Pitfalls of Local CPR Training vs. Online CPR Training

The Pitfalls of Local CPR Training vs. Online CPR Training

In-person CPR training has been historically held up as the gold standard for CPR training, but that’s been changing for a while. With improvements in technology and a better understanding of how people learn in a blended and online environment, the benefits to choosing online CPR training have become clearer and clearer over the years.

Here are a few pitfalls of in-person CPR training—that online CPR certification helps you avoid.

Can You Become CPR Certified Online?

You can—and these days, employers across all industries accept online CPR certification in all 50 states. Even healthcare employers, perhaps the most stringent, accept online CPR certification from highly respected programs such as ours.

With local in-person CPR classes, you can’t depend on higher quality just because the classes are in person. Experience matters, as well as adherence to industry-recognized guidelines and curriculums. If you’re considering taking a CPR course, whether it’s in person or online, look for adherence to ECC, ILCOR, ARC, AHA, and LCC-LCOR guidelines.

Our courses adhere to all of those standards, and our online first aid training courses are some of the best in the business.

Online CPR Certification vs. In Person

Taking classes online is the fastest and easiest way to receive CPR certification or recertification. But is it the best for learning and retaining information?

In more than a decade of offering online CPR training, with the industry’s most widely-accepted wallet card—accepted in all 50 states, all 10 Canadian provinces, and internationally throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa—we feel qualified to say yes. Here are a few reasons why.

Because online CPR training lets students learn at their own pace. Not everyone learns the same way, or at the same speed. Online CPR classes allow students to take their time with more challenging concepts, reviewing the materials and making sure they understand everything before moving on to the next lesson.

Because online CPR courses use the same guidelines as in-person classes. The AHA doesn’t accredit CPR certification programs—either online or in person. But certification programs can use their guidelines to design their classes. That means an online CPR training program can (and many do) adopt the same rigorous, in-depth standards and curriculum that you’ll find in any in-person course.

Our courses are designed and led by a highly qualified, AHA-certified instructor, based on AHA guidelines. We continually update our courses based on the most recent guidance and research from the AHA.

Because online CPR training programs are more accessible for working professionals. Online training programs allow students to attend when they can, fitting training in around work, family, and other obligations. They don’t have to make their way to an in-person location, and they don’t have to take time off work to attend.

That makes online training better and more cost-effective for employers, as well.

Because online training is safer in a pandemic. We’re not out of the pandemic yet—and online CPR training has become more popular, more accepted, and more in-demand than ever. Online training allows students to attend without the risk of contracting and spreading the virus, and makes training more accessible to those who are immunocompromised.

If you’re designing a workplace CPR program, choosing an online option communicates to your workforce that you value your employees’ safety in an environment where the virus still poses a huge risk.

Because online CPR recertification is more efficient. Busy professionals need to keep their credentials up to date without losing too much time at work. Online CPR recertification can be a great way to keep these workers productive and their skills up to date.

Look for an online CPR recertification program that allows students to skip the subjects they know, review only the subjects they need to refresh, and fast forward through video sections they don’t need to review. This is far more efficient than sitting through a full-length recertification program reviewing subjects they already know.

Why Choose CPR Certified Over Local CPR Certification Classes?

Online courses are much more flexible, accessible, and pandemic-safe for students. They’re more affordable and efficient for employers, and they’re just as in-depth and high-quality as in-person classes. In its most recent 2020 guidelines, the AHA reaffirmed its support for online training as a valid and high-quality alternative to in-person classes.

These days, online CPR training programs are just as thorough as in-person classes, and are accepted in most places where CPR certification is required. If you have any questions regarding our online training courses, please feel free to contact us at any time. We look forward to helping you potentially save a life.