Can I be a CPR Instructor?

CPR is a valuable and life-saving skill. Every year, more than 805,000 heart attacks occur outside of a hospital setting. In a perfect world, everyone would know how to perform the life saving actions of CPR. But, according to American Heart Association statistics, only 2.4% of people are currently taught each year to perform CPR. The need for qualified instructors is high, and growing!

If you are interested in becoming a CPR instructor, thank you for considering this important work! You will have a few steps to take to prepare you for instruction.

First, you will need to be proficient in CPR skills. It is important that you understand the principles and actions involved before you teach others. If you are already certified, great! If you are preparing to get certified, make sure you practice until you feel very comfortable performing CPR. As an instructor you will need to be able to provide coaching, so it’s best if your skills are sharp! Of course you will have to pass the certification testing and skills assessment for CPR as well.

Once you are certified in CPR as a provider, you will need to find an instructor certification program. The AHA has quality standards developed through research and testing for effectiveness. You can sign up to become a Heartsaver CPR Instructor or a BLS Provider CPR Instructor.

The course will prepare you in the following teaching principles:

• Delivery of the course will ensure you are providing instruction according to AHA standards and procedure.
• Testing will allow you to assess student understanding and performance.
• Maintaining Professionalism is important to give students the right atmosphere to learn.
• You will learn Program Administration. This means managing time, space, materials and paperwork.

Once you have learned how to present, demonstrate, and assess students according to AHA guidelines, you will be ready to become a certified instructor. The next step involves an assessment of the material. After you successfully pass the assessment, a training instructor will observe you to ensure you are comfortable as you begin to teach.

Once you are an instructor for the AHA, you will be a part of the Instructor Network. This network provides support, and valuable resources. You will be affiliated with a training center. The center will help you ensure your materials and paperwork follow the guidelines and standards of the AHA. You will need to teach a minimum number of courses per year to remain an active instructor. These classes can coordinate to your schedule in advance.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your local AHA affiliated organization for more information. CPR is a vital piece in heart attack survival. We hope you will consider helping to spread this knowledge to others!