People who work in medical facilities, schools, day care centres, and other such settings are frequently required to hold a first aid certification. Those who work in emergency healthcare are specifically required to hold specialist CPR certification, which often involves taking a BLS Healthcare Provider Course or similar.
Although many people want to learn CPR, and may consider enrolling in AHA CPR courses, it must be noted that all first aid courses cover basic first aid, adult CPR, and child and infant CPR with AED (Automated External Defibrillator). Some providers such as the American Red Cross offer additional training in areas such as bloodborne pathogens, injury prevention, and oxygen administration. Therefore, just taking a basic first aid course will provide the average layperson with enough knowledge of CPR to administer it in an emergency. More advanced certifications provided by courses like AHA CPR courses are designed for those who are professional BLS Healthcare providers ie doctors, nurses, emergency healthcare workers.
There Are Many Good Reasons To Enroll In First Aid Or AHA BLS Provider Classes
If you are thinking about taking a first aid course, or want to offer your services as a BLS Healthcare provider, here are some things to consider:
- You are not obligated to perform emergency procedures in public simply because you have a CPR certification, unless you’re at work and it is a requirement of your employment.
- Once you start performing CPR and/or other first aid procedures, you must keep going until professional medical help arrives. The victim’s chances of survival improve when CPR and first aid are administered immediately on the scene.
- As mentioned previously, all first aid training courses incorporate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This is an emergency procedure used to treat people suffering from a heart attack. As per American Heart Association guidelines, CPR includes both chest compressions and rescue breathing to maintain continuous blood flow to the heart and brain until the patient is stabilized.
- In addition to CPR, first aid courses also teach you how to detect and treat conditions a range of emergency conditions such as shock, seizures, poisoning, wounds, and head injuries. CPR and first aid classes are designed to prepare you to care for victims until medical assistance arrives.
- Details for suppliers of first aid classes, BLS Healthcare Provider courses and AHA CPR courses in your area will be available on the Internet. Make sure you establish their credibility before enrolling though.
- The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross offer traditional classroom training as well as hybrid or blended courses that include both online and hands-on classroom instruction. Other organisations, in addition to these two associations, provide first aid training. However, not all these courses will be certified so before enrolling, make sure your employer will accept that particular course.
- Ensure you receive a certificate at the end of your course. Most courses of this nature only provide you with a temporary certificate. Most American Heart Association certifications ie AHABLS Healthcare provider, are valid for two years. When your certification expires, you can renew it by enrolling in the relevant recertification courses.
Ultimately, you never know when you might find yourself at the scene of an accident. Holding a first aid certification equips you with the knowledge and skill sets to be able to assist should this happen. That’s a good reason right there to have it!
