BLS/CPR recertification?

[john_boston]

My BLS/CPR card has a recommended renewal date one year from when I received it. I was wondering why it says "recommended" rather than "expires on". Is an AAOS BLS/CPR card valid for two years or one?

[cosgrojo]

Probably because the Red Cross program stinks... take an AHA course. :wink:

[john_boston]

I might be wrong but I don't think the AAOS Emergency Care and Safety Institute Professional Rescuer CPR course is affiliated with the Red Cross at all. My card only says "American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons" and "American College of Emergency Physicians".

I found this link on the ECS Institute site that says the card is valid for two years, so I guess I answered my own question.

[BEorP]

For the courses that I teach for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario it is also just a "recommended" refresher every year, but if you are a health professional you will almost definitely need to renew every year (as per your employer). If you are a lay person then you should also renew every year because I doubt you will remember CPR well enough to perform it properly one year and 364 days after your course.

[Just Plain Ruff]

recommended means just that recommended

The AHA got away from licenses a long time ago - they said if I remember right that they were not in the business of licensing so they took off the expires. (this from a AHA Affiliate faculty member)

They say recommended because most of the people who get cpr certified do not go back and re-cert. (laypeople is who I refer to)

So, most agencies require AHA BLS so you might want to go back and get a AHA CRP card.

[wrenEMT]

I'm an AHA BLS for healthcare providers instructor, and we recommend a refresher once a year because AHA comes out with new regulations every couple years and it's always good to be up to date. Several employers offer a class once a year if you are in the healthcare field. You don't have to take the class til the year your's is up though. But always good to have a refresher if you are in a setting where you don't preform CPR all the time.

Hope that helps