Basic Life Support (BLS) is a level of medical care which is used for victims of life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care at a hospital. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and by qualified bystanders.
BLS Express offers BLS for Healthcare Provider in a traditional format that is led by a certified instructor in a classroom setting.
BLS Express, in accordance with AHA guidelines, uses the BLS Training Video to guide the practice.
The instructor focuses attention on the student – giving feedback and guiding the student’s acquisition of skills.
The instructor provides the framework for the BLS Healthcare Providers course and helps coach the students and facilitate the BLS course.
The ultimate goal is for the successful student to be able to perform the BLS skills needed to save a life.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): The manual application of chest compressions and ventilations to patients in cardiac arrest, done in an effort to maintain viability until advanced help arrives. This procedure is an essential component of Basic Life Support (BLS), Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
Automatic External Defibrillator (AED): A device that delivers an electrical shock at a preset voltage to the myocardium. It is used for restoring the normal cardiac rhythm and rate when the heart has stopped beating or is fibrillating. It is a portable defibrillator designed to be automated such that it can be used by persons without substantial medical training who are responding to a cardiac emergency.
First Aid: The immediate care that is given to an injured or ill person before treatment by medically trained personnel. Attention is directed first to the most critical problems: evaluation of the patency of the airway, the presence of bleeding, and the adequacy of cardiac function. The patient is kept warm and as comfortable as possible. The conscious patient is reassured and queried for significant details of his or her medical history, such as diabetes, a known heart condition, or allergic reactions to drugs. If the patient is unconscious, a medical identification card, bracelet, or necklace is sought. The patient is moved as little as possible, particularly if there is a possibility of fracture. If vomiting occurs, the patient’s head is moved to a rescue position to prevent aspiration.
These measures are taken by those at the scene of an accident, or those present when a medical emergency occurs, to minimize the risk to the victim before the arrival of a medically qualified person.
Our HeartSaver Courses are for anyone with limited or no medical training who needs a course completion card for job, regulatory or other requirements. These courses are also designed to meet OSHA requirements. For all of our courses, students receive a course completion card that is valid for two years.
