FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is the minimum age to learn CPR?
A: The AHA does not mandate a minimum age requirement for learning CPR. The ability to perform CPR is based more on body strength than age. Studies have shown that children as young as nine years old can learn and retain CPR skills. Please speak with an AHA Instructor or Training Center if you have any concerns. Contact OSES at (401) 651-5777 to inquire.
Q: Why is AED training included in all your CPR courses?
A: The science in the official AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC shows that victims have a greater chance of survival from cardiac arrest when high-quality CPR includes use of an AED.
Q: I am not a healthcare professional, and I need a CPR and AED course for work purposes. Which course should I take?
Coming soon
Q: Are your courses OSHA compliant?
A: Our Heartsaver Courses are for anyone with limited or no medical training who needs a course completion card for job, regulatory or other requirements. While these courses are designed to meet OSHA requirements, OSHA does not review or approve any courses for compliance.
Q: Which course should a daycare provider take?
A: The AHA’s Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED Course is designed to meet regulatory requirements for childcare workers in all 50 United States. Contact OSES at (401) 651-5777 for more information.
Q: Can I take an AHA CPR course online?
A: For American Heart Association courses that include psychomotor skills such as CPR, students must complete a hands-on skills session to obtain an AHA course completion card. With AHA blended learning, students will practice and test skills to ensure competency during the hands-on skills session. The AHA offers a variety of blended learning and eLearning courses. Visit ShopCPR.Heart.org to learn more. Once your online portion is complete Contact OSES at (401) 651-5777 for your in-person portion.
Q: What is the cost for a hands-on skills session for a blended learning course?
A: The cost for hands-on sessions is determined by the AHA Training Center offering the session. Training Centers will be able to answer your questions about availability and fees. Contact OSES at (401) 651-5777 for more information.
Q: Do the AHA’s BLS courses include first aid?
A: No, first aid is not included in the AHA’s BLS courses. The AHA offers a variety of courses that will prepare you to respond to a first aid emergency, including
⦁ Heartsaver First Aid⦁ Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED⦁ Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED
Contact OSES at (401) 651-5777 for more information on our first aid courses and hands-on skills sessions for blended learning courses.
Q: Is BLS included in the ACLS Course?
A: No, BLS is not included in AHA’s ACLS courses. However, it is expected that healthcare providers taking an ACLS course will come to class already proficient in BLS skills. However, the AHA has provided its Training Centers with sample agendas that allow BLS skills to be incorporated into advanced courses. Check with your Training Center about this option.
Q: Is BLS a prerequisite for ACLS?
A: Students in ACLS courses are not required by the AHA to have a current BLS Provider card, but they are expected to be proficient in BLS skills. Training Centers may require students to have current BLS Provider card.
Q: For the purposes of AHA’s CPR and first aid training, what age constitutes an infant, child and adult?
A: In CPR and first aid training,
⦁ An infant is younger than one year.⦁ A child is older than one year and has not reached puberty.⦁ An adult is anyone who has gone through or is going through puberty.
Finding/Selecting a Training Center
Q: Can an AHA Instructor come to my office to teach a course?
A: Ocean State Educational Seminars offers training at your site or ours. Contact us at (401) 651-5777 for more details and our current schedule for availability.
Q: What do AHA Training Centers charge for CPR classes?
A: Our fee schedule is listed on the course information page. For further information please contact us at (401) 651-5777.
Preparing For Your Course
Q: How do I sign up for a class?
A: Please reference our course listings on this web site. If you are in need of additional dates or would like to schedule a class for your agency, contact us as (401) 651-5777.
Q: What should I wear to class?
A: Our CPR and first aid courses involve hands-on practice sessions, so wear something comfortable. If you have long hair, it is best to wear it back.
Q: How do I get the student materials I need (in the US)?
A: All course manuals may be purchased through https://shopcpr.heart.org/.Current guidelines should have a publication date of 2020, and 2025 by the Fall of 2025.
Q: May I use a copied manual/workbook?
A: No. Each student must have his or her own current and appropriate manual or workbook readily available for use before, during and after the course. The books change approximately every 5 years, please check your copyright date on your current book to see if it is the most updated product.
Course Completion Cards
Q: When can I expect to receive my course completion card from the AHA?
A: Training Centers must issue course completion cards within 20 days of successful course completion. Please contact us at (401) 651-5777 (or text) if you have any questions about your card. If you can't remember your Training Center or Instructor's information, visit our Lost Your AHA Completion Card page for more information.
Q: Can I laminate my AHA course completion card?
A: Yes.
Q: How can I tell if my card is a valid AHA course completion card?
A: To check the validity of an AHA course completion card, contact the Training Center that issued the card. The Training Center’s information can be found on the back of the card.
Q: When do I need to renew my course completion card?
A: Course completion cards are valid for two years through the end of the month during which the course completion card was issued. For more information, please refer to the Course Card Reference Guide. If you can't remember your Training Center or Instructor's information, visit our Lost Your AHA Completion Card page for more information.
Q: My card is about to expire. How do I get a new one?
A: Contact Ocean State Educational Seminars, Inc. for renewing your course completion card. The Training Center will also be able to answer questions about class availability and cost.
Q: I lost my course completion card. How do I get a replacement?
A: See information on how to find your lost card here.
Q: Is my AHA course completion card accepted in all US states?
A: Yes, AHA course completion cards are accepted in all US states.
Q: If I am an AHA Instructor, do I need to keep my provider card current?
A: The AHA does not require an instructor to have a valid provider card. However, policy from different agencies or regulatory bodies may make this a requirement.
Instructor Courses
Q: How do I become an AHA Instructor?
A: Visit the Instructor course page to learn about becoming an instructor and for Instructor resources. You must have a current AHA provider card in the discipline you are interested in instructing to complete the steps below.
⦁ Contact Ocean State Educational Seminars, Inc., Training Center at (401) 651-5777. The TC will provide guidance on the steps you need to complete including required paperwork.⦁ Successfully complete the online portion, the in-person portion, and the monitoring portion of the instructor course.⦁ Once you have completed the steps above and have been issued your instructor e-Card you will need to align with our TC in Atlas.
As an Instructor, you will have access to the most current emergency cardiovascular care science, course updates, training resources, and tools through AHA Atlas.
Q: What is the minimum age to teach a CPR, first aid or advanced cardiovascular care course?
A: The AHA requires that instructors be at least 18 years of age to teach Heartsaver and BLS courses. ACLS, PALS and PEARS Instructors must be at least 18 years of age and licensed or certified in a healthcare occupation where the skills are within the provider’s scope of practice.
Q: Can BLS Instructors teach first aid?
A: Yes, BLS Instructors are authorized to teach all Heartsaver-level courses, including Heartsaver First Aid, Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED and Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED. Instructors must have a copy of the appropriate Instructor manual for the course that they are teaching. It is also highly recommended that BLS Instructors review a copy of the student workbook for each course prior to teaching the course.
Miscellaneous Questions
Q: I heard you can do CPR without giving breaths now. Is that correct?
A: Hands-Only CPR is CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths. It is recommended for use by bystanders who see a teen or adult collapse in an “out-of-hospital” setting (such as at home, at work or in a park). It consists of two easy steps:
⦁ Call 9-1-1 (or send someone to do that).⦁ Push hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 pushes per minute.
The AHA recommends that healthcare providers use conventional CPR with a combination of breaths and compressions. Conventional CPR should also be used for:
⦁ All infants (up to age 1).⦁ Children (up to puberty).⦁ Anyone found already unconscious and not breathing normally.⦁ Any victims of drowning, drug overdose, collapse due to breathing problems, or prolonged cardiac arrest.
Q: Does my AHA course completion card certify me to do CPR?
A: No. The AHA does not certify people in CPR, first aid, or advanced cardiovascular life support skills. The AHA verifies that, at the time a person successfully completed training, he or she was able to perform skills satisfactorily.