Can you take a CPR class Online?

The short answer is yes. But with everything in life you must be careful – buyer beware! There are lots of layers to this question. There are lots of CPR companies out there, but few select, reliable, trustworthy, recognized CPR organizations who take responsibility to not just promote CPR but to organize instructor programs, produce videos, produce books/literature, and the like. In doing so they also provide a structure of authority by training instructors and managing instructors. When choosing a CPR class, please inquire about what program they are offering to be sure it is recognized and more importantly if it meets your requirements for needing to take a CPR class!

The biggest and most popular…

In our opinion, the American Heart Association is the largest CPR organization – at least that we are aware of. We think a lot of it has to do with our geo-location requiring healthcare providers to take American Heart Association classes for the purpose of work. While other parts of the United States are more lenient in their requirements for other organizations.  While all the CPR organizations out there should be following the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) guidelines, these programs should be nearly identical. The approach on how to teach the material should be the biggest difference between different organizations.

Who offers Online CPR certification classes

So with all that out in the open, it really does come down to why you need a CPR class. Absolute CPR encourages all healthcare providers and students of any health-related field to take an American Heart Association class.  This should be recognized around the world. Whereas an American Red Cross class may not be accepted in some places.

Persons taking a CPR class for any vocational requirement are encouraged to ask which organizations are accepted. This is also true for students or prospective students of any program, especially healthcare-related fields. Ask your current and future employers and educational institutions about their requirements.

The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross both offer online options for students. Absolute CPR describes the AHA’s online (Blended / eLearning) options in detail on our Classes page.

Buyer Beware!

Please stay clear of any copycat-sounding names and abbreviations this article mentions. Go directly to the American Heart Association and American Red Cross pages for more information. We have a link to the American Heart Association eLearning page on our footer at the bottom of every page.

A story we hear too often is “I thought I could do it online…” Students pay money to “take a class” online, which is often low-tech and very simple, followed by a couple of easy questions, where you can then print your CPR card. These are predatory websites and bogus CPR companies preying on the uninformed. YOU HAVE TO ASK WHAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE FOR ANY WORK OR SCHOOL PURPOSE!

Visit Absolute CPR for a list of the classes we have scheduled at our Glen Ellyn location, as well as descriptions and directions on how to take these American Heart Association classes partially online.  As always, let us know if you have any questions!