be staffed by two Emergency Care Attendants (ECA's), which is essentially a first reponder-level certification just below the level of EMT.

Gotcha ... Figured I was way off there. :)

Here you've gotta be EMT-B to ride an ambulance. Most of the services here either run EMT-B with EMT-P or 2x EMT-P on ambulances. Fireresponders are what the police and volley firedepartments start with.

Thanks for the info =)

[buckeyedoc]

Actually, the BLS for Healthcare Provider is the card issued for CPR/AED's for healthcare providers (hence the name). AHA offers Heartsaver First Aid/CPR for laypersons. As far as I know, all persons in direct patient contact have BLS for Healthcare Provider. The BLS doesn't refer to an EMS certification. BLS is just a general term.

The BLS/ALS in reference to EMS is a totally different animal. It determines the scope of practice the individual EMT's (whether they are Basics, Intermediates or Paramedics).

[belgarion]

Actually the LVN school I went to required ALL students to have BLS before we were allowed in clinicals. I recently renewed my BLS and did ACLS and PALS at my workplace. All three were taught by a nurse educator brought in from a hospital in the Metroplex area.