Basic Life Support training (also known as BLS Certification or a BLS class) is one of the most commonly-issued certifications in the service and medical communities. It includes various emergency life-saving tools and techniques that you can perform on someone experiencing a life-threatening situation, such as respiratory distress, obstructed airway, or cardiac arrest.
Those who receive the BLS certification are expected to know how to apply these skills in many different types of situations on people of any age, from infants to adults. If you need a BLS certification or BLS recertification course but have questions, we hope we can give you some answers with our commonly-asked BLS certification questions.
Common Questions About Renewing Your BLS Certification Online
1. How long does BLS certification last?
Our BLS certification lasts for 2 years and provides you with 4 CE/CME credits. If you’ve previously received a BLS certification and it is time to renew, you can complete our BLS recertification and renewal course.
2. How much does it cost to be certified?
The BLS certification course provided by ACLS can be completed online, which helps us to keep our costs low. Because we do not need to pay for training, in-person instructors, or teaching facilities, we can pass the low price for the BLS courses onto our students. Both our online BLS certification and BLS recertification package are $99 each.
In our online course, you’ll learn life-saving techniques through a streamlined class that you can do at home, at your own pace. The courses are accredited and up-to-date with industry standards and practices. The best part? Our software is compatible with mobile devices, so you can complete the certification course whenever it’s convenient for you. Once you’ve passed the course, you’ll receive a digital card and a certification card in the mail.
3. What will I learn in a BLS certification course?
In our online course, you can expect to learn:
- Basic steps of CPR for adults, children, and infants
- Rescue breathing for adults, children, and infants
- Use of a bag-valve-mask device and pocket face mask to administer breaths
- CPR as a lone rescuer or as a part of a two-rescuer team
- Appropriate procedure and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)
- Training directly geared towards the needs and requirements of medical professionals
All of these life-saving skills are taught online using a variety of educational tools such as videos, articles, and practice tests.
4. Do I have to have a BLS certification before I can be certified in ACLS?
Anyone can take both BLS and ACLS certification courses, and BLS certification is not necessary to take an ACLS course. However, we recommend that participants who plan on taking the ACLS course have a basic medical training knowledge.
While a BLS certification is useful for people in a wide variety of professions, ACLS certifications are suggested for physicians, pharmacists, medical students, and graduates.
5. Who should take a BLS certification course?
Our BLS course is for anyone who needs to learn Basic Life Support skills. While anyone can take the course, it is recommended and, in some cases, even necessary for some professionals, including:
- Physicians
- Physician Assistants
- Nurses
- Dentists
- Dental Hygienists
- Pharmacists
- Paramedics and EMTs
- Medical Assistants
- Home Health Aides
- Chiropractors
Sometimes, employers may ask their employees to hold BLS cards for several reasons. For example, employees may be required by agencies such as Joint Commission, CARF, and OSHA to maintain a level of readiness. This is because those who hold the certification decrease liability should an accident happen on company property.
6. What is the difference between BLS and first aid?
With the variety of online medical certifications available, many people wonder what the difference is between BLS and first aid. Here are a few facts about each certification course:
BLS certification
BLS certification and BLS recertification provides much of the foundation training for healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurses, EMS professionals, and other public safety and healthcare personnel. The training includes information about single and multiple responder life-saving tools such as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automatic external defibrillator). Students also learn how to treat patients with obstructed airways, also known as choking.
First aid certification:
First aid courses commonly teach first-aid care techniques that help students prepare for a variety of emergencies and situations where someone needs medical assistance. In standard first aid courses, students learn how to:
- Treat wounds
- Assist those who have had a heart attack
- Make slings or splits for bone fractures
- Treat burns
- Treat hemorrhages
- Help someone who is choking
- Learn how to treat those who have overdosed or ingested poison
- Respond to those with injuries
- Assist those who are in shock
While there are some similarities between both certifications, the certifications issued for both classes have different purposes and goals. In addition, employers have specific certification requirements for their various job descriptions.
7. What is the difference between BLS and CPR?
In a medical emergency, a responder must have the confidence to assist and the skills necessary to save a life. Our BLS course provides a comprehensive curriculum that certifies the student as an essential life support provider with an emphasis on working in the healthcare industry.
While CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is taught as part of the BLS course, it’s only one of the life-saving tools in the course. CPR is taught separately as certification, and only the CPR technique is covered in that course.
8. How can I get BLS certified?
There are many different ways in which you can become BLS certified. While in-person courses are available, many employers and students prefer to take them online because of convenience and affordability. With an online course such as the one ACLS.com offers, students can earn their certification in just a few hours.
9. Where is the best place to get my BLS certification?
At ACLS.com, we build our BLS certification courses with you in mind. Our courses deliver the knowledge and skills you’ll need, all in an online course that is convenient and fits your schedule. We walk our students through the entire process, from receiving the training material, studying the curriculum, passing the exam, and receiving your certification course. You can count on us to help you get certified. Our simple format allows you to finish the BLS course within just a few hours, or you can start and stop the course as much as needed. With 24/7 access to material, you’ll find it easy to complete your course, and we’ll even send you email reminders to help you complete it.
Our BLS certification course is accredited by the ADA, AMA, ANCC, AANA, and ACPE in joint partnership with the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM). Each of our courses is created using the latest emergency cardiovascular care (ECC) guidelines and standards.
In your search for a BLS certification and BLS recertification online, trust ACLS.com. Over 100,000 healthcare professionals across the country trust our certification programs to provide the most up-to-date, accurate training for their healthcare workers. We’re dedicated and committed to making your certifications seamless with our accredited online courses. Get started today.
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BLS Adult Cardiac Arrest Algorithm
The BLS Healthcare Provider Adult Cardiac Arrest Algorithm shows the steps single rescuers and multiple rescuers should take in the treatment of an unresponsive adult.
CPR Practice Test
Want to test your knowledge of CPR? Take our free practice exam and test your knowledge.
BLS – Choking Video
Watch our BLS video review on choking to learn about mild or severe airway obstructions and how to provide life-saving care.
