The Importance of Basic Life Support Renewal
It’s a familiar scene in many movies or TV shows: Someone goes into cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest or collapses after choking. A healthcare provider in the crowd comes forward and immediately begins to perform chest compressions. Most of the time, the victim’s outcome is uncertain, depending on what the writer wants to happen. In reality, medical crises like these do occur, and it’s essential for all healthcare workers, nursing students, medical personnel, emergency responders, and other potential lay rescuers to have cardiopulmonary resuscitation training.
Expertise in rescue breathing techniques, chest compressions, and other basic life support (BLS) skills are important to administer when a victim experiences such an emergency. In cardiopulmonary emergencies, high-quality CPR has been proven to save lives.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there were 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the United States over the past year. About 90% of these attacks were fatal. Meanwhile, the National Safety Council says choking remains a significant health risk in children and adults. It is vital that healthcare personnel and first responders giving medical care functioning as members of an emergency response system receive the training and skills needed to properly render aid as needed and improve the outcomes of the people they are helping. Lay rescuers such as teachers, daycare providers, and family members may be trained to provide CPR, which is somewhat different from BLS.
While it’s important to administer high-quality CPR, BLS training offers a more detailed overview of the important skills and knowledge needed for basic life support than you’d receive in an introductory CPR course. Some of the BLS theory and skills in the course include instructions and practice on how to:
- Recognize when someone is having a cardiac emergency
- Give high-quality chest compressions to victims experiencing cardiac arrest
- Properly use an automated external defibrillator (AED) device
- Correctly identify and treat adults, children, or infants who are choking\
- Use teams for a multi-rescuer resuscitation
- Provide rescue breathing to victims in respiratory distress
- Administer immediate and appropriate attention to uphold safety standards
- keep cardiac arrest victims alive, and work calmly in a high-stress situation until the emergency medical team arrives
Why It’s Important for Health Care Professionals to Take BLS Training Courses
Employment requirements for healthcare professionals often include BLS certification. Courses generally offer certification valid for two years, which means healthcare providers must take a renewal training course to remain current. The AHA recommendations for BLS are considered the Gold Standard, and many facilities will only accept certification from AHA-approved courses. It is important to know that not all BLS and CPR courses are approved by the AHA. Most healthcare employers require BLS certification for any healthcare professional or student to work in a clinic or hospital setting, especially in emergency medicine.
These courses help professionals obtain a level of knowledge and skills that enables them to respond to an emergency where they may have to administer CPR, use a lifesaving device such as an AED or help someone who is choking. Medical emergencies occur anywhere and at any time, so it’s vital for these community workers and healthcare providers to keep up to date on their BLS training and knowledge.
The Benefits of Taking BLS Training Courses
BLS and CPR performed according to the most recent recommendations can considerably improve the survival rates of individuals in cardiac arrest. According to studies, the recent completion of a BLS training course improved the positive attitude of healthcare personnel performing CPR and using an AED. Healthcare providers feel more confident providing care in an emergency when they’ve received BLS training or renewed their BLS certificates. The course trains participants to maximize the use of basic life support techniques.
Adding your BLS certification to a résumé signals to employers that you are trained in current techniques and are prepared to provide lifesaving measures in an emergency.
Renewing Your Certificate Online
Healthcare professionals are very busy, and it can be challenging to find the time to update or obtain your basic life support certification. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with an increasing influx of health emergencies, has pushed many nurses and doctors to the breaking point. Fortunately, technology has provided an answer: These days, training courses are available online, making it much easier for nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals to either obtain or renew their BLS certifications in a way that fits their hectic schedules.
Many locations also offer certifications with online options for the BLS or CPR theory portion of the course, with a hands-on skill follow-up to assist healthcare workers in improving their performance,
Online classes are especially useful for those who’ve already completed a BLS certification course and know the basic skills needed. The online course allows them to work at their own pace to learn about new techniques and AHA guidelines. The cost for these online courses also makes them attractive, and course materials can be obtained quickly — often by downloading to a computer.
BLS Programs Provided by Nurses for Nurses
While all healthcare professionals need to receive BLS training and certification, nurses and nursing assistants provide the majority of hands-on patient care, responding to critical medical emergencies in a variety of healthcare settings.
Aceso Institute offers courses for certification in BLS for healthcare providers. Our AHA-approved courses include initial certification as well as BLS renewal. We also offer skills check-offs for individuals who have successfully completed the online theory option. Participants who successfully complete the course are eligible for AHA-approved BLS certification. The course covers current theory; skills practice for CPR; use of an AED; use of bag valve mask (BVM) devices for adults, children and pediatrics; providing rescue breathing; and providing aid to a choking victim.
These basic life support courses are available at our Central Florida location. The cost is only $50 for BLS renewal, and new dates for the basic life support training course will be announced soon, so keep an eye on our website so you can sign up as soon as times become available
