COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Trying to find which course is right for you can be a daunting task. We would like to help make the process as accessible as possible. Ultimately, it is a good idea to confirm with your employer, or school to find out which class you need. 

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The courses that we offer include:

CPR level C:  This course teaches you how to do CPR for adults, children and babies; how to help someone who is choking, and to recognize signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke.  The people who take this level are usually people who want these skills for their own family, or are fitness instructors, or people working in a long term care facility. The class is one full day if you are taking the course for the first time, and a half day if you are taking a recertification course. To be eligible for a recertification course, you must have taken the course before, within the past three years.

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Emergency First Aid with CPR level C: This course includes everything in CPR C, plus severe allergies, asthma, hyperventilation, severe bleeding, smaller wounds and burns.  This course is recognized under the NS Occupational Health and Safety Act for most jobs, including Early Childhood Educators, Education Program Assistants in schools (EPAs), Home Support Workers, retail workers and restaurant workers and pharmacists. This class is a full day for people taking the class for the first time, and 4-5 hours for recertification. In the blended format, students complete about 4 hours of work on the computer at their own pace, and then attend a four hour class in person for the hands-on skills part of the class.

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Standard First Aid with CPR level C: This is a two day course that includes all of the topics in Emergency First Aid plus head and spine injuries, splinting broken bones, diabetic emergencies, seizures, heat stroke, hypothermia and poisons. This course is required by Continuing Care Assistants, most students attending Nova Scotia Community College, and for designated first aiders in workplaces with 20 to 99 employees on a given shift. The course is two days long if you are taking the course for the first time, or one full day for a recertification course. In the blended format, students complete about 8 hours of work on the computer at their own pace, and then attend a full day course for the hands-on skills part of the class.

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Basic Life Support (BLS) (which used to be called CPR for Healthcare Providers (HCP)): This course teaches high performance CPR in a healthcare team. This course is required mostly by Registered Nurses, Paramedics and Dental Hygienists.

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Basic Life Support can also be combined with Emergency First Aid or Standard First Aid.  Students in the Nursing Program at Dalhousie University usually require Standard First Aid with BLS.

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If you are unsure which course you need to take, it is best to check with your employer, you school or your professional association. You can also call 902-233-1709 and we will try to guide you.

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