Who is the Heartsaver CPR AED course for?

Heartsaver CPR AED is designed primarily for members of the public and people who do not routinely provide advanced resuscitation as part of a healthcare role.

It is particularly suitable for:

• Workplace staff
• Sports coaches and sports clubs
• Teachers and school staff
• Parents and carers
• Security personnel
• Hospitality and leisure staff
• Community and voluntary organisations
• Fitness and activity professionals
• Anyone who wants practical CPR and AED skills

The course may also be suitable for some non-clinical or healthcare-support roles where an employer accepts Heartsaver CPR AED certification.

If your role requires healthcare-professional level resuscitation training, the IHF / AHA Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Course may be more appropriate.

There are no formal prerequisites.

What will I learn on a Heartsaver CPR AED course?

The course focuses on practical skills for responding to cardiac arrest, choking and other immediately life-threatening situations.

Training can include:

Adult CPR and AED

• Recognising when someone needs CPR
• High-quality adult CPR
• Chest compressions and rescue breaths
• Use of a pocket face mask
• Safe use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
• Combining CPR and AED use
• The Chain of Survival

Child and infant CPR

Where included in the selected course modules:

• Child CPR
• Infant CPR
• Rescue breaths
• Responding with help from other rescuers
• AED considerations for children

Choking

• Recognition of choking
• Adult choking management
• Child choking management
• Infant choking management

Emergency response

The current Heartsaver programme also introduces important emergency-response concepts including:

• Scene assessment
• Recognising a life-threatening emergency
• Calling for emergency assistance
• Opioid-associated emergencies
• Drowning prevention and initial response
• Key considerations for people providing emergency assistance

The exact content and duration will depend on the Heartsaver modules selected for your course.

Learn CPR and AED skills by doing

Heartsaver CPR AED is practical from the start.

Learners watch skills being demonstrated and then practise them using training manikins while the instructor observes, provides feedback and helps improve technique.

This practice-based approach gives participants the opportunity to repeat essential CPR and AED skills rather than simply learning the theory.

The aim is not just to know what CPR looks like. It is to be able to act when someone needs help.

Heartsaver CPR AED course duration and assessment

A full instructor-led Heartsaver CPR AED course typically takes approximately 3 to 3½ hours, depending on the course modules, group size and practical training requirements.

An adult-only course covering adult CPR and AED use may take approximately 2 hours.

Assessment is practical. Learners must demonstrate the required CPR and AED skills successfully before a course completion card can be issued.

There is no written examination.

Classroom and blended Heartsaver CPR AED training

Heartsaver CPR AED can be delivered through instructor-led classroom training or blended learning.

Instructor-led Heartsaver CPR AED

Participants complete the course with an instructor, combining course content with hands-on CPR and AED practice and skills assessment.

Blended Heartsaver CPR AED

The blended-learning option combines online learning with a required hands-on practical skills session.

Learners complete the online element before attending a structured session with an instructor to practise their CPR and AED skills and complete the required skills assessment.

Blended learning can be particularly useful for organisations that want to reduce classroom time while retaining the hands-on practice and assessment required for certification.

IHF / AHA Heartsaver CPR AED certification

Participants who successfully complete the required course components receive an IHF / AHA Heartsaver CPR AED course completion card, valid for two years.

To maintain current certification, participants should complete the appropriate Heartsaver CPR AED training again before their existing card expires.

Heartsaver CPR AED training across Ireland

UFAS delivers Heartsaver CPR AED training for individuals, workplaces, schools, sports clubs, community organisations and other groups across Ireland.

Group training can be delivered at your workplace or another suitable venue, allowing participants to learn and practise together.

Tell us how many people you need to train and where you are based, and we will help you arrange a suitable course.