CPR Seattle Blog

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Which CPR class is right for you?

CPR Seattle offers a few different types of CPR classes, which are designed to meet the needs of a wide range of professions and workplace environments.

Which class is right for you? That can depend on your profession, your planned activity, or your future CPR training needs.

Our Heartsaver CPR course (also available as a combined CPR/First Aid course) covers the guidelines for lay rescuers, i.e. non-healthcare professionals. These Heartsaver class manualcourses are appropriate for physical trainers, massage therapists, coaches, teachers, etc. – anyone who is not operating in a healthcare provider context. This course covers one-rescuer CPR and AED use, and participants may add child and infant CPR training to the required adult CPR training. CPR Seattle often combines this Heartsaver CPR course with the Heartsaver First Aid course (see our class schedules for dates and times).

BLS class manualWe also offer the BLS/CPR for Healthcare Providers course to those persons working in the healthcare profession. BLS stands for “Basic Life Support”. This is also sometimes referred to as CPR for Professional Rescuers. This BLS course covers CPR and AED use, as do all CPR courses, but it advances the course content by addressing equipment and situations that usually only healthcare providers would encounter. These include the use of bag masks for ventilation, two-rescuer BLS, advanced airway accommodation, and a more thorough patient assessment. Professions requiring the BLS class include physicians, nurses, CNAs, medical assistants, dentists and dental hygienists, and students in EMT courses. Note that anyone can take a BLS class, even if they are not in the medical field. There are no prerequisites for BLS/CPR for Healthcare Providers instruction. For a schedule of BLS classes at CPR Seattle, click here.

CPR Seattle also offers ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) classes for those medical professionals who are ACLS class manualresponsible for directing and/or participating in managing cardiovascular emergencies. It emphasizes operating as part of a team, and covers pharmacology and ECG as well as revisiting and refining the students’ BLS techniques. Participants in this course must be healthcare providers with the appropriate preparatory experience. For a current ACLS schedule, see our website for details.

Save time and money by making sure the CPR class you sign up for is the right one for you.

CPR Seattle always advises checking with your employer or certification board before enrolling in a class to make sure you get the appropriate training. If you are attending a school program in the greater Seattle area and have questions about your requirements, consult our post "Seattle college programs and CPR/First Aid requirements". Please contact our office if you have any questions about CPR, BLS, or ACLS course registration.


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Published on May 28, 2013