Grace period for CPR card?

[cherrylhearts]

Is there a grace period for a CPR card that has expired?

[katkonk, BSN, RN]

No. That is like being a little pregnant. You are either certified or you are not. The expiration dates mean exactly what they say. Any deviation re: when you must renew would be a policy according to your institution.

[cherrylhearts]

Thanks, that what I thought.

[massrn116]

Funny thing about CPR and ACLS, why oh why do we have to renew every 2 years. Each and every time I find the recerts are a joke. People joking around, not really having the information, anyone else????

[elkpark]

Not in my (decades of) experience. If you're expired, you're expired.

[caliotter3]

Renewals are supposed to keep you up to date and familiar with the procedures, but like previously stated, not always a serious endeavor. Expired is expired. Sometimes you can get away with a few days or weeks if your employer doesn't catch it. Other employers are right on it and will pull you from your job until you comply. Same goes with your license.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

AHA courses expire on the last day of the month in which you certified. So if you took a class March 15, 2008 it will expire March 31, 2010.

Recerts in my facility are not a joke because we follow AHA standards closely. We have an Educator who is AHA regional faculty. We sometimes get complaints from employees who just want the card, and fail the test or competency. But then we have facilities send their nurses here because we have a reputation for following guidelines. It is always left up to the adult student how much they learn.

[elkpark]

Recerts in my facility are not a joke because we follow AHA standards closely. We have an Educator who is AHA regional faculty. We sometimes get complaints from employees who just want the card, and fail the test or competency. But then we have facilities send their nurses here because we have a reputation for following guidelines. It is always left up to the adult student how much they learn.

Agreed -- there's a lot of variation among employers/facilities. I've worked places that had v. serious CPR recert courses, where they really paid attention to whether you knew your stuff, and other places where it was a joke -- you just showed up and went through the motions and that was all they cared about.

[katkonk, BSN, RN]

Re: why we have to recert....

After many years of getting certified in CPR, the guidelines have changed a great deal. This is due to long term research that gives us better info on how we MAY be able to save a life. And many things that were thought to be true years ago, we have found are not true at all.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

Funny thing about CPR and ACLS, why oh why do we have to renew every 2 years. Each and every time I find the recerts are a joke. People joking around, not really having the information, anyone else????

It really does vary place to place , although there are basic guidelines that you need to follow from AHA. If these "joking, not really having information" places were audited they probably would lose their ability to hold the classes.

I teach ACLS and BLS and it is no joke. I don't crack a whip either but I expect people to do what they would do if they were trying to save a real person not just a plastic person. I have failed people ( only a few) for not knowing their stuff and pretty much being flippant about everything.

otessa

[dscrn]

just a question...do all facilities accept the on-line recerts? Wondering about this

[MERRYWIDOW46]

I too am a BLS Instructor. I have taught at 4 different facilities, it is no joking matter. You either know your stuff or not. Minimal remediation happens where I am currently teaching.

Most facilities in my State are requiring ONLY AHA BLS and ACLS courses, and NOT accepting the online didactic with an in person skill checkoff.

Certifications expire the last day of the month they were issues. I have had a few employers in the past few years mandate if cert was March 15, 2007 you expire March 15 2009.

Good Luck.