CPR and BLS: The One-Day Class Every Healthcare Worker Needs

Why a current BLS card opens doors across every program we teach, what the class covers, and how it satisfies employer and exam requirements in Florida.

If there is one credential that shows up across nearly every program and job we train for, it is CPR and Basic Life Support. It is also the shortest course we offer — a single day — and it is the prerequisite for several of our longer programs. Here is why it matters more than its length suggests.

What the class actually covers

Our CPR / BLS Training follows the American Heart Association curriculum. In one session you learn adult, child and infant CPR, how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), relief of choking for conscious and unconscious patients, and team-based response for a cardiac arrest in a clinical setting.

You practice on manikins with real-time feedback on compression depth and rate, so by the end of the day you have done the skills, not just watched them. The card you receive is valid for two years and is accepted by every employer and testing body in Florida.

Why it is a prerequisite, not an extra

Phlebotomy Technician, Nursing Assistant, Medical Assisting and Practical Nursing all require a current CPR/BLS card before you begin clinical work — and most require it before you sit the certification exam. Rather than send you elsewhere to get it, we run BLS training on site for $80, usually scheduled the week before each cohort starts.

If you already hold a current American Heart Association or American Red Cross BLS card, bring it — you do not need to retake the class with us. We just need a copy on file.

It is also a job on its own

A BLS card alone will not get you hired as a caregiver, but it is the credential that gets you onto the floor as a sitter, a patient care tech in training, or a volunteer in a clinical setting. For students who need to start earning while they complete a longer program, that first foothold matters.

When to take it

If you are enrolling in any program that lists CPR as a requirement, schedule the BLS class for the week before your cohort begins — that way the card is current for your entire program and your exam. If you are still exploring which path to take, BLS is a low-cost, one-day way to find out whether hands-on patient care is for you before you commit to a longer course.

Call 904-375-2940 to check the next BLS session date, or add it during your application and we will schedule it for you.