As disasters plague the US and the rest of the world without warning, having basic knowledge and training in CPR is very advantageous. Most occupations that are high risk equally call for employees to have CPR training certificates. There is a variety of programs available at Los Angeles CPR. There are a few programs for the general public while most are for healthcare providers or students in healthcare. General public programs are optional certification programs while programs for HCPs are mandatory certificate programs.
Credentials and renewal
Certificates awarded to trainees have a validity of two years. Before the card expires, students can choose to take a re-certification class if they want to renew it. If a rescuer lets his or her card expire, the entire program will have to be retaken. All of the programs (except for the Heartsaver ones) have re-certification classes available.
Heartsaver classes
Heartsaver CPR is a general public course that is 4 hours long. It teaches the basic of one-person CPR rescue, focusing on three skills: rescue breaths, chest compressions, and rapid defibrillation. Topics on cardiovascular diseases and causes of cardiac arrest are also included in the program. Certification is optional; trainees do not have to take the skills test at the end of the course.
Heartsaver CPR (C) is the mandatory certification version for Heartsaver CPR. It is 4.5 hours long and teaches 1-person basic CPR rescue to healthcare providers and students. A mandatory skills test and a written exam is given at the end of program for certification.
Basic Life Support
BLS for healthcare providers (HCP) is a training program for 2-person CPR rescue for HCPs. It runs for 4.5 hours. To qualify for this program, students need to pass a pre-test consisting of a skills test and a written test. Like other programs for HCPs, certification exams are mandatory for the program (also a skills and written test) after the course is completed. Re-certification is 4 hours long.
Advanced Life Support
There are two ALS programs: ACLS and PALS. Both programs require students to have an existing and valid BLS for HCP completion card to qualify for the program. Advanced Cardiac Life Support is an advanced training program for HCPs that focuses on how to give CPR in a clinical set up. Crash carts are mandatory equipment throughout a hospital or clinic, primarily used to deal with events of cardiac arrest. How to use the defibrillator on the crash cart, bag valve masks, and how to give medication during a code is all part of ACLS training. This program runs over 2-days for 16 hours total. Re-certification is 5-6 hours long.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support has the same basics as ACLS training, but focuses on victims who are children. CPR for infants and young children up to teenagers are different from giving CPR to adults. The program is also completed in two days and runs for over 14 hours. The PALS update course runs for from 6 – 8 hours.