If you’re a nurse, physician, therapist, medical assistant, dental professional, EMT, paramedic, healthcare student, or other healthcare professional, you’ve probably heard the letters BLS.

But what exactly will you learn in a BLS course? Is BLS different from a basic CPR class? And most importantly—is BLS the course you actually need?

Let’s find out.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this article, you’ll be able to determine whether American Heart Association BLS training is appropriate for your professional, employment, school, or clinical training needs.

Along the way, you’ll learn to:

Identify the core skills practiced in healthcare BLS training.

Explain why hands-on practice matters when developing and maintaining BLS skills.

Determine whether BLS may be required for your healthcare role, employment, education, or clinical placement.

Identify what you should verify before selecting and registering for a BLS course.

BLS quick check showing a cardiac arrest scenario with the correct response: begin high-quality CPR and retrieve an AED or defibrillator. — In cardiac arrest, high-quality CPR should begin promptly while an AED or defibrillator is retrieved and prepared for use.

What Do You Learn in Healthcare BLS?

BLS prepares healthcare professionals to recognize and respond to life-threatening emergencies.

Training includes skills such as:

High-quality CPR for adults, children, and infants
Recognition of cardiac arrest
Early use of an AED
Effective ventilations
Bag-mask ventilation
Relief of foreign-body airway obstruction
Working effectively as part of a resuscitation team

These are physical skills, which is why BLS training isn’t only about knowing the correct answer on a test.

You need an opportunity to perform them.

Did You Know?

100–120

That’s the recommended rate of chest compressions per minute when performing high-quality CPR on an adult.

But compression rate is only one part of performing high-quality CPR.

You also have to consider compression depth, chest recoil, interruptions in compressions, ventilation, and other components of an effective resuscitation.

That’s where practice becomes important.

CPR infographic highlighting the recommended chest compression rate of 100–120 compressions per minute. — High-quality CPR includes delivering chest compressions at a rate of 100–120 compressions per minute.

Why Does Hands-On Practice Matter?

There’s a difference between recognizing the correct answer and physically performing a skill.

During BLS training, hands-on practice allows you to work on the physical components of CPR and other lifesaving skills.

You can practice compressions.

You can practice ventilations.

You can use an AED trainer.

You can practice coordinating with other rescuers.

And you can receive feedback and make corrections.

The objective isn’t simply to know what to do.

It’s to develop your ability to do it.

BLS quick-check checklist for healthcare students and professionals deciding whether they may need Basic Life Support training. — Starting a healthcare program, clinical rotations, a new healthcare job, or approaching renewal? These are common reasons you may need BLS training.

Before You Register: Check Your Requirement

Not every CPR course provides the same credential.

Healthcare professionals and students may have specific requirements established by an:

Employer • School • Clinical Program • Licensing Organization • Credentialing Organization

Before choosing a course, find out exactly what they require.

Ask:

Do I specifically need American Heart Association BLS?

Don’t assume that every CPR course will satisfy a healthcare employer or school’s requirement.

Once you know the exact credential required, you can select the appropriate course.

Final Knowledge Check

Let’s see if you can apply what you’ve learned.

1. Name two skills you may practice during BLS training.

Think of your answer before continuing.

Examples include CPR, AED use, bag-mask ventilation, infant or child CPR, choking response, or team resuscitation.

2. Why is hands-on practice an important part of BLS training?

Because recognizing what to do and physically performing the skill are different. Practice provides an opportunity to perform the skill, receive feedback, and make corrections.

3. What’s one thing you should do before registering for a BLS course?

Confirm the exact CPR/BLS credential required by your employer, school, clinical program, licensing organization, or other organization requiring the training.

If you got those, you’ve met the objective of this article.

CPR instructor and paramedic Marlo Holloway with healthcare students and CPR training manikins during a hands-on BLS class in Seattle. — Marlo Holloway, paramedic and CPR instructor, brings more than 30 years of experience teaching lifesaving skills to healthcare professionals and students.

Need BLS for Work, School, or Clinicals?

If you’ve confirmed that you need American Heart Association BLS, An Ounce of Prevention offers BLS training for healthcare professionals and students in the Seattle area.

Questions? Texting is the easiest way to reach me.

Text Marlo: 206-790-0743
Email: marlo@acprclass.com

Choose a class date and time that works for you and get your BLS requirement taken care of.

American Heart Association BLS Classes for Healthcare Professionals in Seattle