CPR training for healthcare professionals
Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) for medical and paramedical staff. Recertification available.
Upcoming sessions
Friday
09:00
Formation PDSP
4865 Beaubien est, Montréal, QC H1T 1T8
Training delivered by Formations Laissi
Saturday
09:00
Formation PDSP
4865 Beaubien est, Montréal, QC H1T 1T8
Training delivered by Formations Laissi
Sunday
14:00
Formation en RCR et DEA pour Professionnels de la Santé
4865 Beaubien est, Montréal, QC H1T 1T8
Training delivered by Formations Laissi
For healthcare staff, the difficulty is not finding a CPR course: it is finding the one an employer or professional order will recognize. The same content goes by different names depending on the accrediting body — BLS, SIR, SVR — and a card earned under the wrong acronym is sometimes refused. This page untangles the terminology, explains what sets a “healthcare provider” course apart from a public one, and why its validity is shorter.
CPR for healthcare professionals (BLS / ACLS)
Basic Life Support (BLS)
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
For nurses, physicians, dentists and paramedics
Recertification and skills maintenance
Not sure which one applies to you?
The text above targets several jobs, and not in the same way. Three questions — your role, your situation, your city — and we name the course the regulation expects of you.
Answer the 3 questions All coursesMaking sense of the acronyms
Three names come up for the same level of competence — basic life support, intended for professionals.
- BLS — Basic Life Support, the most widespread English label.
- SIR — Soins immédiats en réanimation, the Heart & Stroke program.
- SVR — Soins vitaux en réanimation, the Canadian Red Cross equivalent.
- ACLS — Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support: a level above, not a synonym.
Worth checking — Before booking, write down the exact acronym your employer or order asks for, and the expected accrediting body. That is what will be checked — not your good faith. One email to HR saves a registration you would have to redo.
What sets the professional version apart
A public course prepares one person acting alone until help arrives. The professional version starts from a different assumption: you will not be alone, and you will have equipment.
- Two-rescuer resuscitation, with assigned roles and rotation.
- Bag-mask ventilation rather than mouth-to-mouth.
- Ratios and rates specific to clinical practice.
- Early recognition of deterioration, before arrest.
A shorter validity, on purpose
Where a public card lasts two or three years, a certification for healthcare professionals is often valid for one. The pace is not administrative: skills degrade quickly without repetition, and the bar is higher for someone who does this for a living.
The exact duration depends on the accrediting body and, above all, on what your employer accepts. The two do not always match: an establishment may require annual renewal where the card states two years.
Which course for which role
Not everyone in a clinic needs the professional version — and the reverse is true as well.
| Your situation | The course to aim for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse, respiratory therapist, dentist, paramedical staff | CPR for healthcare professionals (BLS) | The expected version for a role with direct care. Check the acronym required. |
| Health student, before a placement | CPR for healthcare professionals | Placement sites often specify the accepted provider: ask before paying. |
| Administrative or reception staff in a clinic | Public CPR/AED | The professional version is generally not required without direct care. |
| Staff who move patients | Safe patient handling (PDSP) | Addresses the risk tied to transfers. It adds to resuscitation training. |
Courses
Formation hybride SIR : théorie en ligne et pratique à Montréal
Formation hybride SIR certifiée par la Fondation des maladies du cœur et de l'AVC : la partie théorique se fait en ligne, chez vous (environ 3 heures), suivie d'un examen. Une fois votre certificat théorique obtenu, vous complétez une heure de pratique dans nos locaux, à la date et à l'heure choisies lors de l'inscription.
Formation en RCR et DEA pour Professionnels de la Santé
Ce cours est obligatoire pour les professionnels de la santé
Formation PDSP
Ce cours PDSP est donné par des instructeurs agéés par l'ASSTSAS, il introduit les bases d'une approche globale et préventive en matière de santé et sécurité au travail.
After the training: renewing without a gap
To an employer in the health network, an expired card is the equivalent of no card. Checks happen at hiring or during an audit, never at the moment that suits you.
The renewal format is shorter than the initial course, but it almost always assumes a card that is still valid. Aiming a few weeks before the deadline, rather than the month after, avoids paying for a full course again.
Frequently asked questions
Do BLS, SIR and SVR mean the same thing?
They designate the same level of competence. BLS is the international term; SIR is the Heart & Stroke program and SVR the Canadian Red Cross one. What changes is therefore the accrediting body — and that is precisely what an employer checks. Go by the exact acronym they ask for.
Is a public CPR course enough?
Not if your role involves direct care and your employer requires the professional version. The content differs — two-rescuer resuscitation, bag-mask, clinical ratios — and the card carries a different designation.
Is my certification valid one year or two?
It depends on the accrediting body and on what your employer recognizes. One year is common for healthcare professionals. The date is on your certificate; your employer’s requirement may be shorter.
Do you offer ACLS?
The catalogue shows the courses our partner providers are actually offering at a given time. If ACLS is not listed, no session is open: advanced life support is often delivered in hospitals or by specialized organizations.
Should my employer pay?
When certification is a condition of holding the position, it normally falls to the employer. Agreements and internal policies vary: settle it with human resources.
Not sure which one applies to you?
The text above targets several jobs, and not in the same way. Three questions — your role, your situation, your city — and we name the course the regulation expects of you.
Answer the 3 questionsRead next
To go further before choosing.