Whether you are an individual wishing to become an instructor or a company wondering if it is cost effective to conduct in-house CPR or Advanced AHA training, the information in this article will provide you with a good idea of the time and monetary commitment necessary to become or develop an instructor.
Instructor Time Commitment
The total time for CPR School House to train an individual as an instructor (including the time it takes to prepare for the instructor course itself) is about 15 to 25 hours depending on the instructor program and if prerequisites have been met.
To become an American Heart Association Instructor, potential candidates must have a current American Heart Association provider card for each discipline they wish to teach. Instructor candidates must also do additional preparatory work for their instructor course by insuring they are both proficient with their own skills and able to effectively evaluate the skills of others. CPR School House encourages instructor candidates to audit additional classes conducted at our facility at no extra charge. The instructor class is an 8 hour program. After the instructor training, candidates must be evaluated while they are observed teaching before the certification card can be awarded.
Class Preparation and Administrative Time Commitment
The time it takes for an instructor to prepare for each class taught takes between one and two hours. Instructors must ensure that they have student provider manuals available for each student, and that all the class paperwork is printed out ahead of time. They must physically set up for the class by putting together the manikins, getting out supplies, and preparing the audio/visual equipment. After class, they are responsible for cleaning the equipment, printing out the certification cards for students, filling out and scanning all their class paperwork, and sending the paperwork to their Training Center (CPR School House).
Instructor Renewal Training
Every two years an instructor must renew their credentials by completing an instructor renewal course offered by CPR School House. The renewal is a 4-6 hour course depending on instructor skill proficiency. Between renewals, Instructors must read all correspondences from their Training Center as well as from the American Heart Association throughout the year. Approximately every five years, instructors will be required to take an online update when the new CPR and first aid protocols are released.
Financial Investment
The total cost of an AHA instructor training course varies based on the discipline the instructor wishes to teach(after initial prerequisites have been met), including all the necessary course materials (instructor manual, instructor DVD, etc.) is approximately $450.00 for the BLS Provider, $575.00 for Heartsaver CPR/First Aid* and $520.00 for the ACLS Provider
An instructor teaching an American Heart Association course will also need additional equipment including, but not limited to, adult manikins ($50 – $200 each), infant manikins ($50 – $150 each), AED trainers ($75 – $350 each), face shields ($0.50 each), pocket masks ($10 each), gloves ($0.25 each), mats for students to kneel on ($10 each), a TV or projector and DVD player ($150 – $600), bag valve masks ($30 for one infant and one adult mask). CPR School House recommends one set of equipment per student for optimum efficiency and maximum practice time. There are also small fees to cover the cost of the certification cards and to process your course roster. The annual Training Center alignment fee is waived for the first year for instructors who complete our training program.
If you have questions about our instructor training programs you can view more detailed information on our BLS Instructor or ACLS Instructor training pages. In addition, feel free to give us a call at 855-277-6446, or contact us through our website.
*The Heartsaver Instructor cost estimate is based on becoming a Heartsaver Instructor instead of a BLS Instructor. We recommend completing the BLS Instructor program as it is a higher level of CPR. BLS Instructors are eligible to teach all levels of CPR. Any instructor teaching Heartsaver classes must have the appropriate Instructor/Provider manuals and course DVDs. CPR School House does require a demonstration of First Aid teaching skills before an instructor will be able to teach First Aid classes. Please contact us for more details.
