How To Become a CPR Instructor
Prerequisites:
Provider Card
Before going through CPR Instructor training, individuals will need to have a CPR provider card in the discipline they want to teach. For example, someone who wants to take BLS Instructor Course will need to be certified as a BLS Provider. Someone who wants to be a HeartSaver Instructor must be certified as a HeartSaver CPR/AED and First Aid provider. These certifications must still be valid at the time of taking an instructor class. Expired certification cards can not be accepted.
A Red Cross certification or other 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. There are instructors that will use the AHA curriculum and test but then make up their own certification cards. These are not recognized and cannot be accepted. If you have questions about your certification please give us a call!
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.
Individuals who sign up for Prime’s CPR Instructor course are automatically approved to align with our training center.
Step #1
After completing the prerequisites, the next step is to take the AHA Online Instructor Essentials course. There is a separate course for BLS and HeartSaver candidates. This may be included in the cost of the instructor course, or students may need to purchase it on their own.
Candidates must have 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. 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.
If the training center does not provide it in the cost of the course, the Instructor Essentials course, Instructor Manual, and other AHA Instructor Materials can be purchased by one of AHA’s three distributors.
Step #2
The next step is to attend the CPR Instructor Course. The official agenda takes at least 5-7 hours. Training Centers may choose to add additional content to the agenda which in turn increases the class time.
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 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’s 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.
