A government entity or regulatory agency may have promulgations and standards for meeting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), basic life support (BLS), and first aid (FA) training requirements. In other words, many state boards and professional organizations mandate required program elements and do not have a formal approval process. Typically, many of these boards and organizations require the CPR, BLS, and FA training programs include psychomotor (hands-on) and cognitive components that adhere to the most current, evidence-based guidelines set forth by the American Heart Association® (AHA)* Guidelines for CPR and Emergency
Cardiovascular Care (ECC) Science with Treatment Recommendations, International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) Conference on CPR and ECC Science with Treatment Recommendations, and National First Aid Science Advisory Board. However, many people misinterpret this to mean that programs must be offered by the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross (ARC). This simply is NOT true. All American CPR and First Aid Institute programs adhere to ECC Science with Treatment Recommendations, ILCOR, and National First Aid Science Advisory Board guidelines.
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There are also many government entities that have no promulgated standards or approval processes for CPR, BLS, and FA training programs. The majority of home health care agencies, hospitals, and long-term care facilities governed by state government bureaus, departments and divisions do NOT state any guidelines, regulations or standards for CPR, BLS, and FA training programs. Instead, these states leave it to national regulatory agencies , e.g., Joint Commission (JC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to determine suitability of a given health and safety program. American CPR and First Aid Institute programs are Joint Commission- and OSHA-compliant. (Please see below for JC and OSHA standards.)
Joint Commission
The Joint Commission (JC), formerly known as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), resuscitation standard for cardiopulmonary resuscitation is in the Provision of Care (PC), Element of Performance (EP) standard (PC 9.30, EP 4), which requires resuscitation services available throughout the hospital. The EP for PC 9.30 consists of the requirement for “an evidence-based training program is used to train appropriate staff to recognize the need for and use of designated equipment and techniques in resuscitation efforts.” The Joint Commission defines evidence-based as “based on empirical evidence or in the absence of empirical evidence, expert consensus such as consensus statements promoted by professional societies.” American CPR and First Aid Institute programs meet the requirements of the Joint Commission because they are based on the most current, evidence-based guidelines of the American Heart Association® (AHA) Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) Science with Treatment Recommendations, International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) Conference on CPR and ECC Science with Treatment Recommendations, and National First Aid Science Advisory Board. You can find the complete information on Joint Commission program element requirements at https://www.jointcommission.org.
OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not approve programs, but it does provide standards for health and safety training programs. American CPR and First Aid Institute programs are OSHA-compliant and meet OSHA standards. You can find complete information on OSHA program element requirements at https://www.osha.gov.
Compliance: Approval/Accreditation/Acceptance
American CPR and First Aid Institute CPR, BLS, and FA training programs are approved, accredited, or accepted by numerous government bodies, regulatory organizations, and private companies**, including, but not limited to:
Feel free to contact us with questions about American CPR and First Aid Institute programs. Please be sure to put your full name, the company name, the company email address (not your personal address), physical location (including the state) of the company, and the exact name of your government or regulatory organization that has jurisdiction over your type of healthcare organization. Our training coordinators will respond to your inquiry about accreditation with a detailed response.
* The American Heart Association (AHA) is a registered trademark of American Heart Association, Inc.
** Current and correct at the time of posting.