Many CPR training and certification options exist, but not all are created equal. Here’s what you need to know about these options as they relate to working with ShiftMed.
Some acute hospitals require specific specialized caregivers hold multiple different types of CPR certifications to ensure they are able to care for all types of patients that may come to their specific department.
See the table below for more information:
Unit | Number of Types Required | BLS | ACLS | PALS | NRP |
Orthopedic | 1 | yes | no | no | no |
Med/Surg | 1 | yes | no | no | no |
ICU | 2 | yes | yes | no | no |
Tele | 2 | yes | yes | no | no |
Maternity | 2 | yes | no | no | yes |
Pediatric | 3 | yes | yes | yes | no |
Newborn | 3 | yes | yes | no | yes |
Emergency | 3 | yes | yes | yes | no |
Basic Life Support (BLS) Training and Certification
BLS training focuses on the level of care emergency medical teams and healthcare professionals provide to individuals experiencing an obstructed airway, respiratory distress, or cardiac arrest. While CPR is part of this training, it’s a lot more complex than that. BLS training covers medical team dynamics, identifying life-threatening emergencies, and using appropriate tools and treatment measures.
Given that basic life support knowledge contributes to better patient outcomes, many of our facility partners require healthcare professionals to have OSHA-compliant BLS certification to work at their locations. Therefore, having this certification carries more weight when claiming shifts in the ShiftMed app. You’ll have access to more shifts in acute and post-acute settings than you would with CPR certification alone.
If you want to obtain proper BLS certification, you can complete the Basic Life Support course offered by the American Heart Association or the BLS/CPR for Healthcare course available through the American Red Cross.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
ACLS is a comprehensive set of clinical interventions and guidelines used in emergency situations to manage and treat life-threatening cardiovascular emergencies. ACLS is primarily intended for healthcare professionals who are trained to respond to cardiac emergencies, such as doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other medical personnel.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
PALS is a specialized training program and set of guidelines developed by the American Heart Association (AHA) to address the unique needs of pediatric patients (infants and children) who experience life-threatening medical emergencies. PALS is designed for healthcare professionals who care for pediatric patients in emergency and critical care settings, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other medical personnel.
Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
NRP is an educational program developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA) that focuses on teaching healthcare professionals the skills necessary to provide effective resuscitation and care to newborn infants who require assistance in the delivery room or immediately after birth.
Lay-Rescuer CPR Training and Certification
Lay-rescuer, or non-BLS, CPR training is for individuals outside the healthcare profession, such as teachers, office managers, flight attendants, and restaurant servers. The training covers the essentials of giving CPR to an individual as a single rescuer. Some of our facility partners may accept healthcare professionals that only have lay-rescuer CPR certification, but many require BLS certification.
Online-Only CPR Training
Organizations such as The National CPR Foundation, American Heart Association, and the American Red Cross provide online-only CPR certification training. Some of our facility partners may accept healthcare professionals that only have an Online Only CPR certification, but many require BLS certification.
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