INSTRUCTOR COURSE
Our authorized American Heart Association (AHA) Instructor Course prepares you to teach both BLS and HeartSaver classes.
Why become an Instructor?
There are couple reasons why it might be beneficial to become a CPR Instructor:
Corporate: An organization that requires several employees to be CPR certified may find it more cost-effective to have an employee who can perform the training in-house.
Individual: An individual looking for an opportunity to earn extra income may like the flexibility and independent work of being a CPR Instructor.
BLS Instructor vs. HeartSaver Instructor
The AHA offers two different CPR classes that target different professions:
HeartSaver is a family of classes that include CPR/AED, First Aid, and Bloodborne Pathogens.
AHA’s HeartSaver courses are formatted for individuals working in a non-healthcare field who may be required to have a certification for their job.
Basic Life Support (BLS) covers CPR/AED with advanced techniques for team rescuers.
AHA BLS is targeted towards licensed healthcare professionals and healthcare students who are required by their state licensing board or employer to have a CPR certification. BLS Instructors are given the highest training of a CPR Instructor. As a BLS Instructor, an individual can teach all classes which include:
- BLS Provider
- HeartSaver CPR/AED
- HeartSaver First Aid
- HeartSaver Bloodborne Pathogens
How Do I Become an Instructor?
Provider Card
Before going through CPR Instructor training, individuals will need to have a CPR provider card in the discipline they want to teach. This certification must still be valid at the time of taking an instructor class. (Note: Non-AHA certifications are not accepted when becoming an AHA CPR Instructor. Please be sure your certification card is an authentic AHA card bearing the AHA seal and verifiable QR code.) You will need to email us a copy of your current BLS Provider Card prior to training.
Training Center Approval
Every AHA Instructor is required to align with an authorized AHA Training Center. Training Centers monitor and renew instructors’ certifications as well as provide instructors with certification cards to issue to students. Individuals must receive approval from a training center before taking a CPR Instructor Course. Individuals can find local training centers by searching the AHA’s website, and subsequently submitting an Instructor Candidate Application form to the training center of their choice. Please note: Individuals who sign up for our Instructor course are automatically approved to align with our training center.
Three Step Process:
Step #1 – Pre-Course Videos/Instructor Manual
Instructor Essentials Course – After completing the prerequisites, the next step is to take the AHA Online Instructor Essentials course. After completing the online course, a certificate will be issued that instructors need to bring with them on the first day of their instructor course.
Product and Course Orientation – There are two separate courses for BLS and HeartSaver candidates. These videos are free of charge.
Instructor Manual – Candidates must obtain a copy of the appropriate Instructor Manual as the online course asks very specific questions referencing charts and material that can only be found in the instructor manual. The Instructor Manual (and other AHA Instructor Supplies and Materials) can be purchased by one of AHA’s 2 distributors:
- Worldpoint
- Shop CPR
Step #2 – Instructor Course
The next step is to attend the CPR Instructor Course. The official agenda takes 7-8 hours.
At the end of class, candidates will be required to take a 25-question written exam which covers what they learned during the online and in-person portions of their course. An 84% or higher is required to pass.
Step #3 – Instructor Monitoring
Instructor Candidates will need to teach a class while being monitored by their instructor or another AHA Training Center Faculty member within 6 months of taking the CPR instructor course. It is highly recommended to schedule monitoring as soon as possible so candidates have skills fresh in their mind. During the monitoring, candidates are graded using the AHA Instructor Monitor Tool form. After successful completion, candidates are issued a CPR Instructor certification within 20 days.