How to Renew Your BLS Certificate

The American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification provides those in the healthcare industry (including healthcare students!) with the instruction and certification of CPR and AED use. Teaching both single-rescuer and team application skills, our students are able to utilize their knowledge and experience in both pre-hospital and in-facility environments. 

After receiving your BLS certification, your card will be valid for two years from the date on your certification. It’s important for healthcare professionals to take a BLS recertification course to help update their skills, refresh their memory, and extend their certification for an additional two years. At ACLS Academy, we offer an instructor-led, traditional BLS recertification course to allow you to stay certified and on the job!

How BLS Recertification Works

In order to renew your BLS certification, you will need to take a BLS recertification course. This instructor-led, abbreviated version of the BLS certification course allows professionals to become re-certified in just 2.5-3 hours. In order to take our BLS recertification course, your current certification must be current or expired by no more than 60 days. 

Why Take Your BLS Recertification Course with ACLS Academy

ACLS Academy is an American Heart Association authorized training center, which means that all of our certification programs are accredited by the ADA, AMMA, and ANCC. All of our courses are taught by AHA-authorized instructors at three different locations: East Bridgewater, Quincy, and Newton Center. 

Our BLS recertification course also utilizes the latest emergency cardiovascular care guidelines and standards.

To learn more about our BLS certification course, contact us today at 617-855-9947. To learn more about our upcoming BLS classes, visit our calendar and register today!

Changes to Our AHA Classes to Keep Everyone Safe

The COVID-19 outbreak has had an effect on all of our lives and with the ACLS Academy Training Centers open for both healthcare professionals, bystanders, and those interested in becoming instructors, we are taking the AHA recommendations for operating during the COVID-19 pandemic very seriously. 

AHA Recommendations for In-Person Training

• All state and local government coronavirus precautions must be taken.

• Instructors will decontaminate the manikins after each student comes in contact with the manikin with an alcohol-based solution per CDC recommendations. 

• Students will not practice mouth to mouth ventilation. 

• When possible, manikins should be placed 3 feet apart. 

AHA Recommendations for Heartsaver Training

• No changes to compression practice and testing.

• Elimination of breath practice and testing portion of CPR skills. Practice simulated breaths but for students that need to practice breaths, they will use a bas-valve mask.

• Students should practice Epinephrine Pens on their own leg.

• Students should practice bleeding control and bandage on their own leg or arm. Reusable cloth strips may be used if sterilized between students if gauze is unavailable.

• Students should practice splinting on their own leg.

Additional Steps ACLS Academy is Taking to Protect Students

• All class sizes have been cut in half.

• The student to equipment ratio is 1:1.

• Face masks are required in order to enter the ACLS Academy training center and building.

AHA Card Expiration Extensions

While the American Heart Society (AHA) continues to monitor COVID-19 and its effect on training centers to conduct classes both in-person and virtually, there has been an expiration extension on AHA certification cards during the pandemic. 

Card Expiration Extensions

All AHA Provider and Instructor cards that expired in March, April, May, or June 2020 are now able to renew their cards up to 120 days from the renewal date that is outlined on their cards. 

• For AHA Provider and Instructor cards that had a renewal month of March 2020, they must have renewed them by the end of July 2020.

• For AHA Provider and Instructor cards that had a renewal month of April 2020, they must have renewed them by the end of August 2020.

• For AHA Provider and Instructor cards that had a renewal month of May 2020, they must be renewed by the end of September 2020.

• For AHA Provider and Instructor cards that had a renewal month of June 2029, they must be renewed by the end of October 2020.

All AHA Provider and Instructor cards that expire at the end of July 2020 will resume regular timelines for renewal. For those that are in affected areas with restrictions in place during the months of July and August, the AHA is allowing training centers to consider extending renewal dates on cards, at their discretion, no later than October 2020. 

AHA Training Centers

All AHA Training Centers are responsible for following their local government’s COVID-19 rules and regulations. AHA Training Centers must also use their discretion for disease transmission and take the proper precautions to protect their trainers and trainees.

AHA Guidelines Updated with COVID+ Patients

Individuals with underlying cardiovascular disease are at an increased risk for contracting coronavirus (COVID-19) and in an effort to take the extra steps to ensure optimal care of these patients should they contract COVID-19, the American Heart Association (AHA) has put out new guidelines to help protect both patients and healthcare professionals. 

Minimizing Healthcare Provider Exposure

The updates to CPR procedure emphasize minimizing healthcare provider exposure to help decreased the strained healthcare system. These new procedures include:

• All providers must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) before entering a room or area with a COVID-19 positive or expected COVID-19 patient to protect against airborne and droplet particles.

• All providers in the area should be limited to those essential to patient care.

• If possible, manual chest compressions should be replaced with mechanical CPR.

• COVID-19 status should be communicated with all new providers before entering a patient area or transferring the patient.

Oxygenation & Ventilation Strategies

When performing CPR, each step generates aerosol particles that can remain suspended in the air for approximately an hour and can be inhaled by those nearby. This puts providers and those nearby at additional risk and exposure during intubation. By utilizing a cuffed endotracheal tube connected to a ventilator with a HEPA filter for patients that are COVID positive, there is less risk for those nearby. 

It is also recommended to: 

• Attach a HEPA filter for any exhaled gas for manual or mechanical ventilators before administering any breaths.

• Use a bag-mask device with a HEPA filter and a tight seal before intubation.

• Consider passive oxygenation with nonrebreathing face masks covered by a surgical mask for adults.

• Consider manual ventilation with a supraglottic airway or bag-mask device with a HEPA filter if intubation is delayed.

Starting and Continuing CPR

Emergency medical service providers should try to limit transferring a patient with known or suspected COVID-19 to a hospital if return or spontaneous circulation is not achieved. By considering age and severity of illness, this protects EMS providers, patients, and other healthcare professionals from being exposed and diverting resources away from those that need them.

Encourage Bystanders to Learn CPR

Most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, making it likely that a household member that has already been exposed to the patient will be performing CPR. If the member is willing and able, bystander CPR is still encouraged with the following tips:

• Perform hands-only CPR for adults.

• Perform chest compressions and consider mouth-to-mouth ventilation for children.

• If available, bystanders should use an automated external defibrillator to assess and treat patients.