Frequently Asked Questions – (FAQ)   BLS eCard info at bottom

How long is my certification good for?

Once you have completed a BLS Provider, CPR or First Aid course your certification card is valid for 2 years.

How do I know which course to take?

If you work in the healthcare industry then you will need to take a BLS  Provider course. The BLS provider course is designed for RN’s, EMT’s, Paramedics, CNA’a, LVN’s, RDH’s, Dental & Medical assistants. If you are not in the healthcare industry then you might want to take a ASHI AED or CPR course. The ASHI courses are designed for the lay rescuer. If you are not sure what course to take than you can call our office at 480-239-2707 and/or ask your institution which they require. It is your responsibility to confirm that you enroll in the correct course.We are not responsible if you select and attend the wrong course. 

What happens if my card is expired?

If your card is expired then you need to re-take another course. Your certification expires on the last day of the month shown on your card.

Why is it a good idea to order a text book?

The guidelines for CPR have changed. The textbook you received the last time you took an American Heart Association course has expired. If you have taken a course before April of 2015 then you need to take a new course to be current with the new science and have the required textbook. The text books all come with quick reference pocket guide. Which makes a great study guide to follow along with class or individually.

Why does the New AHA BLS Card Say BLS Provider and Not BLS Healthcare Provider?

The audience-specific identifiers have been removed because the new BLS Course is designed for healthcare providers caring for patients both in and out of a hospital/in-facility setting. For example, the course DVD includes tracks for both prehospital and in-facility healthcare providers. Instructors may choose a track depending on the type of provider they are teaching or can alternate between tracks to meet the needs of both types of providers.

Who is the intended audience for the BLS Course?

The AHA’s BLS Course is designed for healthcare providers caring for patients both in prehospital and in-facility environments.

What is the AHA’s BLS Course?

The AHA’s new BLS Course provides the foundation for saving lives after cardiac arrest. Updated to reflect new science and education in the 2015 AHA Guidelines Update for CPR and ECC, this course teaches basic life support skills for application in both in-facility and prehospital settings, with a focus on high-quality CPR, improvement of chest compression fraction, and high-performing team dynamics. The AHA’s new BLS Course offers • Content representing the latest resuscitation science for improved patient outcomes • Realistic scenarios, simulations, and animations depicting rescuers, teams, and patients • Course and content flexibility for AHA Instructors and students, including adaptability to local protocols

What is the minimum age to learn CPR?
The 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 or Training Center if you have any concerns. 

Why is AED training included in all your CPR courses?
The science in the official AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC shows that victims have a greater chance of survival from cardiac arrest when high-quality CPR includes use of an AED.

Can I take an AHA CPR course online?
For American Heart Association courses that include psychomotor skills such as CPR, students must complete a hands-on session to obtain an AHA course completion card. With AHA blended learning, students will practice and test skills to ensure competency during the hands-on session

Do the AHA’s BLS courses include first aid?
No, first aid is not included in the AHA’s BLS courses. We offer a variety of courses that will prepare you to respond to a first aid emergency, including:

• ASHI First Aid- Instructor-Led Training (ILT)

• SC1st's First Aid- Instructor-Led Training (ILT)

For the purposes of CPR and first aid training, what age constitutes an infant, child and adult?

In CPR and first aid training, An infant is younger than one year. A child is older than one year and has not reached puberty

An adult is anyone who has gone through or is going through puberty.

BLS ECARD FAQ'S

 

When can I expect to receive my course completion card?
We issue course completion Ecards within 24 hours of successful course completion. 

Can I laminate my 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. You can also check our Course Card Reference Guide.

How do I claim my AHA BLS eCard? 

An email (from heart.org) is sent to each student the same day the course is successfully completed. If further instructions are needed please view the video here https://youtu.be/I_dX5ToPF64 for more details.

 

After you have been assigned an eCard, you will first receive an email from ecards@heart.org inviting you to claim your eCard online. You can ALSO claim your eCard at any time by visiting the AHA eCards site at: https://ecards.heart.org/student/myecards.

Please follow these instructions to claim your eCard via email:

The link within the email will direct you to the Student Profile webpage, which will be pre-populated with your first name, last name, email address, eCard code.

Once you have confirmed that your information is accurate, you will set up a security question and answer to access your eCard(s) in the future.

 

IF EMAIL IS BLOCKED AND IT DOES NOT COME THROUGH FOLLOW THESE STEPS

Students can claim eCards by going to www.heart.org/cpr/mycards and entering their First Name, Last Name, and Email Address. Please note that the information entered must be the same as the information provided to their Instructor during training.

If you provided your phone number you can claim your ecard via text, text the word “eCard” to “51736”

You can also contact the AHA BLS -Help Desk to have them help you locate

1-877-242-4277

 

PLEASE EXHAUST ALL THE STEPS LISTED ABOVE PRIOR to alerting Start CPR 1st.

 

Sample layout of the AHA BLS eCard:

 

 

HOW DO I GET A REPLACEMENT CARD?

We do not keep copies of students cards.We strongly recommend you make a copy of your card as soon as possible.If you received a BLS Ecard you can simply visit the AHA website and log back in to reprint your certification. A link is provided here:AHA Ecards 

For a replacement card for a Start CPR 1st card contact the office.

 

MISC.

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:
1. Call 9-1-1 (or send someone to do that).
2. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 pushes per minute.

The AHA recommends that healthcare providers use conventional CPR with a combination of breaths and compressions. Conventional CPR should also be used for
• 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