Located in the middle of the bustling commercial district of Portland, Oregon, Portland CPR is one of the best providers of CPR training in the city. Students who need certification or credentials for CPR, BLS, ACLS, and PALS have to look no further than this provider. Because of the quality of the training programs and the amazing rates, trainees sign up for programs at Portland CPR all throughout the year.
Do all classes have certification?
Yes! All programs at Portland CPR offer credentials for the training you receive. Only one of the programs – Heartsaver CPR and AED for the general public – has the option of not getting certified to trainees who don’t need certification.Trainees just opt not to take the skills test at the end of this program if they don’t want a training certificate.
Completion cards are valid for two years throughout the country. While most of the programs have available renewal classes, some don’t. In order to qualify for a renewal class, students need to have a valid certificate for the program they are taking the renewal class for.
What programs can I sign up for?
There are a variety of programs available at Portland CPR, all offered at the cheapest rates possible. Each offers a different kind of certification so choose the one that offers the credential you need.
BLS: Heartsaver CPR and AED is for the general public. It teaches very basic CPR skills and what to do in response to an emergency situation where a victim falls unconscious and is unresponsive. This program is 4 hours long and doesn’t have renewal class available. Students can choose not to take the skills test to get CPR credentials.
BLS: Heartsaver CPR and AED (C) is for healthcare providers and students and basically has the same curriculum as the program for the general public. This program is also 4 hours and doesn’t have a renewal program. However, unlike the first program, this is a certification program with a skills test and a written exam after the program.
BLS for Healthcare Providers is tailored directly towards those that work in a healthcare or clinical setting (complete with equipment such as bag valve masks and automated external defibrillators). In order to take this program, students need to take a pretest skills and written exam. This program is 4 and half hours, with a 4-hour renewal class.
ACLS or Advanced Cardiac Life Support is a program for health care providers. It teaches trainees the team approach to rescuing a victim of cardiac arrest. In the clinical setting, reacting to cardiovascular emergencies involves a team with a team leader to handle the “code”. The program focuses on using a crash cart and the pharmacology for cardiovascular emergencies. This program is a two-day course that runs for 16 hours. Renewal programs are available are 6 to 6 hours long.
PALS or Pediatric Advanced Life Support
PALS or Pediatric Advanced Life Support teaches the same curriculum as ACLS but focuses on providing CPR in the healthcare setting towards pediatric patients (from infants to young teenagers). This program is also a two-day program but runs shorter, for only 14 hours. There is no renewal program available but there are update courses (6 to 8 hours long).