ProCPR

I have not personally used them to renew my CPR card, but I have read several posts from people that stated their employer would not accept it.

Oh wow...thanks so much for the heads up!

If you need a BLS CPR, you can go to this website

http://www.onlineaha.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.home

and find someone in your area to do the manikin skills test. As far as I know, it's completely legit. The person in my area who offers the skill test also offers the regular classes (all approved by the American Heart Association).

They say on the site the class can be done in 1-2 hours, and the in-person test gives you 30 minutes of practice.

My employer accepted it, but I know if you're in a hospital setting, they probably won't accept it.

Check with your employer first. I know of two people that were assured by the CPR company that their training would be accepted by all employers and it wasn't.

they may "follow the guidelines" but they are not AHA approved. Most employers accept ONLY AHA courses because the standards are high, they are consistent and evidence based, and they require demonstration of competency. ProCPR does none of that. They are just basically taking your money for a phoney card. You will still have to pay to take an AHA course in order to have the competency checkoff demos.

the international liaison committee on resuscitation (ilcor) was formed in 1992. according to their website they were formed to "...provide a forum for liaison between principle resuscitation organizations worldwide." the american heart association (aha) is a member of ilcor and represents the united states. in 2000, ilcor published the first international resuscitation guidelines. these guidelines were updated in the2005 international consensus on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cpr) and emergency cardiovascular care (ecc) science with treatment recommendations and are scheduled to be updated again in 2010. the aha subsequently published the 2005 american heart association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cpr) and emergency cardiovascular care (ecc).

the aha neither sanctions nor approves other organizations life support training programs. after publishing the 2005 american heart association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cpr) and emergency cardiovascular care (ecc) the aha subsequently developed their own life support training programs, of which bls is one.

other agencies were then free to develop their own courses based upon these guidelines, and several have. i am aware of the american red cross (arc), american safety and health institute (ashi), procpr, and american aed/cpr association programs; there are probably others that i am not aware of. some of these programs are offered in the traditional classroom, blended, or online format.

[color=#333333]joint commission standard pc.02.01.11: resuscitation services are available throughout the hospital lists the following as one of the elements of performance: "an evidenced-based training program(s) is used to train staff to recognize the need for and use of resuscitation equipment and techniques." there is no official or preferred bls program to satisfy the joint commission (jc) requirement, nor does jc address format of course delivery

[color=#333333]using this standard, each facility is free to determine which program or programs, and which format that they will accept to satisfy this requirement. some facilities are specific as to which program they will accept (i.e. only aha or arc, etc.) while others will accept any program as long as it is compliant with the 2005 aha guidelines for cpr and ecc. unless the agency specifies that they only accept a specific program or programs, it is possible that any program that is compliant with the 2005 american heart association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cpr) and emergency cardiovascular care (ecc) would be acceptable. if there is a specific facility you are interested in you might try and contact their nursing edcuation department to determine which programs that are acceptable.

the aha offers their bls for health care provider course in both the traditional and blended format. aha elearning bls is offered in two formats: heartcode bls part 1 ($28.50) and bls for healthcare providers part 1 ($17.50). successful completion of either course results in receipt of an aha bls for health care providers course, the difference is in how the online portion is presented. upon completion of part 1, the participant must schedule with an approved aha instructor to complete parts 2 and 3, skills review and evaluation. you can then use the aha ecc course connector to locate an approved training center and schedule a skills review/evaluation. the aha ecc course connector can also be used to locate a traditional program as well, if that is preferred.

the arc also offers their cpr professional rescuer & aed for healthcare providers in both the traditional and blended format.the cpr professional rescuer & aed for healthcare providers ($65.00) course is available. according to the website you have 14 days to complete the online portion. i could not find specific information regarding how long you have to complete the skills review/evaluation. you can then use the arc online training skills map to locate an approved training center and schedule a skills review/evaluation, and there may or may not be an additional fee for the skills evaluation. the arc online training skills map can also be used to locate a traditional program as well, if that is preferred. the aha and arc recently renewed their statement of understanding. in this revised statement of understanding, the "aha and arc agree to recognize the other's student level cpr, aed and first aid training programs as equivalent in content, as shown in the following table of courses." the entire statement of understanding between the aha and the arc is available for download.

the health and safety institute (hsi) is a privately held emergency care and training organization consisting of several training organizations, of which ashi is one. the ashi cpr pro for the professional rescuer is currently available as a traditional program, and a blended program might be in development, however i am unable to locate current information. the following was taken from their frequently asked questions site: "ashi programs are based on the 2005 american heart association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cpr) and emergency cardiovascular care (ecc) and other evidence-based treatment recommendations. additionally, ashi was a participant in the international liaison committee on resuscitation (ilcor) 2005 international conference on cpr and ecc science with treatment recommendations, hosted by the american heart association, inc." if you are interested in this, or any other ashi program, you can locate a local training center via the find a training center page.

procpr offers a blended online/hands-on cpr certification option ($29.95). i was unable to find any information regarding time limits. upon completion of the online portion, you can then contact a procpr skills evaluator for your skills review/evaluation, and there may or may not be an additional fee for the skills evaluation. the following was taken from the procpr statement of accreditation and compliance "procpr is an accredited program that satisfies the requirements for cpr training according to the latest ecc/ilcor and the american heart association guidelines."

the american aed/cpr association's onsite cpr/aed training classes site states they do have a blended course. their website contains the following statement: "our cards are widely accepted since the american aed/cpr association follows the same guidelines (ecc 2005) as mandated by most states for cpr and aed card requirements." although i was unable to find information regarding location of their training centers, the site states they will bring the class to your location.

after determining which program that you are going to take, you then need to determine the program format to take. basic life support training is currently offered in three formats: traditional, blended, and online.

using the traditional format, you go to a training center and spend four to eight hours watching videos, doing skills review and evaluation, and complete the written test. at the end of the day you receive a course completion/certification card. this is probably what most people are familiar with.

the blended format is exactly that, it is a combination of both online and classroom training. in a blended program you will complete the cognitive/didactic portion on line, as well as completed the written test on line. upon completion of the test you print out your course completion form to take to an instructor where you then complete the skills review and testing portion. upon completion of the skills review/testing you are issued your course completion/certification card. there is generally no distinction between completion of either a traditional or blended course.

online courses, as the name implies, are offered totally online. these programs consist only of the cognitive/didactic portion, without a skills review/testing. personally, i would not take an online course without skills review/testing.

i hope this information was helpful.