Frequently Asked Questions
CHOOSING A COURSE
What is the minimum age to learn CPR?
The American Heart Association (AHA) does not mandate a minimum age requirement for learning CPR. The ability to perform CPR is based more on body strength than age. Studies have shown that children as young as nine years old can learn and retain CPR skills. Please speak with an AHA Instructor if you have any concerns.
Why is AED training included in all your CPR courses?
The science in the official 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) shows that victims have a greater chance of survival from cardiac arrest when high-quality CPR includes use of an AED.
I am not a healthcare professional and I need a CPR and AED course for work purposes. Which course should I take?
Heartsaver® CPR AED is probably best for you. The AHA offers this course in both classroom-based and eLearning formats.
Are your courses OSHA compliant?
Our Heartsaver Courses are for anyone with limited or no medical training who needs a course completion card for job, regulatory or other requirements. While these courses are designed to meet OSHA requirements, OSHA does not review or approve any courses for compliance.
Through the AHA/OSHA Alliance, we work with OSHA to raise awareness about workplace safety and health to prevent injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in the workplace. Read about the OSHA/AHA Alliance at www.cpr.heart.org.
Which CPR course should a "first responder" or “professional rescuer” take?
First responders or professional rescuers generally include fire, police and emergency medical personnel. These types of prehospital professionals usually need to complete a BLS course. The AHA now offers a BLS course specifically for prehospital providers, BLS for Prehospital Providers. Check with your employer or licensing authority to know if this is the course for you.
Which course should a daycare provider take?
The AHA’s Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED Course is designed to meet regulatory requirements for child care workers in all 50 United States. The AHA offers this course in both classroom-based and eLearning formats.
Can I take an AHA CPR course online?
The AHA offers a variety of eLearning courses through OnlineAHA.org. For CPR and first aid courses, an eLearning course must be followed by a skills practice and testing session with a Save A Life Worldwide AHA Instructor within 60 days of completion and has an additional cost.
I see two online course options listed for BLS for Healthcare Providers. What is the difference between them?
The two online options are BLS for Healthcare Providers Online Part 1 and HeartCode® BLS Part 1. Both of these self-paced courses are accessible anytime from any computer, cover the same curriculum, allow you access to reference material for 24 months and—upon successful completion—provide you a certificate to present to your Save A Life Worldwide AHA Instructor when you go to your skills session. The outcome of successfully completing all three parts of either of AHA’s BLS eLearning programs is the same: students receive their BLS for Healthcare Providers course completion card.
The difference between the two courses is the method in which the content is delivered. HeartCode BLS Part 1 delivers the content through eSimulation, where students interact in real-time with the patient scenarios, while content in BLS for Healthcare Providers Online Part 1 is delivered through interactive question and answer lessons, mini-games and video segments.
Do the AHA’s BLS courses include first aid?
No, first aid is not included in the AHA’s BLS courses. The AHA offers a variety of courses that will prepare you to respond to a first aid emergency, including:
- Heartsaver First Aid – classroom-based
- Heartsaver First Aid Online Part 1 – to be followed by a skills session with a Save A Life Worldwide AHA Instructor
- Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED – classroom-based
- Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Online Part 1 – to be followed by a skills session with a Save A Life Worldwide AHA Instructor
- Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED – classroom-based
- Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED Online Part 1 – to be followed by a skills session with a Save A Life Worldwide AHA Instructor
In CPR and first aid training,
- An infant is someone who is younger than one year
- A child is someone who is older than one year and has not reached puberty
- An adult is anyone who has gone through or is going through puberty
How do I sign up for a class?
You may call Save A Life Worldwide or visit www.savealifeworldwide.com and complete the contact form to inquire about costs and availability. Save A Life Worldwide AHA Instructors are independent that have entered into an agreement with the AHA to provide CPR and First Aid Training using the current AHA guidelines and curricula.
What should I wear to class?
Our CPR and first aid courses involve hands-on practice sessions, so wear something comfortable that you can move around in. If you have long hair, it is best to wear it back.
How do I get the student materials I need (in the US) ?
Course eBooks may be purchased and downloaded at http://ebooks.heart.org.
May I use a copied manual/workbook?
No. Each student must have his or her own current and appropriate manual or workbook readily available for use before, during and after the course.
The AHA owns the copyrights to AHA textbooks, manuals and other CPR & First Aid training materials. These materials may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the AHA. To request permission to reprint, copy or use portions of CPR & First Aid materials, submit a written request to the AHA at copyright.heart.org.
May I translate your materials?
You can find information about the AHA’s guidelines for translating materials at the AHA’s copyright permission site.
I am visually impaired. Am I able to obtain course materials in Braille?
The AHA does not produce materials in Braille. However, through the proper channels we can provide you a student manual/workbook in digital format for your use. Please contact your Save A Life Worldwide so he or she can assist you.
When can I expect to receive my course completion card from the AHA?
In most cases you will be issued your AHA card the day of your class. As a Save A Life Worldwide AHA Instructor, we are required to issue course completion cards within 20 business days of successful course completion. Please contact us if you have any questions about your card.
Can I laminate my AHA course completion card?
Yes.
How can I tell if my card is a valid AHA course completion card?
To check the validity of an AHA course completion card, contact the Training Center that issued the card. The Training Center’s information can be found on the back of the card.
When do I need to renew my course completion card?
Course completion cards are valid for two years through the end of the month during which the course completion card was issued.
My card is about to expire. How do I get a new one?
You may call the Save A Life Worldwide, visit www.savealifeworldwide.com and complete the contact form to inquire about costs and availability.
I lost my course completion card. How do I get a replacement?
It is the responsibility of the AHA Training Center to issue a duplicate card if a card is lost, mutilated or otherwise becomes unusable. All requests for duplicate or replacement cards must be submitted directly to the Training Center that issued the original card. Please note that a Training Center may charge a fee for reissuing a card.
If you don’t remember your Training Center’s information, here are some tips to help:
- Ask a coworker or friend who took the class with you. The Training Center’s information can be found on the back of his or her card.
- If your school or employer made the arrangements for the class, he or she should have the Training Center’s contact information.
- Do you have a student manual/workbook from the class? It may have a label on it that includes the Training Center’s name.
- Visit www.cpr.heart.org/ to search for Training Centers in the same area where you took the class.
- If you are unable to get a response from your Training Center, please email TCCSupport@heart.org, and include the Training Center’s name, the Instructor’s first and last name the city and state, as well as the details of your complaint.
Yes, AHA course completion cards are accepted in all US states.
I heard you can do CPR without giving breaths now. Is that correct?
Hands-Only CPR is CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths. It is recommended for use by bystanders who see a teen or adult suddenly collapse in an “out-of-hospital” setting (such as at home, at work or in a park). It consists of two easy steps:
- All infants (up to age 1)
- Children (up to puberty)
- Anyone found already unconscious and not breathing normally
- Any victims of drowning, drug overdose, collapse due to breathing problems, or prolonged cardiac arrest
MISCELLANEOUS QUESTION
Does my AHA course completion card certify me to do CPR?
No. The AHA does not certify people in CPR, first aid or advanced cardiovascular life support skills; the AHA verifies that, at the time a person successfully completed training, he or she was able to perform skills satisfactorily.
Highlights of the 2015 American Heart Association Guidelines Update for CPR and ECC https://ebooks.heart.org