Who doesn’t like the comforts of internet? If you need to buy something, you can order it online. If you need to send money to someone, you have net-banking for that. If you want to watch a movie, you can rent it online. So accustomed have we become to the quick benefits that the internet has brought us that we have begun to expect the same from everything. The same is the case with CPR. Would you ever join an online course in medicine or surgery and begin practicing it on people? Of course not. Then, the question you need to ask is how different is CPR from these two fields. Some online certifications could be good resources for gaining some level of theoretical knowledge regarding CPR. But whether they are good enough to be enrolled at, is a choice you have to make yourself. I have tried to paint a picture of what it means for you to get an online CPR certification to aid you in making an informed decision.
- No practical Exposure
Let me be blunt about this. You are not competent enough to administer a CPR unless you have practiced it on a mannequin in a live class with an instructor monitoring your actions. Despite of this, the online agencies offer nothing more than some reading material on CPR and a test for awarding a certification. As a matter of fact, most agencies do not even conduct the test and when they do, it is only a formality and has no bearing on your being awarded a certification. There is absolutely no learning involved in the online CPR certifications that would help you in a real-life situation.
- Absence of a Regulatory Norm
There is no dedicated government body to oversee the operations and certifications awarded by the various CPR training agencies. All the agencies, whether online or traditional, have their own approaches. They have their own course material and practice guidelines. Although American Heart Association releases updated CPR guidelines, it is up to the agencies whether to adapt the latest guidelines or continue with the older procedure. American Heart Association and American Red Cross are two of the most trusted agencies which offer reliable online certification programs. Granted, these organizations have online training programs, but they too mandate in-person skills assessment to award the certification.
- Certification Acceptance issues
If you are looking to get an easy certification to fulfill a job requirement, be wary of the online certifications. The acceptance of a certification from a particular agency is solely at the discretion of the employer. If the employer feels the online agency is not qualified or credible enough to grant a certification, then the certification has no weight to it. This is especially true in case of obscure online agencies with no practical training involved.
- Complications of CPR
About 330,000 cardiac arrests happen every year in U.S. alone. A majority of them are at home. That is to say that, an overwhelming majority of people suffer cardiac arrests at home in the presence of other people. The people present at the location during such an emergency, could be the only hope of survival for the victim. A good CPR can considerably improve the chances of the patient’s survival. If the person giving CPR is not well versed with the technique and only knows theoretical concepts from the course material provided by an online certification agency, the victim`s chances of survival are greatly reduced. A badly administered CPR may leave the patient with broken ribs, lung contusion, heart contusion or other injuries.
Whether you wish to learn a lifesaving skill or get the certification to land a job, it is paramount that you enroll for a traditional classroom CPR training class.