CPR question

[SANART11]

Ok, so im entering the clinical phase of nursing school this fall. Last semester i took a two credit class (first aid and personal saftey) in order to receive financial aid and since i would get a cpr certificate. My advisor told me i would need it during NS anyway. Then, when i was speaking to a nursing counselor she told me i need a child-adult aed/cpr ceft. and this class only awarded me an adult only aed/cpr which means i can only have it for a year and then i would have to get a child cert. since i would be working with kids. My school is having a cpr training day where we donate 50 dollars and spend the whole day learning what i already learned to recieve the cpr/bls cert. Is there anyway i can just take the test only in a year and get the certificate without starting from scratch and learning everything again. I know how to do cpr on a child. Thanks for any input.

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking for, but here goes:

The CPR cert business is a fun little set-up where you more or less have to sit through the entire class at a particular level to receive your cert. After that you can re-up the cert by taking shortened refresher courses and then testing out again on the practical portions, but you still need to sit through the initial course to do it. You can retake the course as often as you please and have the money for, but the date they give you is when you need to take the course again by or else the certification will lapse.

As for the specific level, most healthcare places want you to do an adult/child/infant CPR/AED certification that incorporates the use of the BVM in addition to using a facemask. Many will ask specifically for AHA's CPR for Healthcare Providers (that Heartsaver cert isn't worth squat), although some will accept ARC's CPR for the Professional Rescuer.

Hope this helps - if not, feel free to ask again.

[8jimi8ICURN]

if you are going to be a healthcare provider, you should probably take that class. What is it? 6 hours? don't sweat it, just get it done! :)

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

The person to be asking is the one who is giving this cpr training day and awarding the BLS certificates. Get in touch with them. Tell them what kind of certificate you have and ask them your question.