BASIC LIFE SUPPORT

AMERICAN RED CROSS

FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND STUDENTS

OVERVIEW

This course trains you to recognize and respond to common medical emergencies involving adults, children, and infants. You’ll learn how to assess a situation, take immediate action, and provide care during critical moments before professional help arrives.

Training focuses on real-world scenarios, including sudden cardiac arrest, choking, breathing emergencies, injuries, and medical conditions that can occur at home, at work, or in public settings.

Through hands-on practice, you’ll build confidence using CPR techniques, AEDs, and first aid skills designed to stabilize a person until emergency services take over.

Medical professionals practicing CPR on a medical dummy in a hospital room.

WHO THIS
COURSE IS FOR

  • Healthcare Professionals who require BLS certification for employment or licensure

  • Nurses, Physicians, Medical Assistants, and Allied Health Staff

  • EMTs, Paramedics, and other First-Responders

  • Healthcare Students and Trainees entering clinical settings

  • Public Safety Professionals working in medical response roles

This course is designed for individuals who are expected to respond to cardiac and breathing emergencies as part of a professional care team. Prior medical or clinical context is expected.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

This course focuses on delivering high-quality, team-based care during life-threatening cardiac and respiratory emergencies in clinical and pre-hospital settings.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Perform high-quality CPR for adults, children, and infants

  • Use AEDs effectively as part of a coordinated response

  • Provide ventilations using barrier devices and bag-valve masks

  • Recognize cardiac and respiratory arrest and initiate rapid intervention

  • Work within a team, including clear communication and role assignment

  • Respond to choking emergencies in adult, child, and infant patients

Training is hands-on, scenario-based, and aligned with real clinical environments so you can respond quickly, confidently, and as part of a professional care team.

A person performing CPR on a mannequin, utilizing a bag-valve mask device for artificial respiration.

COURSE FORMATS

This course is offered in two formats to fit different schedules and learning preferences. Both options lead to the same American Red Cross certification.

INSTRUCTOR
LED

  • Fully in-person training

  • All instruction and hands-on skills completed in one session

  • Best for those who prefer a guided, in-person experience

Approximate Length: 4 Hours

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Neon icon of a person performing CPR on another person with a circle representing a face.

BLENDED
LEARNING

  • Online coursework completed on your own time, beforehand

  • Shorter in-person skills session

  • Best for flexible schedules or limited availability

Approximate In-Person Length: 2 hours 30 minutes

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READY TO GET CERTIFIED?

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