BLS EDUCATIONAL GUIDE
What Is BLS Certification?
Learn what BLS certification includes, who needs it, and how healthcare professionals prepare through the HeartCode BLS eLearning course.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is designed for healthcare professionals who respond to medical emergencies requiring high-quality CPR and AED use. The American Heart Association HeartCode BLS eLearning course introduces the knowledge needed for BLS certification, while the in-person skills session verifies high-quality CPR skills. This guide supplements—but does not replace—the official American Heart Association course materials.
WHAT IS BLS CERTIFICATION?
BLS certification teaches healthcare professionals the concepts needed to recognize life-threatening emergencies, perform high-quality CPR for adults, children, and infants, provide effective ventilations, and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). During the HeartCode BLS eLearning course, students learn these concepts before completing an in-person skills session focused on demonstrating high-quality CPR skills.
WHO NEEDS BLS CERTIFICATION?
Healthcare professionals commonly requiring BLS certification include:
- Registered Nurses (RN)
- Physicians
- Nurse Practitioners
- Physician Assistants
- Respiratory Therapists
- Paramedics
- Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
- Dental Professionals
- Healthcare Students
What Will You Learn?
The HeartCode BLS eLearning course introduces healthcare professionals to the core concepts of Basic Life Support while emphasizing evidence-based CPR and emergency response.
Topics commonly covered include:
- Adult CPR concepts
- Child CPR concepts
- Infant CPR concepts
- High-quality chest compressions
- Effective ventilations
- AED concepts
- Team dynamics during resuscitation
How to Prepare
Reviewing BLS concepts before beginning the HeartCode BLS eLearning course can help reinforce emergency response principles. The in-person BLS skills session focuses on demonstrating high-quality CPR skills.
- Complete the HeartCode BLS eLearning course before your skills session.
- Review adult, child, and infant CPR concepts.
- Become familiar with AED concepts.
- Arrive prepared to demonstrate high-quality CPR skills.
- Key Takeaways
- BLS concepts are introduced during the HeartCode BLS eLearning course.
- High-quality CPR is the foundation of Basic Life Support.
- Adult, child, and infant CPR concepts are covered during online learning.
- The in-person BLS skills session focuses on demonstrating high-quality CPR skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
American Heart Association BLS certification is typically valid for two years.
BLS certification is intended for healthcare professionals and healthcare students who may respond to medical emergencies requiring CPR and AED use.
Yes. BLS is designed for healthcare professionals and includes high-quality CPR, AED use, team dynamics, and emergency response concepts taught during the HeartCode BLS eLearning course.
Yes. Students complete the HeartCode BLS eLearning course before attending the in-person skills session, which focuses on demonstrating high-quality CPR skills.
