Is the online bls at American Heart Association hard to pass?

Sour Lemon · May 16, 2018

As the title mentioned, I really want to know is it hard to get the certificate via online course? Is it worth it? This would be the first time I take the class so I really need some advices. Many thanks!

I've never known any CPR class to be "hard to pass". That being said, I don't know you or what might be difficult for you to accomplish.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 16, 2018

In order to get the AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers, there MUST be a hands-on skills portion. How the hands-on portion is done can vary, but it is required. So, beware of any site that states you can get the certification entirely through an online test. This is a source of confusion for many people.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · May 16, 2018

For me, the hardest part of any of those online modules is that the animation is generally terrible and I always think I'm the second of the two people walking along when one drops to the ground so I always forget to click on the second person and send him for help.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · May 16, 2018

AHA BLS/ACLS online courses are exactly the same in content as face-to-face ones sans the actual "acting" part which is taken separately. Just keep in mind that animation sucks BAD, cookies slow the system down, reactivity is on the level of the year of 2000 if not worse and "customer service" is a joke.

I spoke with a guy who was supposed to know how the animation work and he definitely knew IT 101 worse than myself, leaving alone my 14 years old. The latter person suggested a few helpful tips such as closing all concurrently running programs (including printer/fax wifi), choosing time/place with light traffic and max bandwidth, disabling web protectors for the worktime, closing wifi on every device which is running it around if possible and cleaning memory after every session from insane amount of cookies and redundant files the system leaves around.

bec16, BSN, RN · May 16, 2018

I personally did not find it hard to pass. I also took the HeartCode version of PALS and did the skills checkoff in person.

umbdude, MSN, APRN · May 16, 2018

I thought it was a pain and I had a hard time giving the right amount of time for breaths (or something like that). I did that once and never again. It also took up much more time than the typical class I go to.

Guest219794 · May 16, 2018

Kind of hard to answer, not knowing you.

I am sure it is hard for somebody. Maybe you.

This is a site for nurses. If a cpr course is hard for a nurse, I would guess that being a nurse is really hard for that nurse.

quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN · May 16, 2018

Not hard to pass. Once you finish the online portion, you go in and test on the skills before you can receive your card.

40thEditionRN · May 16, 2018

It wasn't hard to pass in terms of knowledge. I did find the scenarios to be difficult technologically to move through. For instance, performing chest compressions at an adequate speed using your mouse??? Awkward. There were a few other computer issues that necessitated me doing some of the scenarios a few times. Frustrating, because I knew what I was doing! That being said, it's definitely doable. If you sign up for the online/hands-on class, be sure to actually do the online portion and pass it in advance of the skills portion. There was a guy who didn't do the online portion and wasn't allowed in to do the skills.

inthecosmos, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · May 16, 2018

Finding an in-person course has always been better for me.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 17, 2018

I usually do the hybrid version (online with in-person skills assessment) for BLS. It's always worked for me, but I'm also very comfortable taking online courses.

However, OP, if this is the very first time you are taking BLS, I strongly recommend that you take the in-person version. This will let you have the chance to ask questions, get direct assistance from the instructors, and get more practice with the mannequins and actually performing the BLS skills.

As others have said, any BLS class that claims to be 100% online should be avoided, as it's almost certainly not AHA-certified. The AHA will make you come in and demonstrate the skills in person.