Prepared by Jason Dunaway:
Some of you have asked yourself, “I wonder what it takes to become a CPR instructor?” Well, if that is you, you have come to the right place! First let’s simply define what exactly CPR means and what a CPR instructor does.
CPR is short for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. It is an emergency life-saving procedure done someone when their heart as stopped. A CPR Instructor is someone who is certified in coordinating and leading classes that teach the proper steps top revive someone that is experiencing a breathing or heart function emergency. Now that we have defined the two, let’s talk about how you can become one.
The first thing you will need to do is obtain a basic-level certification at your nearest training center. We at Trio Safety offer the best basic CPR and Basic Life Support (BLS) certification training, which is required to enter into an instructor-level CPR training course. Once you have taken and passed the BLS certification training, you are then able to move on to taking the CPR instructor training course.
I want to add that you may take your CPR and BLS training through the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. Now, the AHA does not offer instructor training on just CPR. Instead, it offers Basic Life Support (BLS), Heartsaver, and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). Again, we at Trio are mainly an AHA training center.
Once you’ve taken, passed, and obtained your BLS providers card, you are free to sign up for an instructor course. Typically, an instructor training course is done on a weekend and they last for 8 hours, which is a regular work day for some of you. This also includes some breaks in between with a lunch break as well.
Now that you have taken the Instructor course and have passed. You will then need to be monitored by another instructor. It’s better to be monitored by someone who has plenty of experience teaching instructor courses. The AHA requires that all new instructors be monitored when teaching their first course. Once you have been monitored, you will need to gain access to your instructor network, which allows you to print certificates, manage any course records, access training material, and communicate with other instructors. Please know that once you become a certified instructor, you will need to be under a training center in order to teach, print cards.
We at Trio Safety offer great benefits for instructors who want to continue teaching CPR courses! If this something you are interested in or passionate about, please contact us 205-440-1000 or email us at [email protected].
