Can You Take CPR Classes Online?

Online CPR classes are becoming increasingly popular in today’s tech-savvy world. The ability to obtain your certification from anywhere with ease is a huge perk for medical professionals and anyone who wants to have the skills necessary to save a life. 

From doctors and nurses to parents and friends, everyone can benefit from CPR certification, even if it’s not a job requirement. At American Healthcare Academy, we offer a fully-online CPR certification course. You can complete our course from anywhere at any time. This blog will explore our CPR certification course and tell you all you need to know about this convenient way to achieve essential lifesaving skills. 

What is Taught in a CPR Certification Course?

A CPR certification course teaches the essentials of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). After taking a CPR course, you should be prepared to deal with emergencies involving cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. 

Taking a CPR certification course is an essential part of maintaining a healthy and safe society. Bystander CPR has been shown to save lives. Survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents nearly double when bystander CPR is utilized. 

Some of the critical skills that are taught in our CPR certification course include:

• Assessing the situation: You will learn how to assess your surroundings for safety quickly and efficiently. You will also learn how to assess the victim to determine if they are suffering from cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. 
• The CAB method of resuscitation (Compressions, Airway, Breathing): The CAB method prioritizes chest compressions. Chest compressions should be given at a depth of 2-2.5 inches at a steady rate of 100-120 bpm. Give chest compressions in sets of 30, followed by two rescue breaths. You will also learn how to clear the airway if there is an obstruction. 
• Child CPR: Child CPR steps are similar to adult CPR. However, there are a couple of important differences. First, if you are the only person available, always make sure to start CPR before calling 911 when tending to a child. Furthermore, exercise extreme caution when moving an unconscious child, as they are much more fragile than adults. In particular, be sure to protect the head and neck. Finally, if an AED is available, make sure to use child pads. 
• Infant CPR: Infant CPR is more radically different than child CPR. With an infant, it’s important to make sure that they are unconscious before performing CPR. However, you must not shake the baby. Instead, try flicking the soles of their feet or shouting. 

To provide rescue breaths to an infant, tilt their head back so that it looks like they’re sniffing the air (making sure not to tip it back too far). Cover the infant’s nose and mouth with your mouth and puff out your cheeks to provide gentle rescue breaths. For chest compressions, use just two fingers in the center of the infant’s chest. Press down to a depth of 1.5 inches. 

• How to use an automated external defibrillator (AED): An AED is a portable electronic device used when the heart is no longer in normal sinus rhythm. An AED can provide an electrical shock to the heart that can help it to start beating again. AEDs are an essential part of proper CPR. According to the National Safety Council, “survival rates are as high as 45% if defibrillation is provided within five to seven minutes.” 
• How to save a choking adult, child, or infant: You will also learn how to assist choking adults, children, and infants. You may need to encourage the victim to cough or administer back blows or abdominal thrusts. 

What Are the Benefits of Taking a CPR Certification Course Online?

There are many benefits of taking your CPR course online as opposed to traditional in-person training. Some of the most pronounced benefits include:

• You save time: With in-person CPR certification courses, you will have a set schedule and will need to get to the venue where your class is being held. Factoring in commute time and a schedule that cannot be adjusted, it’s clear that in-person CPR certification courses will necessarily take up more time. However, with online CPR certification, you can learn at your own pace, so if you just need a quick refresher or even want to jump straight to the final exam, you have that option. 
• Convenience and flexibility: One of the biggest perks of taking your CPR certification course online is that you will have a convenient and flexible course structure. You can take your CPR certification course from anywhere, anytime. All you need is a reliable internet connection and a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. 

You can move through the course at your own pace, and you can go back to any section of the course at any time. Furthermore, you can re-take your final exam if you don’t pass the first time, which helps to take the pressure off. Also, you don’t have to complete your entire course in a single sitting. Rather, you can start and stop at your leisure and take as long as you need to finish up. 

Taking your CPR certification course online is also very convenient because you don’t need to take time off work or away from your family in order to complete it. Rather, you can simply complete your training whenever you have free time in your schedule.  You can also obtain all your training materials online and can download them with ease. Furthermore, you can download and print your CPR certification card immediately upon completion of the course. 

• You may save money: You can also save money by taking your CPR certification course online. Firstly, you don’t need to spend money on gas and potentially parking like you may have to with an in-person course. Additionally, online CPR courses are often cheaper than in-person courses as there is no need to pay for the instructor and in-person training materials. 

Earn Your CPR Certification With Ease

Earning your CPR certification online is a convenient option for obtaining lifesaving skills. In an online CPR course, you will learn the same skills as you would in-person, such as providing chest compressions and rescue breaths and using an AED. 

There are many benefits of taking your CPR course online, such as the flexibility and convenience that comes along with the online format. CPR certification is vital for the health and safety of our society. Not only are medical professionals and first responders required to have up-to-date CPR certifications, but every member of the public should also be prepared to deal with emergencies. 

American Healthcare Academy is dedicated to equipping as many people as possible with the skills necessary to save a life in the event of cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. We have certified over 700,000 students in the past 11+ years, and we look forward to working with you next! For more information, check out our CPR/AED course overview or reach out to us at 1-888-277-7865.