Is online CPR certification valid? The short answer to that question is, yes. Thanks for coming; please remember to tip your server. But really, it isn’t that simple.
Back in the days before the World Wide Web (to the millennials, that’s what we used to call the internet), everything was done in person. Information was obtained from books, magazines, or encyclopedias, and those encyclopedias were usually sold door to door. Yes, it feels like the Stone Ages now.
Back then, if you wanted to learn something, you showed up in person, including CPR. There was no online CPR certification, for obvious reasons. But as the game has changed, so have the rules.
Can I get My CPR Certification Online?
If you couldn’t, this would be one obsolete blog post. So, yes, you can get your CPR certification online. A simple Google search for online CPR certification will yield dozens of results. Some of those results will be legitimate and many more will be linked to a couple of guys living in their parents’ basements trying to scam a few people out of their hard-earned money before they’re discovered.
The demand for online CPR certification is high and the changes to online education, in general, are vast. It’s gone from the fringes to being completely acceptable and from barely functional to just as functional as in-person instruction.
Why is the demand high, you ask? Life is somehow moving faster now in our digital age. The need for convenience has never been more relevant. With in-person CPR classes, you have to adjust to someone else’s schedule. You have to spend time getting to and fro. And it’s this time component that creates much of the demand for a better alternative; enter online CPR certification that is built around your schedule.
Which leads us right back to our original question: Is online CPR certification valid?
Is Online CPR Certification Valid?
Remember when we said the short answer is, yes. Actually, the answer is, it depends. Those fly-by-nighters who take your money and provide nothing in return notwithstanding, the reason it depends is based solely on your employer — you know, the reason most of you are likely getting your online CPR certification to begin with.
First, let’s take a look at the types of people thinking about getting their CPR certification online.
You have your obvious folks, like healthcare professionals, EMTs and paramedics, police officers, and other first responders. Then you have your coaches, teachers, camp counselors, and lifeguards. You have people who work in hospitality, like cruise ship employees, tour guides, resort workers, and the like. You even have prison guards and electricians. But you also have people, maybe just like yourself, who want to be prepared just in case. The list is practically endless, as you can see.
You may be tempted to think, well, those healthcare professionals surely have to take an in-person CPR course. But you’d be wrong. Every employer is different, and it pays to know which side of the fence yours is on before taking any online CPR course.
Having said that, even if your employer allows for online CPR certification, there are still some components you’ll want to look for in any course you are considering taking. And these are, in no particular order:
- Do the online CPR course providers have a money-back guarantee?
- Do they have additional study materials, like workbooks, for example?
- Do they offer free and unlimited retesting if you fail the exam on the first try?
- Do they have an optional skills assessment/hands-on component? After all, learning CPR works best if you can practice while you learn.
- Do the online CPR course providers have good reviews and are they highly rated?
- Are they nationally accredited and approved by state boards and various official departments?
So, while the answers to the first two questions in this post are clearly yes, there are plenty of other considerations that need to go into your decision when it comes to choosing a provider to get your CPR and first aid certification online.
When choosing an online CPR certification provider, be sure to find the answers to those questions above. A money-back guarantee should be clearly visible on their website. You can ask about additional study materials if that information isn’t listed. The same goes for being able to retest for free, along with the hands-on practice component.
You may have to dig a little deeper into who accepts CPR and first aid certification online from an individual provider, but your employer is first and foremost the most important entity to ask.
As for the reviews, in our digital age where word of mouth has been replaced with online reviews, this should not be difficult. Equally important is the number of reviews each provider has. A dozen good reviews can easily be attributed to some friends and family members. Several thousand good reviews mean that you’ll likely get exactly what you want and pay for: proper CPR skills that are highly regarded and widely accepted.
How to Renew Your CPR Certification Online
Congratulations! If you’re still reading, this means you’re either sold on getting your CPR certification online and are planning ahead, or you’ve already gone down that road and it’s time to renew.
Your CPR certification, achieved online or not, will be valid for two years. Assuming you chose a CPR course provider wisely and had a good experience in getting your CPR certification online, renewing your CPR certification online will be a breeze. Even breezier than the first time around.
If you have remembered all of your CPR skills from two years previous and can pass the final exam without rewatching the videos and going through the course again, this may be an option for some. Just remember to renew your CPR certification before it expires or at least before it reaches the 30-day post-expiration date. Otherwise, you’ll have to start from the beginning.
Whether you’re in need of CPR certification or renewal, consider ProCPR. We have a hands-on component for newbies and have an employer acceptance rate of 99 percent, not to mention more than 200,000 positive reviews. All of which should eliminate the concern that we’re just a couple of people living in our parents’ basements who could be selling refrigerator insurance in a week.