Basic life support (BLS) certification is basically a CPR certification for health care providers like CNAs. In Orlando and Central Florida, most CNA jobs require BLS certification. You are not required to obtain the BLS certification to take the CNA state exam and get the CNA license in Orlando and the state of Florida.
BLS is a critical life-saving skill whenever an emergency arises in a nursing/medical facility or anywhere else. Especially, when pursuing a healthcare career as a CNA, BLS can be a requirement to get qualified in the healthcare industry.
Many hospitals require CNAs to get their BLS certification through an American Heart
Association (AHA) accredited course or program. There are BLS onlines courses available as well. Online BLS is not recommended since most likely won’t be accepted by most hospitals and healthcare facilities.
It is pretty tempting to try to save money and time doing a BLS online class, but it ends up being a waste of money and time. Make sure you take a legitime BLS class in person or hybrid-learning by a reputable organization such as AHA, Red Cross or ASHI ( American Safety and Health Institute). These organizations provide great CPR/BLS training, but keep in mind some hospitals such as AdventHealth in Orlando and Florida require their employees to become certified by AHA ( American Heart Association), and won’t accept Red Cross or ASHI.