First Aid: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Adults — PickAClass
★ 3.0 (1) ⏱ 2h 59m 📚 29 lessons 🎧 Audio version

First Aid: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Adults

Learn the essential life-saving skills to confidently respond to cardiac arrest, choking, and other emergencies in adults.

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About this course

In a critical moment, knowing how to act can make all the difference. This course provides the foundational knowledge you need to respond effectively and calmly during a life-threatening emergency involving an adult. By reading through the clear, step-by-step instructions, you will understand the principles of Basic Life Support. You'll gain the confidence to assess a situation, perform critical interventions, and provide vital aid until professional medical help arrives, becoming a crucial link in the chain of survival. What you'll learn: - Understand how to assess an emergency scene for safety and evaluate an unresponsive adult. - Learn the correct procedures for activating the emergency response system. - Master the techniques for delivering high-quality chest compressions and rescue breaths. - Apply the steps for correctly using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). - Practice the methods for clearing the airway of a conscious or unconscious choking adult. - Learn when and how to place an individual in the recovery position. - Build the confidence to coordinate a response and communicate effectively in an emergency. The course starts with the core concepts of emergency response before guiding you through the complete BLS sequence, from initial assessment to providing care. Each topic is broken down into easy-to-understand written modules. This course is designed for absolute beginners. No prior first aid training or medical knowledge is required to get started. Begin learning today and prepare yourself to act with competence when it matters most.

Course contents

6 modules · 29 lessons · 2h 59m

1 Foundations of Rescue and Safety
Understand the role of the rescuer and ensure safety before intervening.
4 lessons · 24 min
  1. Your Role in Survival
    The importance of acting calmly and the psychology of the first responder.
    6 min
  2. The Chain of Survival
    The five fundamental links connecting the lay rescuer to the hospital.
    6 min
  3. Environmental Assessment (S-S-S)
    How to identify hazards to yourself, the scene, and the patient before approaching.
    7 min
  4. Personal Protection
    Use of gloves and barriers to prevent infection during rescue.
    5 min
2 Victim Assessment and Alerting
Quickly identify the victim's condition and activate professional emergency services.
4 lessons · 25 min
  1. Assessing Consciousness
    The 'Shout and Shake' technique to determine if the victim is responsive.
    6 min
  2. Breathing Assessment (Look, Listen, Feel)
    How to look, listen, and feel for breathing for 10 seconds and recognize gasping.
    7 min
  3. Activating Emergency Services (112/118)
    When and how to call the emergency number promptly.
    6 min
  4. Effective Communication with the Dispatcher
    What information to provide to ensure a rapid ambulance arrival.
    6 min
3 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Master the technique of compressions and ventilations.
6 lessons · 39 min
  1. Mechanics of CPR
    Why compressing the chest keeps the brain alive.
    6 min
  2. Compressions: Position and Depth
    Where to place your hands and how deep to press (5-6 cm) to be effective.
    7 min
  3. Compressions: Rate and Recoil
    Maintain a rate of 100-120 bpm and allow for full chest recoil.
    7 min
  4. Opening the Airway
    The head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver to clear the airway.
    6 min
  5. Rescue Breathing Technique
    How to correctly perform mouth-to-mouth while observing chest rise.
    7 min
  6. The 30:2 Cycle
    Correctly alternating compressions and ventilations without prolonged interruptions.
    6 min
4 The Defibrillator (AED)
Knowing how to use the AED safely and quickly.
5 lessons · 31 min
  1. Introduction to the AED
    What a defibrillator is and how it can reset the heart.
    6 min
  2. Preparation and Pad Placement
    Turn on the device and apply the electrodes to the bare chest.
    7 min
  3. Analysis and Shock
    Follow the voice prompts and ensure safety during the shock.
    6 min
  4. Special Situations with the AED
    What to do in the presence of water, pacemakers, or excessive chest hair.
    6 min
  5. Integrating CPR and AED
    How to minimize pauses in compressions while the AED is in operation.
    6 min
5 Airway Obstruction (Choking)
Intervene correctly in case of foreign body airway obstruction.
5 lessons · 30 min
  1. Recognizing Obstruction
    Distinguish between partial obstruction (coughing) and total obstruction (universal choking sign).
    6 min
  2. The Heimlich Maneuver
    Perform abdominal thrusts on a conscious adult.
    7 min
  3. Choking: Unconscious Victim
    Transitioning to CPR when a choking victim loses consciousness.
    6 min
  4. Special Cases: Pregnancy and Obesity
    Adapting airway clearance maneuvers with chest thrusts.
    6 min
  5. Post-Obstruction
    What to do once the foreign body is expelled and why a medical check-up is necessary.
    5 min
6 Post-Intervention Management and Coordination
Manage a victim who resumes breathing and organize the scene.
5 lessons · 30 min
  1. When to Use the Recovery Position
    Identify an unconscious victim who is breathing normally.
    6 min
  2. Recovery Position Technique
    Steps to roll the victim onto their side and keep the airway open.
    7 min
  3. Coordinating Bystanders
    Assign specific tasks to bystanders (calling for help, retrieving the AED).
    6 min
  4. Post-Emergency Stress Management
    Dealing with emotions after providing aid.
    5 min
  5. Handover
    What to report to professional rescuers upon their arrival.
    6 min
Final project

Virtual Simulation: The Link in the Chain of Survival

You will analyze a complex video/text scenario: a man collapses in a shopping mall. You must decide, in chronological order, every action to take, from scene safety to the arrival of 118.

What you'll get

  • 📜 Certificate of completion
    Add it to your LinkedIn profile
  • 💬 Personal AI tutor
    Stuck on a lesson? Ask your built-in tutor anything, any time.
  • 🎧 Audio version included
    Learn on the go — no screen needed
  • ♾️ Lifetime access
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  • 📱 Phone or computer
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  • 💸 14-day refund
    No questions asked
  • ⚡ Short & focused
    2h 59m of practical content

Certificate of completion

Every course you complete on PickAClass issues a credential like this — original, with its own code, verifiable by URL, and detailed about what was actually demonstrated.

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Certificate of Mastery
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has successfully demonstrated mastery of
First Aid: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Adults
Skills demonstrated
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1.2 hrs
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Performance detail
Coursework summary
Lessons completed 14 / 14
Practice questions 26 / 28
Assignments submitted 4 (avg 4.5 / 5)
Capstone project Reviewed — 4.6 / 5
Total practice 6.2 hrs
Performance benchmark
Cohort rank Top 12% of 1,625
Time to completion 11 days (median: 22)
Mastery score 91 / 100
Practice-question score 94%
Skill verification Verified Skill Path
Verify this credential
pickaclass.com/certificates/PCC-2026-X4F7-AP19
Issued under the academic standards of PickAClass. Skill levels reflect assessed performance against the course's competency rubric. This is an original credential of this platform.

Reviews (1)

Samuel Akwasi GH Verified learner
★ 3 · September 4, 2026

The course covered the basics well. Some sections were more engaging than others. It's a reasonable starting point, I suppose.

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