As unlikely as emergency situations may seem, the reality is they can occur anytime, anywhere.  Emergencies do not stray from those who do not wish to encounter them.  Instead of dwelling on the hope you will never be faced with an emergency, prepare for the possibility.  Prepare to make a difference.

Emergencies manifest themselves in a variety of ways.  And there are just as many ways to prepare for them.  The digital age allows for a wealth of information and education available, anytime, anywhere.  Education and training for emergency situations is no exception.  In fact, CPR and first aid online training is widely available online.  It is so common in fact that it can be confusing to choose a direction.  With so many options for CPR and first aid training, where to start?

Before deciding where to go for online CPR and first aid courses, answer why the training is a necessary goal.  Are you a parent?  Do you work with children?  Need some specialized training for the young?  Looking for some fresh skill or certification to add to your resume to make it stand out?  Or is it you just wish to add basic CPR and AED training to your personal toolbox?  Or perhaps you wish to expand on first aid response abilities?  Each of these topics and more can be found as online training courses.

We offer courses specific to the training goals mentioned, and even more.  We offer convenient, online, internationally recognized classes ranging from Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), to First Aid, Basic Life Support, and Bloodborne Pathogen training.  Over 100,000 monthly users rely on our reliable education for their emergency-related training needs.  So, whether it’s a required course, or a personal interest, we have the training for you.  Best part is, the education is free with unlimited attempts to reach a passing score; all you pay for is the certificate.

Online CPR training covers 5 main points: good samaritan action, CPR for adults (puberty through adulthood), CPR for children (aged 1-puberty), CPR for infants (less than 1 year old), and use of CPR with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

1. Good Samaritan provisions. Knowing the legal surroundings behind providing medical intervention is a great foundation.  When emergency response is necessary, it is better to take action than to worry about any repercussion which leads to interference of life-saving.  The lesson on this good Samaritan subject is crucial.  This topic is sometimes excluded from online CPR training, but National CPR Foundation has it well covered.
2. CPR for adults is the most commonly depicted CPR scenario. Training on this subject covers everything from initial discovery to a patient’s revival and all the life-giving steps in between including compressions and rescue breath ventilation.  All the proper maneuvers and helpful acronyms to draw on this life-giving skill included.
3. CPR for children is a little more specialized version of CPR. While it contains the core lesson of CPR similar to adults, specialty care training is given in consideration of these smaller patients.  Pediatrics is certainly a specialty, even when it comes to CPR since improper treatment can cause additional harm to these pint-sized patients.
4. Infant CPR is even more critical to conduct properly. A special balance must be reached for providing enough CPR treatment, without harming the fragileness of these smallest bodies.
5. AEDs are an electronic tool that can aid in the restoration of the heart to a normal rhythm. Used in conjunction with proper CPR, it can enhance the patient’s outcome.  Use of an AED during an emergency requires prior training, which online courses can provide.

Our CPR training covers each of these topics in a variety of levels.  Our course selection offers basic CPR with an AED for all ages, CPR and first aid as a combined course, and an even more specialized course on CPR for healthcare professionals.  No matter the reasoning you seek your online CPR training for, we have a course that suits it.

While CPR is a form of first aid response, but there is so much more to the subject of first aid itself.  First aid is any help given to the sick or injured before full medical treatment can take place.  As large of a spectrum that first aid needs may generate from, there are detailed online training options for it too.

The need for first aid can arise from a wide variety of circumstances from something minor like a papercut to something major like a sporting accident.  Due to the drastic range of potential causes for first aid response, preparing for finite circumstances is impractical.  Instead, a wide knowledge of first aid needs and their treatments is recommended.  A good start to comprehensive training on first aid should include guidance on:

• Wounds-types and treatments
• Heart-related issues -how it works and recognizing heart attack, cardiac arrest and more
• Fractures-how to immobilize a variety of broken bones
• Burns-first, second, and third degree recognition and treatment
• Choking-various techniques to dislodge objects from the airway
• Shock-signs and how to respond
• Poisoning-ingestion of harmful chemical and what to do for various types
• Hemorrhages-blood loss types, sources and how to treat

This first aid list is comprehensive in that it includes the most common injuries.  Proper first aid preparation training will cover these topics thoroughly.  There you’ll find a course on first aid itself, or even a course combining first aid and CPR, and more.

Beyond CPR and first aid training online, there are some other medical specialty training subjects too.  It can only help to broaden the variety of medical response awareness to offer critical assistance should the need arise.  Such specialties include that of bloodborne pathogens and basic life support.

Many an illness or injury can result in the exposure of blood and other bodily fluids.  These bodily fluids may contain infectious material such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS) and hepatitis.  It is of benefit to the patient and the responder to understand the risks and necessary precautions when it comes to these biological risks.  Responders can vary from emergency medical technicians to janitorial staff.  For these and others that stand the chance to encounter bodily fluids, training on the use of workplace safety, personal protective equipment (PPE) and proper handling of fluids is essential.  The only way to combat the potential spread of disease is to have the education and know-how to respond to these fluids and their risks properly.

While bloodborne pathogens may seem a daunting subject, training in proper response with these potential dangers doesn’t have to be.  Use of PPE is just the beginning of the details of appropriate response and handling available through our Bloodborne Pathogens Certification training course.  In our course, exposure to bodily fluids including blood, semen, vaginal fluids, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, cerebrospinal fluid and more are all covered from identification, to protection, to proper handling.  The training also encompasses appropriate response for post-exposure situations.

Yet even more specialized online medical training in available in the form of basic life support (BLS) courses.  This subject matter is usually geared toward healthcare professionals including medics, lifeguards, and others required for emergency medical response.  BLS consists of CPR and first aid with additional subject matter to aid from suffering or in life-threatening conditions.  BLS expands upon basic first aid by covering proper first aid response (such as to a large incident), hypoglycemia, seizures, and even strokes.  BLS also expands on the use of CPR with some additional content related to various shapes and sizes of individuals including pregnant women or those with multiple medical issues at once.  It also covers the critical ventilation of the CPR patient in more detail such as treating a blocked airway.

Basic life support is one of the most detailed online medical training courses available.  If you’re considering online certification in basic life support, National CPR Foundation offers peace of mind toward this certification.  With unlimited retakes and no hidden fees, study at your own pace and only pay for your certificate.

Don’t get caught unaware, be prepared when emergencies strike.  You may need to use these skills sooner than you know.  No time like the present to advance your skills and your training.

Life is priceless.  Online CPR and first aid training is now more valuable than ever.  With training materials, certification tests, and email support available 24 hours a day, we are your source to safeguard life as the precious commodity it is.  Check out our courses today and be prepared to respond if an emergency arises tomorrow.

And yes, National CPR Foundation is legitimate.