How do I become CPR and first aid certified?
You can earn CPR training and receive first aid certification in a number of ways. Choose an online course to learn the materials remotely and then find a testing location to complete the certification process with an in-person demonstration of your knowledge and skills. Encourage your workplace to host a first aid and CPR training so employees can learn what to do in case of a workplace emergency and how to respond with lifesaving techniques. You may also be able to take a CPR or first aid class in your community. A basic CPR training may run four to five hours. After receiving CPR training, you’ll know how to respond if an adult or a child goes into cardiac arrest or stops breathing. You’ll learn how to use chest compressions to keep blood pumping to a person’s organs, which can keep them alive until an emergency responder can arrive. First aid and CPR training can also include education about how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
What is CPR training?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (better known as CPR) is a lifesaving manual technique that pumps oxygenated blood back into the body’s organs if someone’s heart or breathing has stopped. A variety of CPR training is available to community members, employees and healthcare providers. CPR training may last two to five hours or more, depending on the content and the target audience. During the training, students will learn how to recognize and respond to an emergency situation. There are different CPR techniques for adults and children, but with both you will learn how to determine whether the person is conscious before administering chest compression. During the training you’ll learn chest compression techniques for adults and different techniques for children between the ages of 1 and 8. Students learn how to properly administer chest compressions, when the technique is appropriate and when it is not, and how long you must perform rescue measures. Students also learn what an automatic external defibrillator (AED) is and how to use it if necessary to shock a patient before administering CPR chest compressions.
What is first aid training?
With first aid training, you may be able to help save a life. First aid training can teach people who are not medical professionals how to help a sick or injured person in crisis before an ambulance arrives on the scene. Most commonly, first aid training helps teach you how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
First aid training can teach you how to respond in a variety of emergency situations, including:
- Asthma attack
- Anaphylaxis
- Burns
- Choking
- Diabetic emergencies
- External bleeding
- Heart attack
- Poisoning
- Neck, head or back injury
- Stroke
- Seizure
First aid training classes may be offered by professionals who are affiliated with the Red Cross, which offers online, in-person, and blended training classes. First aid classes are also often offered through local recreation centers, city services, schools, hospitals and private companies.
What can you do with a first aid certificate?
People with a first aid certificate are trained to respond quickly and appropriately in life-threatening situations. Although a first aid certificate alone isn’t enough to secure a job, it can make you more attractive to certain types of potential employers. When you have a first aid certificate, you’ve proved that you know how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use an automated external defibrillator (AED), and handle emergency situations like choking, heavy bleeding, a heart attack or stroke, or anaphylaxis. Most parents prefer babysitters and lifeguards with first aid certification. Many professionals, especially those who work with children, are required to have first aid training, including teachers, coaches, counselors and therapists, firefighters, and social workers. In addition to adult and pediatric first aid plus CPR and AED courses, you can take first aid training specifically designed for babysitting and child care, for health care settings, and for swimming and water safety situations..
How do you get your first aid certificate?
To get your first aid certificate, you must take a first aid training course designed for certification. Certified training professionals offer courses to employers, schools or other groups. For an in-person training, you may go to a training location such as a Red Cross classroom, or a professional first aid and CPR trainer can come to you or your office. Most first aid training courses take three to five hours or more, which prepares you to take the first aid certification test. To boost your chances, you can take online practice tests or review study guides. Once you pass the first aid exam, an official digital certificate is emailed to you. You can also have a wallet card or printed certificate sent to you.