If you’re reading this right now, we’re going to assume two things: you’re interested in learning CPR and you’re not sure whether you should take an in-person course or get your CPR certification online. Well, you’ve come to the right place … and welcome!
Let’s start with a couple of preemptive answers to common questions you likely have: Can you get CPR certified online? And is online CPR certification valid?
The short answer to both is, yes. You can definitely get your CPR certification online, but there are reputable providers and disreputable providers. So, you’ll want to choose wisely.
Whether or not your online CPR certification is valid is a little harder to determine, as this largely depends on your employer, if that’s the reason you’re wanting to get certified, to begin with. If that’s the case, you may want to click on the link above to get some clarity on the validity of getting your CPR certification online.
In 2020, we don’t yet have flying cars, ala The Jetsons, and, yes, this is disappointing. But we have enough technological advancements that make it possible to learn anything remotely.
Look no further than colleges and universities around the world. You’ll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t offer some type of online learning. And there are even entire universities that exist only in cyberspace. How many of us saw that coming in the 80s?
Virtual learning has changed the game and the rules when it comes to education and this includes getting your CPR and first aid certification online. Let’s begin by looking at some common myths associated with online CPR certification.
Online CPR Certification Myth #1: You Can’t Really Learn CPR Online
Advocates for classroom CPR learning (usually companies that offer these classes) will tell you that there are some things that you cannot learn online and that CPR is one of these things. This is false.
Anything can be learned online so long as there’s a way to practice while you watch someone else perform the skill you’re trying to acquire. Just look at all the sports and fitness options. Want to learn karate? There are probably more online classes than you can throw a karate chop punch at. Want to take a biking class, look at Peloton. Want to learn how to shoot or dribble a basketball like Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warrior’s star has a course for that.
You can literally, and we do mean literally, learn anything online that you can learn in person, and CPR is no different.
Online CPR Certification Myth #2: The Online Instructors are not as Knowledgeable
This, too, is false. Now, we’re not saying that there aren’t disreputable people and companies out there selling sham CPR certifications online. But there are snake-oil salesmen everywhere in our world, whether in-person or virtually.
It’s up to you to do some research and find an organization that is offering legitimate CPR and first aid certifications online. After all, who doesn’t look at online reviews before doing anything these days? Just treat finding an online CPR certification course the same way you would a hairstylist or a new restaurant to try.
Online CPR Certification Myth #3: You Can’t Ask Questions with Online CPR Instructors
This again will come down to the online CPR course provider that you choose. If you choose a course run by a couple of guys who the week prior were selling used refrigerator insurance, you may not have (or want) the option to ask questions. But if you choose to get your CPR certification online from a company run by trained healthcare professionals, that option is more available than most people realize.
Choosing between online vs. classroom CPR training really comes down to three things:
- Time
- Money
- Convenience
Raise your hand if you can’t use more time or money or convenience. That’s what we thought. If you simply want to acquire CPR skills, you can likely do that for free online. But if you want to get your CPR certification, the money involved may not be that different. However, once you add in the gas it takes to get to and fro and the fact that time is money, that starts to add up in a big hurry with classroom CPR courses.
Also, when you take an in-person CPR class, you have to adhere to someone else’s schedule and it doesn’t matter what else you have going on or how near or far you are from that classroom. Your time is no longer your own. If you had unlimited time, that would be one thing. But who among us has that?
With online CPR certification courses, you get to choose where and when and for how long. Let’s face it, carving out two hours of time during your busy days is almost impossible. Whereas, finding 10 minutes here or 15 minutes there, and at a time that suits you and your busy schedule, that’s much more reasonable.
Plus, with online CPR certification courses, you can rewatch the lessons as often as you’d like. And with many online CPR course providers, you can even retake the final exam for free as many times as necessary to score a passing grade.
Something else to consider is the options available to you in terms of getting your CPR and first aid certification online. In a classroom CPR course, you’re likely only learning CPR. But if your goal is to learn a number of valuable life-saving skills, you can find online courses that are much more comprehensive (see: Valuable) than anything you’ll likely find in a classroom setting.
If you’re interested in getting your CPR certification online, you should know all the benefits of doing so. Check out a recent blog post we created on the subject: 3 Benefits of Getting CPR Certification Online.
If you’re already sold on getting your online CPR certification, consider ProCPR. With a 99 percent employer acceptance rate and more than 200,000 positive reviews, you can be sure you’re getting the highest quality CPR training available anywhere online or in-person. Click on the link above to learn more.