The American Heart Association’s BLS course is designed for healthcare professionals and other personnel who need to know how to perform CPR and other basic cardiovascular life support skills in a wide variety of in-hospital and out-of-hospital settings.

BLS trains participants to promptly recognize several life-threatening emergencies, give high-quality chest compressions, deliver appropriate breaths and ventilations, and provide early use of an AED. The course reflects science and education from the 2025 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC).

Upon completion of all course requirements, participants receive a BLS Provider Course Completion Card which is valid for two years.

What does this course teach?

High-quality CPR for adults, children, and infants
BLS concepts from the Chain of Survival
Delivering effective breaths or ventilations
Importance of early use of and how to use an AED
Performance as an effective team member during multi-rescuer CPR
Relief of foreign-body airway obstruction (choking) for adults, children, and infants

Basic Life Support (BLS)