AHA Courses

Which CPR or First Aid Course Is Right For Me?

Q: What can you do to save a life?

A: Learn how to do CPR and use the Automated External Defibrillator (AED)!

Over 250,000 people die from an out-of-hospital Sudden Cardiac Arrest every year. Death from Sudden Cardiac Arrest is preventable!

I want to learn CPR and/or First Aid. Which course should I take?

Healthcare Provider CPR

Designed for: Healthcare providers such as physicians, nurses, EMS personnel, dentists, respiratory therapists, athletic trainers, physical therapists and pharmacists (working in an in-patient facility).

Content: This course covers Adult, Child and Infant CPR (including 2-rescuer scenarios and the use of the bag mask with or without an advanced airway), AED, and foreign-body airway obstruction. Successful completion of the skills and written examination is required for certification.

Materials: Provider manual (includes CD)

Length: with a 6:1 instructor-student ratio and 3:1 student-manikin ratio:

Healthcare Provider Renewal course = Approximately 3 hours
Healthcare Provider New provider course = Approximately 4.5 hours

Certification: This is a 2-year certification. Successful completion of the skills and written test is required for certification. Cards will be mailed within 30 days of successful completion of the course.

Renewal vs. New Provider Course:

The renewal course is for those who have current Healthcare Provider CPR certification that they need to renew. Pre-course preparation is required. This course expects students will come fully prepared with their skills, have reviewed the 2005 ECC/AHA Guidelines and are ready to demonstrate skills with little practice. Review packet available. Additional library materials also available in the Education Resources Department for CMC employees. Successful completion of the skills and written test is required for certification.

The new provider course is for those who have never taken Healthcare Provider level CPR or would like a longer class with more review and practice time. This class is longer than the renewal course and includes lots of review and practice time. Pre-course review of the 2005 ECC/AHA Guidelines is recommended. Review packet available. Additional library materials also available in the Education Resources Department for CMC employees. Successful completion of the skills and written test is required for certification.

Heartsaver CPR and Heartsaver AED Courses

Heartsaver CPR and Heartsaver AED certification courses are designed for those who have a duty to respond to a cardiac emergency because of job responsibilities or regulatory requirements (i.e. OSHA). Some of these areas include: assisted living facilities, non-clinical areas of hospital (i.e. housekeeping, accounting, secretaries), hotels/motels, food service, retail, coaching, industry/construction, daycare/childcare, personal trainer, heath clubs, summer camps, rafting guides, security/law enforcement, teachers, non-medical students

Heartsaver CPR Content: The Heartsaver CPR course teaches CPR and relief of choking in adults and children, and infant CPR and relief of choking, and use of barrier devices for all ages. Pre-course review of the 2005 ECC/AHA Guidelines is recommended. Successful completion of the skills test is required for certification. No written test. There are no renewal courses for the Heartsaver curriculum.

Heartsaver AED Content: The Heartsaver AED course teaches CPR, AED use, relief of choking in adults and children, and infant CPR and relief of choking, and use of barrier devices for all ages. Pre-course review of the 2005 ECC/AHA Guidelines is recommended. Successful completion of the skills test is required for certification. No written test. There are no renewal courses for the Heartsaver curriculum.

Length: with a 6:1 instructor-student ratio and 3:1 student-manikin ratio:

Heartsaver CPR course = Approximately 3 hours (2 hours w/o Infant CPR)
Heartsaver AED course = Approximately 3.5 hours (2.5 hours w/o Infant CPR)

Materials: Student workbook (includes CD and reminder cards)

Certification: This is a 2-year certification. There are no renewal courses for the Heartsaver curriculum. Successful completion of the skills test required for certification. No written exam. Cards will be mailed within 30 days of successful completion of the course.

Heartsaver First Aid

Designed for: those who have a duty to respond to a first air or cardiac emergency because of job responsibilities or regulatory responsibilities (i.e. OSHA). Some of these areas include: assisted living facilities, non-clinical areas of hospital (i.e. housekeeping, accounting, secretaries), hotels/motels, food service, retail, coaching, industry/construction, daycare/childcare, personal trainer, heath clubs, summer camps, rafting guides, security/law enforcement, teachers, non-medical students

Content: The Heartsaver First Aid course teaches how to manage adult illnesses and injuries in the first few minutes until professional help arrives. Course content includes General Principles, Medical Emergencies and Injury Emergencies. Optional topics include CPR (Adult, Child and Infant and choking) and AED, and Environmental Emergencies (i.e. snakebites, heat/cold emergencies, poisoning). Successful completion of the written test is required for First Aid certification and the Skills Test for CPR/AED. There are no renewal courses for the Heartsaver curriculum.

Length: with a 6:1 instructor-student ratio and 3:1 student-manikin ratio:

First Aid only = Approximately 3.5 hours
All modules = Approximately 7.5 hours (6.5 hours w/o Infant CPR)

Materials: Student workbook (includes CD and reminder cards)

Certification: This is a 2-year certification. There are no renewal courses for the Heartsaver curriculum. Successful completion of the written test is required for First Aid certification and the Skills Test for CPR/AED. Cards will be mailed within 30 days of successful completion of the course.

Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid

Designed for: those involved in child care who have a duty to respond to a first aid emergency because of job responsibilities or regulatory responsibilities (i.e. OSHA). Some of these areas include: child care workers, teachers, foster care workers, camp counselors, youth organizations, and coaches for children's sports organizations.

Content: The Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid course teaches how to manage illnesses and injuries in children in the first few minutes until professional help arrives. Topics include First Aid Basics, Medical Emergencies (including Asthma Care Training for Childcare Providers), Injury Emergencies, Environmental Emergencies, Adult/Child CPR with mask and Adult/Child AED. Optional topics include optional first aid topics Infant CPR with mask. Successful completion of the written test is required for First Aid certification and the Skills Test for CPR/AED. There are no renewal courses for the Heartsaver curriculum.

Length: with a 6:1 instructor-student ratio and 3:1 student-manikin ratio:

Approximately 7.5 hours (6.5 hours w/o Infant CPR)

Materials: Student workbook (includes CD, quick reference card, reminder cards)

Heartsaver CPR in Schools

Designed for: middle- and high-school students seeking a certification in CPR and AED

Content: The Heartsaver CPR in Schools course is tailored to middle- and high-school students and teaches CPR and AED use, relief of choking in adults and children, and infant CPR and relief of choking. Successful completion of the Skills Test for CPR/AED. No written test. There are no renewal courses for the Heartsaver curriculum.

Length: with a 6:1 instructor-student ratio and 3:1 student-manikin ratio:

CPR only = approximately 3 hours (w/o infant CPR = 2 hours)
CPR w/AED = approximately 3 hours, 45 minutes (w/o infant CPR = 2 hours, 45 minutes)

Materials: Student workbook (includes CD, reminder cards)

Certification: This is a 2-year certification. There are no renewal courses for the Heartsaver curriculum. Successful completion of the Skills Test is required. Cards will be mailed within 30 days of successful completion of the course.

Family and Friends CPR

Designed for: family members, friends and members of the general community who want to learn CPR but do not need a certification. This program can also be a non-credentialed option for middle-a and high-school students.

Content: The Friends and Family CPR program teaches how to perform CPR in adults, children or infants and how to help an adult, child, or infant who is choking. No certification card, but a course participation card is given. No written or skills test. There are no renewal courses for the Friends and Family program.

Length: with a 6:1 instructor-student ratio and 3:1 student-manikin ratio:

All modules = approximately 2.5 hours (w/o infant CPR = 1 hour, 15 minutes)
Infant CPR only = approximately 1 hour, 15 minutes

Materials: Student workbook (includes reminder cards)

Certification: There is no certification for the Friends and Family Program, but a course participation card is given. No written or skills test. There are no renewal courses for the Friends and Family program.

Family and Friends First Aid for Children

Designed for: those caring for infants and children, such as family members, babysitters, and other providing in-home care, who want basic first aid information, but do not need a certification.

Content: The Friends and Family First Aid for Children program teaches how to manage illnesses and injuries in a child for the first few minutes until professional help arrives. This program covers such topics as preventing injuries, recognizing and treating basic first aid emergencies, and relief of choking in infants and children. No certification card, but a course participation card is given. No written or skills test. There are no renewal courses for the Friends and Family program.

Length: with a 6:1 instructor-student ratio and 3:1 student-manikin ratio:

Approximately 45 minutes

Materials: Student workbook

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