Now is the time to take a class in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Doing so will enlighten you and add value to your life. Who knows? It may lead you to save the life of someone you love or know. Even if you save a stranger’s life, the time you spend learning CPR is invaluable.
You can find several websites that offer CPR online. However, not all of them will give you the best training. Therefore, you have to review a site carefully before beginning your CPR training. To understand the dynamics of CPR, it is essential to know when and how it is used.
CPR is used to revive and keep a person alive who stops breathing because of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). An SCA happens when the heart’s rhythm goes awry and stops beating. When this happens, it’s imperative to get the blood (and oxygen) flowing once more.
Some people confuse a heart attack with an SCA, but the two are pretty different. A heart attack results from a circulatory blockage due to cholesterol or plaque buildup. Therefore, a heart attack may trigger an SCA, but an SCA cannot cause a heart attack.
Now that you know the reason for learning CPR, you can review online training more in-depth. The following factors will give you a better understanding of the training and what to consider before you enroll in a program.
1. The Layout of the Website
When you sign up for online CPR training, the site you choose should be navigationally friendly and the course easily accessible. What are the other featured systems? They should relate to your CPR training course. Besides taking CPR, you should be able to take training in first aid, pet first aid, and first aid for excessive bleeding, AED, and bloodborne pathogens.
If you can receive training in these other areas, you can see how all of them can be used to support your CPR skills. Let’s see how knowing these other subjects can help.
On the MyCPR Now website, courses are bundled with other first aid or health certifications. Therefore, you can take CPR bundled as follows:
- CPR + AED (the basic certification)
- CPR/AED + First Aid + Bloodborne Pathogens
You should take CPR training that includes AED because an automated electronic defibrillator goes hand in hand with knowing CPR. While it is used to get the blood flowing and the heart pumping, an AED is used to restore the heart’s rhythm.
The site you select should also offer stand-alone certification training in first aid, first aid for dogs and cats, and first aid for excessive bleeding and bloodborne pathogens.
With this varied selection of courses, you’ll experience more opportunities to see how CPR supports these other skills.
You should be able to start studying the course right away and take the test as soon as you’ve studied the material. The certification price should be marked for all the featured classes.
The user experience should be pleasant enough, so you’ll want to return and take more certification courses.
2. What You Will Pay
What you pay for your CPR training is essential. However, even more critical is when you pay for the course. Find a website that does not require payment until you pass the certification test.
Usually, you’ll receive your certification card if you test at 80% or above. Most courses typically feature 25 questions. Therefore, you’ll have to answer at least 20 correctly or miss five on the test.
You shouldn’t pay more than $60 for a bundled course that features CPR/AED, first aid, and bloodborne pathogens. If you take these three courses together, you’ll answer 75 questions. Therefore, you need to answer 60 questions correctly to pass the test.
A CPR/AED class will cost you about $30.00, while a CPR/AED course + First Aid training is around $45.00.
Other classes, when taken alone, such as bloodborne pathogens, dog and cat first aid, basic first aid, or first aid for excessive bleeding, should cost in the range of $15.00 (first aid for dogs and cats) to $20.00 (for bloodborne pathogens or first aid for excessive bleeding). Basic first aid usually costs $25.00 for the certification.
The above averages represent the costs of what you’ll typically pay for these courses.
Group Discounts for Your Club, Organization, or Employees
You may want to provide CPR/AED Training + First Aid to your employees, club members, or organization. If so, find out if the CPR site offers group discounts.
3. What You’ll Be Learning
Okay, you like the website’s ease of navigation, the featured courses, and the prices. Now, you’ll have to look at what you’ll be learning. Are the methods clear and well-written? Do you understand the material? Are they interesting?
Each course should feature a manual that is outlined well and is as educational as it is readable. The coursework should be divided to go from one section to the next in a logical sequence. For example, the CPR/AED course should be outlined as follows:
- Introduction
- Recognizing a Cardiac Arrest
- How to Position the Victim and Check Their Pulse
- Adult Compressions
- Compressions for Children and Infants
- Using a Ventilation Device
- Adult Ventilation
- Ventilation for Children and Infants
- How to Use an AED
- Special Situations When Using an AED
- Common Mistakes Made When Giving CPR
Of course, the above sample is not comprehensive. However, it gives you an idea of the content’s direction. Also, the website should feature a glossary for each course, so you’re sure you understand all of the terms.
4. How Much Time Will It Take?
You’ll need to figure out how much time you want to set aside for learning CPR/AED or the other related coursework. If you don’t have too much time to spare during the week, you may want to begin by taking the introductory CPR/AED course.
If you have more time, you may want to take a bundled package. Set aside about an hour of study 3 days out of the week, so you’re ready to test by the weekend.
Start Your CPR/AED Training Online Now
What is great about online CPR training is that you can take it in the comfort of your home anytime. Therefore, you cannot make any excuses for not taking the course. If the material is well-written and you can choose from several certifications, your decision to learn CPR will be simple.